Alert:
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.
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.
70th Anniversary Cardio Party! – We kicked off our 70th Anniversary with a special fitness cardio party!
Free Virtual Community Fitness Classes – Join our free Healthy Strides Community Classes through Zoom.
Stability Ball Exercise – Watch as Jennifer B. of Spring Hill RECenter incorporates a stability ball into her exercises.
Squats With Your Dog – Oak Marr RECenter's Fitness Director, Hannah H., is back at it again with her best pal, Jack!
Lower Body Strength – Spring Hill's Jennifer B. demonstrates exercises to strengthen the lower body.
Bird Dog Plank – Spring Hill RECenter's Jennifer B. shows you two great exercises to work your core.
Table Top Exercise – Oak Marr RECenter's Sherry S. demonstrates one of her favorite exercises, the table top exercise.
Balance and Beyond – FCPA fitness Instructor Barb E. leads an at-home version of Balance and Beyond.
Roll the Dice Workout – South Run RECenter's Jessica G. teaches her kids basic exercise moves through a fun "roll the dice" game format.
Yoga With Your Dog – Watch as Hannah H. from Oak Marr attempts to teach her dog some basic yoga.
Channel 16 Tai Chi & Yoga Videos – Stay active and reduce stress with free streaming videos. Exercise intensity ranges from light to moderate.
Free Workout Videos for Older Adults – Explore free videos from the National Institute on Aging at NIH. Exercise intensity ranges from light to moderate.
Cub Run RECenter Mystery Trail – Explore nature, get exercise, and have fun with the help of Cub Run RECenter's Mystery Trail handout!
My Health Journal – Encourage healthy habits with kids with this free daily health journal.
Move Your Way Activity Planner – Find free resources to help your family get 60 minutes of daily activity.
Move Your Way Interactive Tracker – Interactive tool providing fitness suggestions for the whole family.
MyPlate Kitchen – Visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Site to explore free recipes and create your own cookbook
Exercise & Physical Activity Trackers – The U.S. Department of Aging provides printables and resources to encourage regular physical activity.
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.
Stream Monitoring – (grades 4 & 7)
Oceans: Life in a Caribbean Reef – (grade 5)
Sound Waves – (grade 5)
Phases of the Moon – (grade 4)
Planets in Motion – (grades 4 & 6)
Water and Amphibians – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)
Turtles and Habitat – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)
Tortugas y su habitat – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)
Agua y anfibios – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)
Growth and Change – (grades K, 1, 2 & 3)
National Witch Hazel Collection – Learn more about Green Spring Gardens' National Witch Hazel Collection from Master Gardener Karen A.
Swale 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.
Dear 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!
London Plane Tree – Learn more about one of Green Spring Garden's oldest features, the London Plane Tree, from Master Gardener Sherley C.
Children's Garden - A Learning Laboratory – Green Spring Master Gardener, Gioia F. takes you on a more in-depth tour of the Children's Garden.
Cardoons (Cynara cardunculus) – Learn about cardoons from Green Spring Master Gardener, Carla R.
Children's Garden Exploration – Check out the beautiful Children's Garden brought to you by Green Spring Master Gardeners.
Mini Miller Puppet Show – Educator Dani M. brought along some friends this time to teach you some science behind the Colvin Run Mill.
Turtles – Join Hidden Oaks Nature Center's Celia L. as she teaches you about turtles.
Spike'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.
Jackie the Rat Snake – Hidden Oaks Nature Center's Suzanne H. shows off Jackie, the rat snake.
A 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!
"Five Little Ducks" Sing-Along – Sing along with Frying Pan Farm's Patrick M. as he tells the tale of five little ducks.
Colvin Run Mill and Simple Machines – Colvin Run Mill Educator Dani M. teaches about simple machines - a great resource for science teachers and their students.
Green 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.
Cub Run RECenter Mystery Trail – Explore nature, get exercise, and have fun with the help of Cub Run RECenter's Mystery Trail handout!
Children's Garden Activity Sheet – Before you stop by the Children's Garden at Green Spring, download this activity sheet.
Parts of a Flower – Check your flower knowledge with this worksheet activity.
Homemade Paper – Learn to make homemade paper and cards using stuff from your own backyard.
Nature Walk Bingo Boards – Print out this set of six Bingo boards and head out on a nature walk!
Scavenger Hunt Bingo – This printable set of six Bingo boards can be used indoors or out and focuses on letters, numbers, colors and shapes.
Counting on the Farm – Bring farm fun into your home with this math worksheet and activity.
A 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.
Create 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.
Helping 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!
Green Spring Gardens' 50th Anniversary – Learn more about Green Spring Gardens, and be sure to Ask a Historian if you have any questions!
Bird Exploration – Checklists the many bird species that have been spotted at various parks.
Frying Pan Farm Park New Arrivals – Getting updates on the newest spring arrivals at Frying Pan Farm!
City Nature Challenge – Learn how to use the iNaturalist app and other resources to learn about observations in nature.
Virginia Natural Resources Education Guide – Elementary and middle school resources and lesson plans focused on Virginia’s natural resources.
State Arboretum of Virginia Educational Resources – Tools for hands-on investigations and field studies of Virginia’s natural resources.
4-H Afterschool Agriculture – Miss the farm? Check out these 4-H educational resources to promote agricultural literacy.
Our Stories & Perspectives Blog– Explore wildlife, plants and more with regular posts on the Park Authority’s blog.
NOAA Ocean Service Education – Explore NOAA resources including a Chesapeake Bay Activity Book.
Feather Atlas – Learn about feathers with the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Feather Atlas
Explore Fairfax County’s cultural and historical resources from the comfort of your couch!
Teatime Tips – Missing Green Spring Garden's Historic Programs and Teas? Check out this video featuring Historian Debbie W. as she shares some teatime tips!
Mini Miller Puppet Show – Educator Dani M. brought along some friends this time to teach you some of the history of Colvin Run Mill.
Colvin Run Mill and Simple Machines – Take a look at historic Colvin Run Mill's simple machines in an educational video from Educator Dani M.
Mini-Miller Must Sees: Independent Tour – This booklet is for kids ages 5-12 to do while they explore the outdoor Colvin Run Mill site.
Museum Collections Game – Guess the phrase using objects from the Park Authority's museum collections as the clues.
Channel 16 Summer Concert Videos – Check out some highlights from past Summer Entertainment Series shows, courtesy of Channel 16.
artiFacts Blog – Explore Fairfax County History through archaeology.
Colvin Run Mill Coloring & Activity Pages – The Friends of Colvin Run Mill posts coloring pages and activities twice a week.
Colvin Run Mill Baking Recipes – Home recipes using products ground at Colvin Run Mill
Fairfax County History – Explore Fairfax County’s rich history with this collection of resources.
Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites – Explore this a classified survey list of sites, areas and structures in Fairfax County.
STORY MAP: Fairfax County Historical Roadside Markers – Take a virtual tour of historical highway markers in Fairfax County
STORY MAP: Nature & History Sites – An interactive tour of nine natural and history sites in Fairfax County.
STORY MAP: Old Colchester Park & Preserve – An interactive virtual cultural history tour.
