GO Lancaster! gets kids exploring local parks with their families

In a world where we’re surrounded by screens, it can be a struggle to get kids outside during summer vacation.

But a local challenge that turns getting outside into a game just returned for another year — and it’s free to participate.

This summer, the Library System of Lancaster County will continue its partnership with WellSpan to host the annual summer adventure, Get Outdoors Lancaster!, which kicks off today and runs through Aug. 16.

This year’s GO Lancaster! theme is “Color Our World,” which coincides with the Library System of Lancaster County’s Summer Reading Program. The program is a family-friendly scavenger hunt across 20 local, county and state parks to encourage children and families to visit parks and trails.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with WellSpan for the 2025 GO Lancaster! program, expanding it to include adults, and ultimately working together to not only promote literacy for children and families across Lancaster, but also healthy habits and a love of outdoors,” said Sarah Bower, youth services liaison, Library System of Lancaster County.

GO Lancaster! participants pick up a sketchbook (one per family) and a list of participating parks, maps and trail information. Each GO Lancaster! park or trail has a hidden post marker featuring a color or artistic theme, which can be etched with crayon or pencil in the sketchbook. Parents can then check the post off their to-do list using a secret four-digit code in Beanstack, an online platform for summer reading programs.

GO Lancaster! participants can pick up their materials at any county library starting Monday. Materials are also available from the website at golancaster.org beginning today. Complete three parks to earn a special GO Lancaster! prize; compete four parks for an entry in the drawing for one of five grand prizes.

The sketchbook includes a map with park and trail locations, driving directions to make sure parents park in the right area and clues to find each post. There’s also a list of books for each post that relates to that specific hike. That connection helps tie the get-outside challenge to the library’s summer reading program.

“We encourage reading for children (and adults) to help reduce the ‘summer slide,’ the loss of reading skills and levels that children lost during the summer,” said Sandra Gladfelter, lead coordinator of Community Health and Wellness for WellSpan, in an email. “This is a vital piece of the Get Outdoors program, as well as encouraging outdoor family time, physical activity and exploring new parks and trails throughout the county.”

WellSpan started the GO program 18 years ago in York and it expanded 11 years ago to Lancaster, Gladfelter said. This year, the GO program is in seven counties, partnering with the library systems in each county.

Fun for adults, too

New this year is a program for adults ages 19 and older, which is slightly different from the kids’ version. The adult program is fully online through personal Beanstack accounts, which track the data of participants for organizers. Complete four parks to earn one entry into a drawing for three grand prizes.

But parents have found the kid-minded program pretty fun, too. Jessica Northen of Neffsville has been doing GO Lancaster! with her two daughters, Naomi and Lucy, for the past eight summers. She said it’s a great way to fill downtime in the summer on her days off as a registered nurse and spend quality time with the kids.

“It’s fun having a goal, following the trail, and the joy of finding the post,” said Lucy, age 11.

Northen said that sometimes people leave crayons at the post for “forgetful hikers” who might not have anything to etch with. She said that once discovered, the rubbings are a surprise with the different themes and designs on the posts.

The material the library provides about the trails — length of the hike, level of difficulty, if it’s stroller-friendly, where to park — is super helpful, Northen said.

“All the things that can stress you out are explained,” she said.

Lauren Cline of Mount Joy will be doing the GO program for the fourth year with her three kids Ivy, 8; Elliot, 5; and Willa, 2. She said that while she grew up here, the GO program helps her find new places around the county.

Cline said she packs up a canvas bag — sporting patches from previous GO Lancaster programs — with snacks, water and colored pencils for their hikes. Her family enjoys the hikes that are in the woods. One hike in particular was along a river with fantastic views. She said it was challenging for the kids — and they loved it.

“It’s fun family time, it’s free and it’s good to get outside,” she said. “There are lots of beautiful parts of the county.”