ACTIVE LIFE is a monthly series in the Nanaimo News Bulletin contributed by City of Nanaimo Staff. 

I’ve decided: I want to be a kid again.

Yup. No doubt about it. I want the summer to feel like it lasts forever, I want to play all day, I want to be able to run down to the store with my few pennies and come home with a full bag of candy, and I want to be free from all my adult worries. I’m sure many can relate.

Since reverting back to our childhoods is impossible, perhaps we can do the next best thing: get out into our community and do things to make us feel like kids again.

Water Parks: Cool off at Departure Bay, Deverill, Harewood and Mansfield Parks daily until September.

Playground Program: Bring your children, ages five to 12, to various playgrounds for led activities. Held Monday to Friday and many Wednesday evenings.

Find the Golden Bucket Contest: A great way to discover your local parks. Get the weekly clue from Facebook, Twitter or our website every Wednesday until Aug. 31. You search for the bucket and answer a question about the park for a chance to win prizes.

Westwood Lake Park: Nanaimo’s favourite summer destination has lifeguards on duty daily from June 26 until Sept. 3.

Family Fishing Day: Do something special with dad on Father’s Day at Colliery Dam Park. Play games, make crafts, learn to fish and take part in a trout release.

Family Fun Night and Barbecue: Celebrate the beginning of summer with musical entertainment, family activities and more on June 29 at Departure Bay Park. There’s a barbecue hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Nanaimo Sunrisers and a salad bar by Nanaimo Foodshare. Cost is $4.

Canada Day Celebrations: Live entertainment and activities for the whole family held at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Concerts in the Park: Take in some amazing entertainment in two of Nanaimo’s parks. Held Wednesday evenings from July 6 to Aug. 31. July concerts are held at the Bowen Park amphitheatre while August concerts are in Maffeo Sutton Park. Lunchtime concerts held Mondays from July 11 to Aug. 29. July concerts are in Maffeo Sutton and Bowen Park in August.

For more information, please visit www.nanaimo.ca or call parks and rec at 250-756-5200.

In the meantime, I’m going  down to the corner store with my pennies (I mean Toonies) to get a treat.