Kim and her children, Emily, 5 and Joshua, 3, pose with Olaf during the hunt.
By Jill Fox
While Parkland residents are sheltered in their homes, one festive neighborhood is finding joy in the simpler things, like scavenger hunts.
In Parkland Reserve, neighbors spent some time on Friday night walking the empty streets looking at decorated homes.
In an hour-long event, similar to Christmas or Halloween (without the candy), neighbors went door-to-door, looking at decorated windows, driveways, and cars while keeping an appropriate social distance, of course.
The theme was all about something every kid can smile about — Disney.
More than 30 families gathered Disney-themed items from their homes and placed them outside for visitors to see.
“Walking the empty streets and seeing the decorated homes created the distraction we needed,” said Kim Bernstein, who has been organizing the weekly activities for her neighbors to participate in.
She said she started the events to bring the neighborhood together after seeing a “bear hunt” poster a friend posted on social media.
On week one, 38 families participated in Parkland Reserve’s bear hunt, placing teddy bears in their cars, windows, even on their roofs.
“All the kids loved it, and the families talked about how great it was,” she said.
Bernstein compiles the list of participating homes and shares it with about 100 neighbors on Parkland Reserve’s private Facebook group, which she created a little over a year ago.
“In a small community with so many young families, it’s something we can look forward to once a week,” she said.
In the past two weeks, the Facebook group has tripled in size.
Bernstein said some people walk or drive, while others use their golf carts. They follow social distancing guidelines and stay six-feet apart. She feels completely safe.
“I didn’t see anyone close to me at any point,” she said, “It really was amazing everyone came together.”
Author Profile
- Jill Fox is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer. She has worked in public relations and television for over 20 years. Fox lives in Parkland with her husband and their two children.
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