👋 Glad to have you! —

This week’s Hopscotch Highlights is a mix of wild adventures and small wins—the kind that smell like creek water, glue sticks, and fresh biscuits. Whether your crew is exploring Florence’s “hidden gem” park, crafting a woolly American icon, or learning the fine art of toddler negotiation (spoiler: they always think they win), we’ve rounded up the best ways to stretch your legs and your patience… in the best possible way.

Here’s what’s in store

• One Place to Play — South Fork Park!

• 3 Events to Check Out — MomCo, Trick-or-Treat Party, and National Bison Day!

• One Place to Eat — Boomtown Biscuits!

• One at Home Activity — Build Your Own Bison!

• One thoughtful moment — The Beautiful Chaos of Independence

One Place to Play

🌿 South Fork Park
📍 9610 Old Union Rd, Florence, KY

If your family’s perfect Saturday involves muddy shoes, creek splashing, and kids giggling with pockets full of “treasures,” South Fork Park is your spot. Tucked quietly inside a Florence neighborhood, this local gem has everything you need for a laid-back day outdoors — and just enough adventure to tire everyone out by dinner.

✨ Why Families Love It
– 🧒 Two Playgrounds = Double the Fun – Little ones get their own toddler zone while big kids conquer slides, swings, and climbing challenges nearby. It’s a great setup for families with mixed ages.
– 🥏 Disc Golf Delight – A beautifully maintained 9-hole course winds through the park’s trees and meadows. Reviewers say it’s one of the best short courses around — just maybe skip it after a big rain unless you’re into mud-caked sneakers.
– 🏀 Courts + Fields + Fresh Air – Basketball and sand volleyball courts, open fields for tag or frisbee, and plenty of picnic tables make this an easy “let’s stay a while” kind of place.
– 🌉 Picture-Perfect Scenery – The red bridge stretching over the creek makes a great family photo backdrop — or just a quiet moment while the kids chase minnows below.

👶 Parent Tip: The playground sits downhill from the parking lot, so plan for a short walk (and a bit of a hike back up if you’re carrying a sleepy toddler). Weekends can get busy, so snag a spot early if you want a picnic table or space by the creek.

Events to Check Out

🌼 A Little Something for the Moms: Meet MomCo

Hey parents—especially my fellow moms—if you’ve been craving connection, laughter, and maybe a meal you didn’t have to make yourself, this one’s for you.

There’s a local group called MomCo that meets on the last Tuesday of each month from 6–7:30 PM at Erlanger Baptist Church, and it’s quickly becoming one of those “fill your cup” kind of gatherings. Think: practical encouragement, real talk, and a room full of women who get it. The next one should be coming up on the 28th!

✨ What to Expect:

– Free child care during the gathering!
– Speakers, demos, and videos that actually meet you where you are (no Pinterest perfection required).
– Food you didn’t cook. Enough said.
– Conversations that remind you you’re not alone in the wild ride of motherhood.

👩‍👧‍👦 Who It’s For:
Any mom with kids from birth through elementary school. Whether you’re knee-deep in diapers or navigating the elementary homework grind, there’s a seat for you.

💌 How to Get Involved:
If this sounds like the kind of reset you need, reach out through their contact form Here to learn more about the next meetup. (Double-check that email address before you send it so they can get back to you!)

🧡 Come as you are—tired, messy bun, maybe even late. You’ll leave feeling seen, encouraged, and reminded that you’re doing better than you think. 

 🎃Library Littles Trick-or-Treat Party
📅 Tuesday, Oct 29 | ⏰ 10:30 AM – Noon
📍 Kenton County Public Library – Erlanger Branch
💸 Free | Ages 0–4 (and their big sibs too!)

If your little pumpkin isn’t quite ready for spooky nights and sugar rushes, this daytime trick-or-treat bash is just their speed! Bring your babes and toddlers in costume (bonus points for matching sibling ensembles) and enjoy a cozy morning of gentle Halloween fun.

✨ What to Expect
– 🍬 Mini Trick-or-Treating Stations – perfect for tiny hands and even tinier candy bags.
– 🧸 Playtime + Activities – sensory tables, toys, and plenty of space to toddle.
– 📸 Adorable Photo Ops – because nothing says “October” like a baby bumblebee drooling on a lollipop.

🧡 Parent Tip: This event is meant for little ones, so leave the jump-scare masks and glitter cannons at home. Bring your camera, a snack for your tot, and maybe a backup costume piece—because toddlers and chocolate don’t always mix.

👶 Sweet, simple, and stroller-friendly—just the kind of Halloween memory you’ll actually want to remember.

 National Bison Day at Big Bone Lick
📅 Saturday, November 1 | ⏰ 11 AM–2 PM
📍 Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, 3380 Beaver Rd, Union, KY
💸 Free | Family-Friendly

If you’ve got little explorers who love big animals (or just like saying “Big Bone Lick” out loud), this is one for the calendar! Celebrate National Bison Day with the park’s famous herd and the incredible caretakers who keep these gentle giants thriving.

✨ What’s Happening:
– 🤠 Meet the Bison Crew – Learn all about the herd, their history, and what makes them such an important part of Kentucky’s story.
– 🏅 Special Dedication + Awards – A heartfelt moment honoring past and present caretakers who’ve helped preserve the herd’s legacy.
– 🔍 Hands-On Learning – Chat with park staff, see real artifacts, and get your kids’ questions answered (because you know they’ll have plenty).

🧡 Parent Tip: Pack layers—November weather can’t make up its mind—and bring snacks for a short post-event hike. The park’s trails are stroller-friendly and full of spots for little ones to roam (or stomp like mini bison).

📸 Bonus: Don’t forget your camera! Between the open fields, fall colors, and up-close bison views, you’ll want to capture the moment before your herd moves on to nap time.

One Place to Eat

 🍗 Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey Price Range: $$
📍 9980 Old Union Rd, Union, KY

If you’ve ever dreamed of biscuits so good they make you question every other breakfast you’ve ever had—Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey is calling your name. This Union hot spot mixes Southern comfort with a dash of frontier adventure, serving up bold flavors, golden biscuits, and enough charm to make you want to move in next door.

✨ Why Families Love It
– 🧈 Biscuit Bliss – The flaky, buttery, mile-high kind that practically melt in your mouth. Whether you go simple with butter and jam or all-in with their famous Yukon (fried chicken, bacon, smoked cheddar, and sawmill gravy), you really can’t go wrong.
– 🥓 Next-Level Comfort Food – From smoked cheddar grits to biscuit waffles drenched in espresso maple syrup (yes, you read that right), Boomtown takes your favorite breakfast classics and turns them into legends.
– 👨‍👩‍👧 Kid-Friendly Prospector Perks – High chairs? Check. A small but solid kids’ menu? Check. Friendly servers who don’t flinch when your little miner drops a fork? Double check. The staff has a reputation for being as warm as the biscuits they serve.

🍳 Must-Try Picks
– The Yukon: Fried chicken, bacon, smoked cheddar, sawmill gravy—basically the breakfast sandwich of your dreams.
– The Mother Lode: Biscuit waffles with espresso, maple syrup, and honey butter. Because dessert-for-breakfast is the kind of energy we’re bringing into fall.
– Gravy Flights: Why choose when you can sample sawmill, peppercorn, and chorizo gravies side by side?
– Smoked Cheddar Grits: A creamy, smoky side that steals the show more often than it should.

👶 Parent Tip: This place gets busy—like, “line out the door by 10 AM” busy. Aim for an early brunch or a late lunch to dodge the crowd. And maybe bring a snack for little ones in case of a short wait (trust us, it’s worth it).

🧡Boomtown isn’t just breakfast—it’s an experience. Between the gold rush decor, the friendly faces, and the biscuit magic happening in that kitchen, it’s the kind of place that makes family brunch feel like striking culinary gold.

One at Home Activity

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Craft Spotlight: Build Your Own Bison
(For little hands ages 0–8)

This week, we’re celebrating National Bison Day with a craft that’s as fun as it is fuzzy! The American bison—our country’s national mammal—is a symbol of strength, resilience, and wild adventure. Now your little ones can make their own mighty bison using nothing more than tissue paper, crayons, and a little imagination.

✨ What You’ll Need
– A printed bison coloring page or outline (you can draw one if you’re feeling artsy!)
– Brown tissue paper
– Brown and black crayons, markers, or colored pencils
– Scissors ✂️
– Glue stick or school glue

🎨 How to Make It (Downloadables Here)

1. Color the Bison – Have your kids color their bison, leaving the head, shoulders, and tail tip blank for the fuzzy tissue paper fur.

2. Tear and Crumple – Cut or tear the brown tissue paper into small 1” squares. Then crumple each one into a little ball. (Toddlers love this step—bonus sensory fun!)

3. Add the Fluff – Spread glue on the bison’s head and shoulders. Press on the tissue paper pieces until those areas look good and woolly.

4. Finish and Cut – Once everything’s dry, cut out the bison shape and glue on its horn. You can even mount it on construction paper “prairie grass” to create a Great Plains backdrop.

🌾 Fun Fact Break (read aloud while crafting!)
– Bison are the largest land animal in North America—they can weigh up to 2,000 pounds!
– Despite their size, they can run up to 35 mph (faster than your kid sprinting for the playground gate).
– A baby bison is called a calf, and it can stand and walk within hours of being born.
– Bison were once nearly extinct, but strong conservation efforts helped them make a comeback—proof that teamwork and care can save even the biggest of creatures.

🧡 Parent Tip:
For toddlers, skip the scissors and pre-cut the tissue paper squares. Encourage them to focus on the crumpling and gluing—it’s a great way to build fine motor skills without frustration.
Between the fun texture and the wild history, this craft hits the sweet spot of creative play and quiet learning. Plus, it’s one of the few ways to bring a 2,000-pound animal safely into your living room.

One Thoughtful Moment

The Beautiful Chaos of Independence

This week with Little E has been a masterclass in patience and understanding. At sixteen months, he's discovered something powerful – he has his own wants, his own opinions, and a voice to express them. The problem is, he doesn't yet understand why the world can't bend to accommodate every desire.

His newest tactic is both adorable and exhausting. He'll toddle over with his arms raised, asking to be picked up with that sweet, expectant look. The moment I lift him, he transforms into a tiny tour guide, pointing decisively toward the nearest forbidden object. "What's dat?" he asks, his little finger aimed at the power tools, or the knife block, or whatever other hazard has caught his attention.

"That's not for Little E," I explain gently.

And then comes the scream. Not a cry of pain or fear, but pure frustration – a sound that seems to say, "How dare the universe deny me this curiosity!"

He's also mastered the word "No," and he wields it like a tiny sword of defiance. Time for a diaper change? "No!" Time to come inside? "No!" Would you like to eat this perfectly good dinner I prepared? "No!"

I remind myself that his brain is doing exactly what it's supposed to do at this age. He feels everything intensely – the desire, the disappointment, the injustice of being told he can't touch the shiny thing. His emotional center is firing on all cylinders while the part that helps him understand logic and consequences is still under construction.

Some moments test every ounce of my patience. But I'm trying to see these tantrums for what they really are: his first attempts at becoming his own person. He's learning that he exists separately from me, that he has preferences and opinions that matter.

It's messy and loud and sometimes feels impossible, but it's also a sign that he's growing exactly as he should.

Have you ever had a moment like mine? I am sure it would be encouraging to your fellow parenting community to share in these moments of life. Click the “Have an Experience to Share?” button at the bottom to get your story in a future issue!

~ Otto

Until Next Week…
As the weather cools and the sugar intake rises, remember—you’re not just surviving the season, you’re starring in it. So go ahead and make a mess, eat the extra biscuit, and celebrate the small victories (like everyone keeping their shoes on).

Pass this along to a fellow parent or playground pro—and we’ll be back next Friday with more of the good stuff.

With grass stains on my knees and gravy on my mind,
Otto Neff
Creator of Hopscotch Highlights and Wrangler of Weekend Wonders