Nature search a chance to bond

Most grandchildren enjoy spending time with Grandma and Grandpa, but sometimes it can be daunting to find something that both a 6-year-old and a 60-year-old will enjoy. One event, however, promises fun for everyone.

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Mistletoe State Park at Clarks Hill is celebrating National Grandparents Day with a grandparent-child scavenger hunt. Park officials said the event is one way to help grandparents build memories with their grandchildren.

"The whole idea is to get grandparents and kids talking and sharing," said Marilyn Grau, a Senior Corps volunteer. Senior Corps is sponsored locally by the Senior Citizens Council of Greater Augusta.

The scavenger hunt will be held Sept. 11. Participants can go by the park's Nature Center starting at 10 a.m. to pick up a list of items to look for and a bag to put them in. Prizes will be awarded at 3 p.m. to the teams that find the most items.

All items must be found in the park. All natural items must be found on the ground and left at the park after the scavenger hunt.

Grau said the hunt will afford grandparents an opportunity to share stories with their grandchildren. For instance, a found fishing lure will give them the opportunity to tell about their fishing excursions as children.

"This is a fun contest," said Grau. "Together, grandparents and their grandchildren will look for items in nature, sharing stories about what they find."

Grandparents and their grandchildren can also enjoy a stroll through the trails at Mistletoe. Although some trails are not suitable for little legs or strollers, park officials will be glad to point the way to those that are easy to traverse.

The grandparent-child scavenger hunt is free, but there is a $5 per car charge for a park pass. For information about this and other programs offered at Mistletoe State Park, call the park office at (706) 541-0321.