Summer is here, and the sun is out! You may not realize it, but your library provides many ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Fraser Valley Regional Library offers our customers outdoor leisure and learning experiences through The Playground™ — an innovative collection of toys, tools and tech, many of which you can borrow with your library card!
You’ll find The Playground™ in action across FVRL programs, community events and special activities where families, kids and adults can try something new together. From nature exploration to creative play and outdoor discovery, there are always opportunities to learn, explore and have fun right here in your local library.
Get Outside with a Nature Pack
Want an excuse to head outdoors? FVRL's Nature Packs are designed to help you slow down, explore and notice the world around you. Each pack includes walking poles, a pocket microscope, nature guides and activities that encourage curiosity and observation.
Take a Nature Pack on a walk through your neighbourhood, a local trail or your favourite park and discover just how much there is to see when you look a little closer. A leaf isn't just a leaf. A feather isn't just a feather. And that mysterious thing you found on the sidewalk? Maybe don't touch it…but you can look at it. Our pocket microscopes let you zoom in on details normally invisible to the naked eye.
Warning! You may suddenly become the family member who points out interesting bugs and tree bark. (Did you know cinnamon is actually dried inner bark?)
Each FVRL Nature Pack includes a chime and a pocket microscope.
Become a Backyard Bird Detective
Have you ever wondered which birds are visiting your neighbourhood? Our Birdwatching Backpacks are packed with tools to help you identify and learn about local birds. Bring it to a park, a trail or even your own backyard.
Fair warning: once you start identifying birds, it's hard to stop. One day you're casually watching a robin, and then… BAM! The next day, you're explaining the difference between a chickadee call for food and an alarm call.
FVRL's Birdwatching Backpack includes a birding guide and binoculars.
Discover a Bat Detector
Summer evenings are full of activity that most of us never notice. With the solstice behind us, the sun will begin to set earlier and bats will emerge to hunt insects overhead. But because their calls are ultrasonic, we can't normally hear them.
A Bat Detector changes that. This fascinating device translates bat calls into sounds humans can hear, allowing you to experience an entirely hidden side of nature.
It's part science experiment, part wildlife adventure and part "wait, there are HOW many bats flying above us right now?"
The Echo Meter detector works with a mobile app to locate bats in your area.
Try Disc Golf
Never played disc golf before? You're exactly the kind of person who should try it.
Disc golf combines the fun of throwing a frisbee with the challenge of aiming a flying disc at a target, with some walking thrown in. It's easy to get started, suitable for all ages, and a great excuse to spend time outdoors together or on your own.
You don't need expensive equipment or special training, and anyone can try it — even for those of us with dad bods. You just need a willingness to laugh when your disc flies in a completely different direction than intended.
The FVRL Disc Golf Kit comes with three blue discs, three orange discs and a quick start guide.
Learn Through Play
The Playground™ collection supports STEAM learning — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics — while also encouraging creativity, wellness, sustainability and exploration.
You can experiment, explore, learn and discover new interests without making a big investment. Sometimes you'll find a new passion. Sometimes you'll simply have a memorable afternoon.
One of the best things about The Playground™ is that it encourages us to explore together. A walk can become a birding expedition. A trip to the park can become a disc golf challenge. An evening walk can become a bat-detecting adventure. The ordinary suddenly becomes extraordinary when you have the right tools and a little curiosity.
Ready to Play?
Start with a library card, a little curiosity and the question, "What should we try today?"
This summer, stop by your local FVRL location and explore one of the 17 items in The Playground™ collection, and see what adventures you get up to this summer.
The best part? You can borrow the experience for free.
Brandon is the FVRL STEAM Specialist.
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