Despite coronavirus, kids can still have fun with a scavenger hunt west of Fort Worth

The Weatherford Parks and Recreation Department is proving that even as the world battles the coronavirus, fun is still possible.

The department unveiled its Mission Possible program for youngsters, an opportunity to stay active amid a time when most activities have been canceled or postponed.

“We had no plans for this program and had been focused on all of the canceled programs and events that we had scheduled,” said Shannon Goodman, Director of Parks and Special Events. “This was an idea that came up as I have been hearing from multiple residents about school being out and the kids were already getting bored.

“So it was kind of a light bulb moment for me. I was running it by staff as a scavenger hunt/geocache idea and staff just ran with it to create the final program of ‘Mission Possible.’”

Each week participants are sent a list of items to find or tasks to complete. They are asked to take a photo to verify finding the item or completion of the task, and email to cstevenson@weatherfordtx.gov.

The first 10 to complete the mission will receive a special prize, and all submissions after will receive a free pass to the city pool at Cherry Park (once it reopens). Prizes can be curbside pickup or mailed.

Residents can like the city Facebook page for mission updates.

“The pool passes and shirts are just a quick starting point, and we will change the prizes as we continue to update the program,” Goodman said.

Goodman said initial plans are to run the program for four weeks, with more ideas in the works.

“We are in the process of creating a couple of more programs that we can get out to the kids over the next few weeks,” he said. “We encourage people to use our parks and trails, but respect others and use social distancing as recommended through the CDC safety guidelines.”

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 6:00 AM.