4 Fun, Free, Fitness-Oriented Outdoor Activities in Longview, TX

Happy Child

If you’re searching for activities in Longview, TX for your family and friends to enjoy together, look no further. These activities will get you the daily exercise you and your family members need for your overall wellbeing. Instead of hiding indoors or spending $25.00 on Chuck E. Cheese tokens and pizza, here are some outdoor activities that are good for you and don’t cost a thing.

Nearby Outdoor Activities in Longview, TX

1) Hike Mobberly Trail

For one of the more scenic activities in Longview, TX, surprise your family with a hike or mountain bike excursion through Mobberly Trail located at Mobberly Baptist Church at 3297 Tryon Road, Longview, TX. You and your family will enjoy a 3-mile nature walk, ride, or run with views of ponds, pine trees, and hills. This is one of the newer nature trails with expansion planned for the future. Doing outdoor activities is a great way to get your kids the exercise they need without having a “formal exercise plan” that can get monotonous.

The Huffington Post shared:

Research conducted at the University of Essex showed that the color green, such as that found on trees, grass and other plants in nature, makes exercise feel easier.”

2) Kid’s View Outdoor Park and Playground

Don’t want to shell out cash for a bouncy house or children’s museum? Try the park that Longview families are falling in love with: Kid’s View Playground at 100 Pals Pkwy Longview, Texas 75604. Instead of playing indoors, let the kids get some fresh air and a good dose of Vitamin Dpreferably in the morning or afternoon to avoid peak temperatures. This beautiful wooden playground can host many kids at a time, and offers many stations for different age groups: swings, monkey bars, hanging bars, climbing ropes, slides, a puppet show station, play castles, and even a ‘train station ticketing counter! Get in one hour of play here and you’ve met the recommended amount of daily exercise for kids. The park is open from 7:30am – 7:30pm.

3) Bike or Walk Cargill Long Park

One Saturday, get the family up at 7am and take a 3-mile walk or bike ride around Cargill Long Park, located in Walnut Hills Park at 3112 North 4th St. in Hollybrook Park, behind the gas station on Eastman Rd. Biking is allowed, but with lots of people using the trail, you may want to walk instead. And by walking, your family can try some of the exercise stations along the way. You can even get your little ones to copy your movements (in their own little way) on less-difficult stations. The trail is surrounded by residences and lined by beautiful pines that provide a refreshing aroma and shade from the hot Texas sun while you get your cardio on.

4) Neal McCoy Playground

Out of the many activities in Longview, TX, playing with your kids on the Neal McCoy Playground is one that can’t be missed. This playground is vast, colorful, and inclusive. Known as a universally-accessible playground, the playground was built for all children regardless of their needs and abilities as a gift from Neal McCoy, the recipient of Home Depot’s Humanitarian Award. It was designed with many different active play stations including a see-saw, mini fire truck, and balance beams. Parents will be sure to get their heart rate up while running after their kids from station to station. To relax, parents can take a turn on the adult-sized chair swings.

Because playground accidents are one of the leading causes of emergency room and urgent care visits, make sure to keep a close eye on your kids at play, especially on elevated stations like monkey bars, ladders, and bridges. The last thing you want on your fun-day-out is for your child to break an arm and have to rush them to the nearest ER or urgent care center. In addition, watch for other ailments, such as heat exhaustion. Playgrounds can be fun, but remember: health and safety come first.