Park Authority

CONTACT INFORMATION: Open during regular business hours 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
703-324-8700 TTY 711
12055 Government Center Pkwy.
Fairfax, Virginia 22035
Jai Cole
Executive Director

Virtual Resource Center

Welcome to the Fairfax County Park Authority Virtual Exploration Center – a collection of resources to help you stay healthy, connected and engaged with parks. This page will be updated regularly, so check back often for new resources. And be sure to follow us on social media for new updates and ideas to help with your at-home exploration and recreation. Click here or scroll down to learn more about our virtual program offerings.

For more ideas and updates on new content, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at @fairfaxparks. Have a great idea or resource you’d like to request? Email us your thoughts at parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.

health wellness header

Although we’re all physically distancing, we need to stay connected emotionally. Reach out to a friend or relative to check-in. Write letters. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep. Take breaks from technology and find time to unwind. Even a brisk walk or stretch outside makes a big difference. We’ve compiled the below fitness and nutrition resources to help you take healthy strides. Please check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. 

Healthy Strides Videos

 

video icon70th Anniversary Cardio Party! – We kicked off our 70th Anniversary with a special fitness cardio party!

video iconFree Virtual Community Fitness Classes – Join our free Healthy Strides Community Classes through Zoom.

video iconStability Ball Exercise – Watch as Jennifer B. of Spring Hill RECenter incorporates a stability ball into her exercises.

video iconSquats With Your Dog – Oak Marr RECenter's Fitness Director, Hannah H., is back at it again with her best pal, Jack!

video iconLower Body Strength – Spring Hill's Jennifer B. demonstrates exercises to strengthen the lower body.

video iconBird Dog Plank – Spring Hill RECenter's Jennifer B. shows you two great exercises to work your core.

video iconTable Top Exercise – Oak Marr RECenter's Sherry S. demonstrates one of her favorite exercises, the table top exercise.

video iconBalance and Beyond – FCPA fitness Instructor Barb E. leads an at-home version of Balance and Beyond.

video iconRoll the Dice Workout – South Run RECenter's Jessica G. teaches her kids basic exercise moves through a fun "roll the dice" game format.

video iconYoga With Your Dog – Watch as Hannah H. from Oak Marr attempts to teach her dog some basic yoga.

FCPA Partner Videos

video iconChannel 16 Tai Chi & Yoga Videos – Stay active and reduce stress with free streaming videos. Exercise intensity ranges from light to moderate.  

video iconFree Workout Videos for Older Adults – Explore free videos from the National Institute on Aging at NIH. Exercise intensity ranges from light to moderate.

Activities

printable iconCub Run RECenter Mystery Trail – Explore nature, get exercise, and have fun with the help of Cub Run RECenter's Mystery Trail handout!

printable iconMy Health Journal – Encourage healthy habits with kids with this free daily health journal.

Tools and Resources

computer web iconMove Your Way Activity Planner – Find free resources to help your family get 60 minutes of daily activity.

computer web iconMove Your Way Interactive Tracker – Interactive tool providing fitness suggestions for the whole family.

computer web iconMyPlate Kitchen – Visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Site to explore free recipes and create your own cookbook

computer web iconExercise & Physical Activity Trackers – The U.S. Department of Aging provides printables and resources to encourage regular physical activity.

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Discover science and nature in the world around you! Foster your natural curiosity, develop emotional connections and foster respect for the world around you. Enjoy quiet time outside; explore your space with all five of your senses. Reflect upon what you know and what you’d like to know. We’ve compiled the following resources to aid in your science and nature exploration.

Featured Videos

video iconStream Monitoring – (grades 4 & 7)

video iconOceans: Life in a Caribbean Reef – (grade 5)

video iconSound Waves – (grade 5)

video iconPhases of the Moon – (grade 4)

video iconPlanets in Motion – (grades 4 & 6)

video iconWater and Amphibians – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)

video iconTurtles and Habitat – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)

video iconTortugas y su habitat – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)

video iconAgua y anfibios – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)

video iconGrowth and Change – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)

video iconNational Witch Hazel Collection – Learn more about Green Spring Gardens' National Witch Hazel Collection from Master Gardener Karen A.

video iconSwale Garden – Got a low spot in your yard? Pretty it up with a swale garden! Learn from Master Gardener, Barbara L. about Green Spring's very own beautiful swale garden. You can email mgfairfax@vt.edu if you want more information about gardening from master gardeners.

video iconDear Malcolm! – A new segment featuring Malcolm of Huntley Meadows Park. Got a nature question? Email Kylie.Starck@fairfaxcounty.gov and your question might just be featured in the next installment of Dear Malcolm!

video icon London Plane Tree – Learn more about one of Green Spring Garden's oldest features, the London Plane Tree, from Master Gardener Sherley C.

video iconChildren's Garden - A Learning Laboratory – Green Spring Master Gardener, Gioia F. takes you on a more in-depth tour of the Children's Garden.

video iconCardoons (Cynara cardunculus) – Learn about cardoons from Green Spring Master Gardener, Carla R.

video iconChildren's Garden Exploration – Check out the beautiful Children's Garden brought to you by Green Spring Master Gardeners.

video iconMini Miller Puppet Show – Educator Dani M. brought along some friends this time to teach you some science behind the Colvin Run Mill.

video iconTurtles – Join Hidden Oaks Nature Center's Celia L. as she teaches you about turtles.

video iconSpike's Day Out – Missing your favorite bearded dragon? Check out what Spike gets up to while he's waiting for visitors at Hidden Oaks Nature Center.

video iconJackie the Rat Snake – Hidden Oaks Nature Center's Suzanne H. shows off Jackie, the rat snake.

video iconA Day in the Life of a Dairy Cow – Ever wonder what it's like to be a dairy cow? Look no further! Frying Pan Farm's Patrick M. dives deep into the day of a dairy cow!

video icon"Five Little Ducks" Sing-Along – Sing along with Frying Pan Farm's Patrick M. as he tells the tale of five little ducks.

video iconColvin Run Mill and Simple Machines – Colvin Run Mill Educator Dani M. teaches about simple machines - a great resource for science teachers and their students.

Activities

printable iconGreen Spring Gardens Tree Detective – Become a tree detective with this scavenger hunt from Green Spring Gardens. After you find all 10 trees, take a picture of yourself/your family in front of your favorite decorated tree and share online with #GreenSpringGardens.

printable iconCub Run RECenter Mystery Trail – Explore nature, get exercise, and have fun with the help of Cub Run RECenter's Mystery Trail handout!

printable iconChildren's Garden Activity Sheet – Before you stop by the Children's Garden at Green Spring, download this activity sheet.

printable iconParts of a Flower – Check your flower knowledge with this worksheet activity.

printable iconHomemade Paper – Learn to make homemade paper and cards using stuff from your own backyard.

printable iconNature Walk Bingo Boards – Print out this set of six Bingo boards and head out on a nature walk!

printable iconScavenger Hunt Bingo – This printable set of six Bingo boards can be used indoors or out and focuses on letters, numbers, colors and shapes.

printable iconCounting on the Farm – Bring farm fun into your home with this math worksheet and activity.

printable iconA Field Guide to Fairfax County's Plants and Wildlife – Use this printable guide to identify common species found in typical neighborhoods, schoolyards, parks and other areas.

printable iconCreate Your Own Field Guide to a Local Animal – A 4th grade class at Flint Hill School in Oakton, Va., shows how to study, research and observe a local animal in your neighborhood.

Tools and Resources

computer iconHelping Our Land Heal – Learn more about the Park Authority program to restore natural areas on park lands. Don't forget to check out the Helping Our Land Heal Videos!

computer iconGreen Spring Gardens' 50th Anniversary – Learn more about Green Spring Gardens, and be sure to Ask a Historian if you have any questions!

computer iconBird Exploration – Checklists the many bird species that have been spotted at various parks.

computer iconFrying Pan Farm Park New Arrivals – Getting updates on the newest spring arrivals at Frying Pan Farm!

computer iconCity Nature Challenge – Learn how to use the iNaturalist app and other resources to learn about observations in nature. 

computer iconVirginia Natural Resources Education Guide – Elementary and middle school resources and lesson plans focused on Virginia’s natural resources.

computer iconState Arboretum of Virginia Educational Resources – Tools for hands-on investigations and field studies of Virginia’s natural resources. 

computer icon4-H Afterschool Agriculture – Miss the farm? Check out these 4-H educational resources to promote agricultural literacy.

computer iconOur Stories & Perspectives Blog– Explore wildlife, plants and more with regular posts on the Park Authority’s blog. 

computer iconNOAA Ocean Service Education – Explore NOAA resources including a Chesapeake Bay Activity Book.

computer iconFeather Atlas – Learn about feathers with the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Feather Atlas

culture history header

Explore Fairfax County’s cultural and historical resources from the comfort of your couch! 

Featured Videos

video iconTeatime Tips – Missing Green Spring Garden's Historic Programs and Teas? Check out this video featuring Historian Debbie W. as she shares some teatime tips!

video iconMini Miller Puppet Show – Educator Dani M. brought along some friends this time to teach you some of the history of Colvin Run Mill.

video iconColvin Run Mill and Simple Machines – Take a look at historic Colvin Run Mill's simple machines in an educational video from Educator Dani M. 

Activities

printable iconMini-Miller Must Sees: Independent Tour – This booklet is for kids ages 5-12 to do while they explore the outdoor Colvin Run Mill site.

printable iconMuseum Collections Game – Guess the phrase using objects from the Park Authority's museum collections as the clues.

Tools and Resources

computer iconChannel 16 Summer Concert Videos – Check out some highlights from past Summer Entertainment Series shows, courtesy of Channel 16.

computer iconartiFacts Blog – Explore Fairfax County History through archaeology. 

computer iconColvin Run Mill Coloring & Activity Pages – The Friends of Colvin Run Mill posts coloring pages and activities twice a week.

computer iconColvin Run Mill Baking Recipes – Home recipes using products ground at Colvin Run Mill  

computer iconFairfax County History – Explore Fairfax County’s rich history with this collection of resources. 

computer iconFairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites – Explore this a classified survey list of sites, areas and structures in Fairfax County.

computer iconSTORY MAP: Fairfax County Historical Roadside Markers – Take a virtual tour of historical highway markers in Fairfax County

computer iconSTORY MAP: Nature & History Sites – An interactive tour of nine natural and history sites in Fairfax County.

computer iconSTORY MAP: Old Colchester Park & Preserve – An interactive virtual cultural history tour. 

 

Virtual Programs

We offer virtual versions of our popular programs. Scheduled offerings can be found at this link.

We also offer online programs by request for teachers, scout leaders, parents, homeschool co-ops and other groups or families looking to connect with nature and history from the comfort of home.

Fill out the request form below, and a staff member will help you arrange a program with one of our naturalists or historians -- and we'll make it fit your schedule.

Request a Virtual Program

Important Links:

FCPA Response to Coronavirus – Get current info on Park Authority closures and response to COVID-19.

Fairfax County COVID-19 Info – Find news and resources related to the health crisis in Fairfax County.  

Assistance from a Distance – Learn how to access the Fairfax County Department of Family Services from a distance.

Fairfax County Public Schools Meal Distribution – Use a searchable map to find food distribution sites.

Fairfax Virtual Assistant