Washington Square to Union Square Park Family-Friendly Walking Tour

Join us for a family-friendly walking tour of Washington Square Park, Manhattan to Union Square Park, Manhattan. Participants will have the chance to participate in group no-stress fun trivia pop quizzes in each park. We’ll also have a visual bingo challenge game/activity.

The group will learn about Washington Square Park's history through a progressive lens. We will talk about the park's cultural significance. We will also learn a little about the park and the community’s public health and medical history.

Washington Square Park is a historic Burial Ground that has countless souls who are buried underneath the park. We will give a brief overview about the community’s Native American history, African-American history, European-American history and more.

Kids and adult pairs will have the chance to do no-tech/low-tech visual bingo park game challenge and there will be a chance to answer lots of historical, cultural, animal/nature, park rules and other trivia questions. (No stress!)

Kids will have the option to check out the park's small green space playground as well (one of two small playgrounds at the park.)

Then, our group will walk the short distance to Union Square Park and start with a Union Square playground/lunch break. After the self-guided break, the group will reconvene.

The group will learn about Union Square's labor movement and activist history.

Like Washington Square Park, Union Square was originally a burial ground and "potter's field." As Lower Manhattan developed and grew, Union Square Park continued to be a politically significant gathering place for labor activists into the twentieth century. The first documented Labor Day Parade happened here at Union Square in 1882.

Our tour will go over some of the anarchists, socialists, and “Wobblies” (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) and many other protests that happened here including women protesting for the right to vote, and labor rights, African-American workers, LGBTQ+ workers, disability rights seeking accessibility rights in the workplace and many other groups. Today, Union Square continues to be a site of protests and peaceful activism, from anti-war protests to the recent Black Lives Matter moment.

Union Square Park has also been a place to meet during significant moments of grief and mourning, including in the weeks following the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.

Today, Union Square Park has become a go-to spot for the Farmer’s Market, creatives and artists and others who want to sell their wares, the annual Holiday Market and a wide range of cultural/music/community events and creative programming.

Kids and adult pairs will have the chance to do no-tech/low-tech visual bingo park game challenge and there will be a chance to answer lots of historical, cultural, animal/nature, park rules and other trivia questions. (No stress!)

Our group will talk about why parks are important for a healthy community. We will touch on how people visiting the parks can start to think about what it means to take care of a park, why parks in a community are important park animal and plant health, and what sustainability means.

The event will conclude at Union Square Park.

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Your tour will be led by a NYC licensed tour/sightseeing guide Pamela.

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SAFETY NOTE:

EACH PARTICIPANT UNDER THE AGE of 18, must have an adult (18 + parent/ guardian) present for the entire length of the walking tour/visual bingo game challenge.

THIS IS NOT A DROP-OFF TOUR FOR PARTICIPANTS UNDER THE AGE of 18.

This tour is recommended mainly for adult and child/children pairs.

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Host or Publisher Pamela A./Health Nation News