Christmas break has arrived for Burke County school children and parents may already be looking for fun (and maybe even educational) activities to keep kids busy and active during the two-week recess.
Lake James State Park will offer several opportunities for children and adults alike to learn about nature while enjoying one of the county’s most beautiful areas.
Although some of the park’s hiking and biking trails are still closed due to damage sustained during Hurricane Helene, other areas are partially open to visitors.
Those interested in learning more about the Winter Solstice are invited to drop in at the Paddy’s Creek Visitors Center on Saturday, Dec. 21, any time between 1-2:30 p.m.
Guests can learn why the Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, have a cup of free hot chocolate, and make a solstice suncatcher to take home. The program is free.
On Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 23-24, park guests can come to the visitors center to learn about local wildlife and make ornaments for their Christmas trees.
Park Superintendent Nora Coffey said the event is a fun way to spend family time during the busy holiday season.
“People can pop in and look around the visitors center,” she said. “We will have a table set up in the lobby where guests can make an animal track ornament to take home.”
According to Coffey, visitors can choose an animal track and press the mold into plaster to form a footprint. After about 30 minutes, the ornament will be dry and ready to take home.
Guests will even be treated to a free cup of hot chocolate and holiday treats while they wait. The event begins at 1 p.m. and ends at 4 p.m. each day.
Lake James State Park also features a “story walk” on one of the trails. According to Coffey, park officials took the pages from the children’s book “Winter’s Gifts: An Indigenous Celebration of Nature” by Kaitlin B. Curtice, laminated the pieces, and mounted the pages on trees along the park’s Sandy Cliff Overlook Trail.
As families hike the trail, they can pause every 50-100 yards to read a page of the book. Begin this adventure at the Catawba River Area day-use parking lot.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
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Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
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