If you’re like most parents, you have one goal this summer: keep the kids happy and cool! I mean, let’s be honest, if you want to have a fun and enjoyable summer, happy kids are a MUST! So, what keeps kids happy and cool during these hot and sunny summer months in Hastings County?

Parks, splash pads, beaches, snacks, and ice cream!

So, with that in mind, we went and checked out all kinds of parks and beaches and ate all kinds of ice cream so we could report back. Someone had to do it, right??

Parks/Splash Pads

Let’s start with parks and splash pads in Hastings County. A favourite of ours has always been Centre Hastings Park in Madoc. If you’ve ever driven through Madoc, you have definitely seen this impressive park. It has all kinds of slides and climbers, a splash pad, a skate park, a canteen, and even ice cream! You could absolutely spend an entire day here and not get bored.

Another great park and splash pad to check out is Emily Trudeau Splash Pad. This one is tucked in behind the Erin Palmateer Community Pool in Tweed, and has an adorable splash pad, a play area, and even some basketball and beach volleyball courts. There’s also a covered picnic area, so pack a lunch and some sunscreen and spend the day!

These are just a couple of parks and splash pads throughout Hastings County, and there are plenty more! We haven’t been yet, but I’ve heard the Marmora Memorial Park & Splash Pad is awesome!

Beaches

Who doesn’t love a beach day? Relaxing, building sandcastles, snacking, and swimming sounds like a great way to spend a summer day. Hastings County is full of great beach areas including the public beach at Legion Park in Marmora, and Tweed Memorial Park also has a nice, quiet beach area with a park right beside it.

Lunch or Snacks

A day full of summer fun calls for…snacks! In Hastings County, there definitely isn’t a shortage of great places to stop for a quick snack or bite to eat. For the cheese lovers, Ivanhoe Cheese is a great place to check out.

For those with a sweet tooth, you can’t go wrong with Hidden Goldmine Bakery in Madoc. We’ve been there a few times over the years and our boys are HUGE fans of their brownies and the hubby loves their butter tarts. McG’s in Bancroft is another great place for cakes and treats and they also have gluten free goodies!

If you’re looking for something a little more substantial, Duffer’s Chip Wagon is a family favourite of ours. They have a location at the Tweed Park and our oldest is in love with their poutine!

Ice Cream

We’re saving the best for last here! When it comes to ice cream, I’d like to think that we’re experts. In our family, ice cream makes any day better. In fact, our youngest asks for ice cream daily. (Spoiler alert: we don’t say yes daily. Much to his disappointment.) So obviously, we know all the good places to grab a scoop or three in Hastings County.

In Bancroft, there’s Kawartha Dairy with so many flavours to choose from and huge portion sizes! In Tweed, check out Tweedy’s Classic Scoops if you haven’t yet. Lots of great ice cream options, and they also serve up delicious food too. If you’re going through Stirling, The Scoop is a local favourite with plenty of delicious flavours to try.

As you can see, Hastings County is full of places the kids will love to experience this summer. So, get out there and play at all the parks, beach all the beaches, and eat all the ice cream! I know we will be.