A fun family-friendly navigation challenge starts in two Mansfield parks during Love Parks Week next month.

Xplorer is a free outdoor activity for primary and pre-school children – and older children and adults can join in too. The start of the six-week sessions coincides with Love Parks Week, which runs from 25th July to 3rd August and encourages people to visit, enjoy and take pride in their local parks and green spaces.

The sessions take place for six weeks on Tuesdays from 29th July at Titchfield Park, Mansfield, and on Wednesdays from 30th July at Yeoman Hill Park, Mansfield Woodhouse, between 10am and 12 noon.

Using a simple map the aim is to find markers located around the park. At each marker children need to identify what is pictured and can learn a fun fact.

Older children can compete against friends and family to see who can complete the course in the quickest time and younger children will enjoy the excitement of finding the markers.

Everyone who completes a course will get a certificate and there will be different courses and challenges each week.

The navigation challenge is based on orienteering, which is an adventure sport that exercises both the mind and body. No experience of map reading is necessary and you can walk, jog or run the course at your own pace.

The Council’s Sports Facilitator Martin Cook and Parks Development Officer Jo Hull will be on hand to offer guidance at each of the sessions, which are run in conjunction with British Orienteering.

Coun Philip Shields, Portfolio Holder for the Environment at Mansfield District Council, said: “We are very pleased to bring this navigation challenge to two of our award-winning parks. It is a fun way for all the family to exercise both the mind and body while exploring the great outdoors and best of all – it’s free!”

For more information, contact Martin at [email protected] or on 01623 463 026.