August 18, 2020

By: Karisa Simon

Currently, I am writing this from my kitchen table because my mother has transformed my room into her office.

Like many Ontarians, my family members and I have been working from home for nearly six months now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were so happy when we first received the work from home order because it meant that we could work from the comfort of our home and quarantine safely. I was so excited that I didn’t have to wake up early for my morning commute, get dressed in my ‘work clothes’, pack a lunch or be around people trying to dodge every cough or sneeze.

At first, working from home was wonderful! I was working in bed, talking zoom calls from the balcony and having my snack drawer be my pantry. This week, however, I had enough and I was going stir crazy. I needed a change of scenery, so I decided to take my family to Oakville’s South Shell Park. I wanted our time outdoors to be more than a scenic drive through the city, so I planned an activity – a photo scavenger hunt – for us to complete. We all needed an evening of outdoor fun that was still safe, and this was the solution.

This scavenger hunt is great for all ages and can be done individually or within a group. It can even be made into a competition. I’ve already done all the hard work by creating the list, so all you need is your camera (your phone has one *wink, wink*).

The instructions are simple:

  1. Download or screenshot our list (See below)
  2. Get a camera
  3. Grab your family and friends or make this an individual challenge
  4. Choose your favorite Oakville park or neighbourhood
  5. Bring water
  6. Have Fun!

Download Oakville Outdoors Scavenger Hunt

We went to South Shell Park in the evening and everything was perfect. The shore was beautiful, the water was clear, the waves were peaceful and we made sure to social distance from others and wear masks when necessary. Out of all that we found during our scavenger hunt, the “something that is a treasure” capture was our favourite. While we were examining the shore we saw two beautiful trumpet swans. They stayed close, swimming and submerging under the water for food. They stuck around long enough so that my family and others nearby could witness their beauty and take their photo. How did they know that we were looking for a treasure?

We stayed to watch the sunset and were awestruck by the beach’s beauty. For a few minutes, I forgot that we were in Oakville and not at a resort in the Caribbean.

Get a change of scenery and channel you inner Nancy Drew with this scavenger hunt at South Shell Park.

Take a look at some of my captures in the gallery below or see the whole post on Visit Oakville’s Instagram page.