Your Invitation

Springfield [Crunchy-ish] Mama
Apr 30, 2025
8 min read

Updated: Dec 6, 2025

Who: Springfield [Crunchy-ish] Mamas

What: Join in on a game of Park Bingo and follow along as I review each park on my blog

When: May 1st - December 31st 2025

Where: Springfield, Oregon - See Bingo Card for all 36 locations

Why: Because it'll be fun! See our blog post, "The Beginning" for our why. Got a different why? Share it with us in the comments here or in the Springfield [Crunchy-ish] Mamas Facebook group!

Win: Want to WIN a $25 gift card to, Made By You?! First Mama to email or message me a photo of your completed Park Bingo card along with a picture from each park visit wins*! How about a 2nd and 3rd prize*?

*In order to win you must be a member of our Facebook Group: Springfield [Crunchy-ish] Mamas. Black out wins grand prize: you must visit all 36 parks, provide a photo of your completed Park Bingo card and of each park visit.

Email me at: Springfieldcrunchyishmamas@yahoo.com.

*In order to keep it local, prizes may not be transferrable electronically. Providing a mailing address or meeting in person maybe necessary to obtain your prize.

The rain suite we buy again and again. The boots my very Oregonian daughter, until a month ago, insisted on wearing everyday of her life. We've had them in a variety of prints and best part, they light up!

This is your formal invitation to join us on this adventure! Your "Golden Ticket"! Thirty- Six parks! 3️⃣6️⃣! Can we do it?

My kids and I have visited 10 since January, we actually aren't afraid of the rain. It's not so much the being out when the rain starts, as it is the heading out in the pouring rain that gets me. As a transplant, I've had to learn to adapt to the 🌧. A feat I imagined would be quite a bit more difficult for this Southern California, barefoot, beach babe. Don't get me wrong by babe, I mean baby, not bombshell - I wish! I've found that adapt mostly means not using the rain as an excuse, choosing to see it as beautiful (which I truly feel in the core of my heart, mostly), dressing appropriately, and most importantly, NEVER, EVER using an umbrella! ☂️🤣

For now, it seems the skies have cleared and what better time to get outside!!! Plus, you all beeehind! 🤣 Well maybe, maybe not. You tell me, answer the poll below and let us know how many parks, in Springfield, you've visited this year. Don't worry, I can't be the winner of our Park Bingo game and we are starting over anyways, to gather pictures to share with you in my future park review posts. I invite you to also follow along digitally on our journey as I review every park we visit!

How many parks in Springfield have you visited this year?

0%1-3
0%3-6
0%6-9
0%10+

The Parks

The city of Springfield's parks are owned and managed by Willamalane. Apparently, the city also owns and manages some parks, but I can't seem to find any! Let me know in the comments if you know of any!

For the purposes of our game and for our New Year's Resolution I have chosen to use the Willamalane parks. Willamalane owns and maintains over 1,500 acres of some of the most beautiful land here in our city, with multiple waterfront properties and over 30 miles of hiking and biking trails, and I count 27, YES, 2️⃣7️⃣‼️ playgrounds - right here in our city! On https://www.willamalane.org you will find a total of 49 listings under their "Parks, Trails and Facilities" section. I've eliminated some and created a printable Park Bingo card with a total of 36 parks and trails to visit!

Here's a list of the parks, trails and facilities that I've chosen to exclude from Park Bingo. I'd still encourage you to check these places out! I might even have some future posts about some of these left out Springfield Gems.

Bob Keefer Center	This facility is a community hub with courts, classes, fitness center and preschool. Be sure to check out their Skate Parties and open climb times for their rock climbing wall! The Bob Keefer Center is on the same property as Les Schwab Sports Park, which we will visit.
By-Gully Path	1.2 mile paved multi-use path that runs along the Rosa Parks Bike Path and the 126 hwy.
Camp Putt	All ages, seasonal mini golf course.
EWEB Path	2.7 mile paved multi-use path running from Pioneer Parkway to 35th. Arrow and Page Park both access this path, both of which we will visit.
FIT LOT	1400 Sq. Ft. outdoor fitness center located on the same property as Les Schwab Sports Park and Bob Keefer Center. It's free to use for anyone 18+ when classes aren't in session.
Georgia-Pacific Natural Area	The closest access to this area is via the Jasper Rd. Trailhead. It's also accessible through Clearwater Park, Dorris Ranch and Mill Race Path. Clearwater park and Dorris Ranch are on our list!
Harvest Landing	22 acre Natural Area that's temporarily closed. Appears to have a walking path called Willamalane Path.
Middle Fork Path	4 mile multi-use paved path accessible through Dorris Ranch, Clearwater Park and Mill Race Path.
Mill Race Path	3 mile multi-use paved path. Deffinetly worth a visit and will get its own review at some point, but probably not somewhere I would go alone.
Mill Race Park	Small green space with free city parking that backs up to the Chamber of Commerce building on Main St. downtown.
Splash at Lively	Indoor water park on the same property as Lively Park in the Thurston neighborhood.
Willamalane Adult Activity Center	Community center accessible through Island Park on foot. They offer a varriety of classes and activities, not just for 55+.
Willamalane Park Swim Center	Indoor community pool.

I love trails, especially the beautifully maintained and stroller friendly ones we have so many of, and so I've included the trails and viewpoints in green italicized text on this original version (will there be others?) of Park Bingo. We like to pack a picnic or snack and explore open spaces just as much as the play grounds. We sometimes join the Eugene Hike it Baby Group on Friday's for their kid lead ( and by kid lead, I mean excruciatingly - oops, I meant to say wonderfully, slow paced and snack filled) meanderings. 🤣 No really, this group is great and worth visiting, but this [crunchy-ish] mama is still learning to sllllooooow her roll and I need some serious movement in my days to stay sane! By the loving grace of the Universe, (and by Universe, I mean an adored Mother-in-Law!!! 🤣) I have a single and a double BOB stroller for packing the kids in and getting my daily dose of endorphins because, as we all know, "Happy people just don't shoot their husbands"! 🤣 If you have yet to experience the glory of a BOB, let me tell you, you deserve it. I'll write a review of them one day. Whether you like it slow or've got the need for speed there's options for you in this town, [crunchy-ish] mamas!

The Bingo Card

Park Bingo was born because I am, me. Could we really just visit the parks? No. I need to WIN. Even at a game only I am playing! 🤣 I like to check boxes. This is a tendancy I am working on...The goal of motherhood is not to complete tasks. The goal of motherhood is not to complete tasks. My goal in motherhood is not to complete tasks. Children do not care about completed tasks. Ah, the re-wiring we must begin in motherhood is tiresome, to say the least!!! Alas, I created a Bingo card to satisfy my own need to "accomplish". That's when it occured to me, I bet other mamas might like to check off some boxes too! Ducks. 🦆 (See, "The Beginning" for the reference!)

One of my main qualms of leaving the house (aside from the two small children thing) is the moment I do, I gotta pee!

While it's easy and appropriate to carry, in the car, a little penguin potty for my toddler, I have yet to master using it myself in the tightening quarters of my compact SUV 🤣🤣🤣, the BOB is takin' up quite a bit of real estate after all. Since this consideration is of top priority for me, I've marked which parks have restrooms, seasonal, year round and porta-pottys (your welcome) and I'll make sure to add some details about those facilities in my review of each park. If you find a bathroom or porta-potty at a park, that's not notated on the card, please let me know and I'll update it (thank-you)!

Winner, Winner

It's a game, right? So, there must be a winner! I decided to incentivize the game as a way to get people excited, inspire my fellow [crunchy-ish] mamas to GET OUTSIDE with their littles, and to encourage participation in our new Facebook Group, Springfield [Crunchy-ish] Mamas! Fun, right? Prizes will, of course, be selected from awesome local shops only.

The Grand Prize 🥇

BLACK OUT BINGO is, of course, grand prize! No, there is no FREE space. Boo-hoo. This means you must mark off every square on your Park Bingo card, every single one. You must also be a member of the Springfield [Crunchy-ish] Mamas Facebook page AND you must message or email me a photo of your completed card, AS WELL AS a photo from each park visit. THIS. IS. A. GREAT. FEAT. Annnnnnnd I know someone will deliver! That park-cultured, Sprinfielder, [Crunchy-ish] Mama, will be crowned victorious among all other Springfield [Crunchy-ish] Mamas and WIN a $25 gift card to a fabulous local paint and pottery shop, right here in our own beautiful downtown, Made by You.

Runner Up 🥈

Well, hardly. 🤣 But, I figure creating a few options here that are a bit more attainable and could be accomplished in a swifter timeline could be fun for the group and momentum of the game! To WIN the second prize of $15 to the lovely, Lovely you will be the first to visit every trail/viewpoint box (notated by green italicizing) on our Park Bingo card. That's a total of 9 fun adventures! Again, you must also be a member of the Springfield [Crunchy-ish] Mamas Facebook page AND you must message or email me a photo of your completed card, AS WELL AS a photo from each park visit.

Third Prize Goes To...🥉

The third prize winner will be the first to check off an entire column (that means vertically!) on their Park Bingo card. That's also a total of 9 adventures! This accomplishment will be awarded a $5 gift card to Black Crow Coffee, located all the way down at 69th on Main Street. Of course, you must also be a member of the Springfield [Crunchy-ish] Mamas Facebook page AND you must message or email me a photo of your completed card, AS WELL AS a photo from each park visit.

I do want to mention that in order to keep the Park Bingo winnings local the prizes may not be transferable electronically. In which case, you would need to provide a physical mailing address or better yet, meet with me in person to receive your prize!

Start your Engines

Let's get adventuring, friends!!! This contest will run from May 1st, 2025 through December 31st, 2025. Throughout this time I will be posting reviews of every park, trail and viewpoint listed on the Park Bingo card. I'd love to hear from you about what kinds of infomraiton you'd find useful in these reviews. Stay tuned for the first review, Tyson Park will be the first to get it's moment in the sun- up next!

Be sure to print your Park Bingo card (PDF attached below) to play along. I am working on a 5.5 x 8.5 printable version, if you prefer something smaller, and will have it uploaded here soon.

I am so excited you're joining us!

Let's do this thing together.

***This game is designed for fun and is played at your own risk. I hold no liability whatsoever, for events that take place as a result of your or any other persons participation in this game. Please, be aware of your surroundings and listen to your gut. If you ever feel unsafe in one of our parks, call 911 or the non emergency police dept. line at 541-726-3714. It's always smart to adventure in a group, particularly in more secluded areas. You can report vandalism or maintenance needs to Willamalane at: 541-736-4104.

***This post contains affiliate links.

#2 May 1, 2025