PROSPECT PARK: BROOKLYN'S OWN URBAN OASIS

Anyone looking for some outdoor activity in Brooklyn will find something that interests them in Prospect Park. Spanning 585 acres, the park is situated between many popular neighborhoods and attractions, such as Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, Flatbush Avenue, and Grand Army Plaza. Check it out; in fact, you can make a day of it.

Daybreak

The park contains seven baseball fields between 9th and 15th Streets. Two of these are major league-sized fields serving older age groups, and the other five are geared for younger children 8-12 years old.

Kensington Stables is located a couple of blocks outside the Ocean Parkway exit, and families can take horse rides through the paths of the park. Ponies are available for younger riders.

For the active types, the bicycle path offers a 3.35-mile jaunt around the park. Or you can take in a game at the Tennis Center, which offers kids of all ages tennis lessons throughout the season.

Head on down to the Lefferts Historic House where the history of Brooklyn's environment comes alive, from pre-Colonial times until the present. A working garden, historic artifacts, period rooms and exhibits are some of the points of interest.

Midday

For lunch, try the Songbird Cafe at the Boathouse, which offers ice cream, handmade confections, salads, wraps, and beverages. There are countless restaurants and diners along 7th Avenue and alongside Prospect Park West and Southwest. Or you can bring a picnic lunch and sprawl on the gorgeous Long Meadow or the Nethermead; both are spectacular fields of beauty where park-goers often suntan and relax. There are also various restrooms around the destination spots throughout the park.

Afterwards, head off to tour the zoo and its many animals and nature trails. Right outside the zoo, kids can enjoy a ride on the carousel. Located near the Bandshell, Harmony Playground has a music motif that includes xylophones that kids can play, and sculptures shooting out sprays of water. Other playgrounds include Imagination Playground and Third Street Playground. Or visit the Audubon Center where they can view a human-sized bird's nest and explore the lives of insects.
 If your family enjoys water activities, Prospect Park is home to Brooklyn's only lake. It is comprised of 60 acres and a great spot to view and feed countless ducks, geese, and swans. Visitors can rent pedal boats and enjoy electric boat tours available all summer.

Sunset

The Bandshell hosts frequent concerts, most notably the Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Festival, a series of summer concerts founded in 1979. The series opens this year with a performance by Norah Jones on June 9. Other performers include Sonic Youth, Passion Pit, and children's musician Brady Rymer. Check out www.bricartsmedia.org for this season's complete line-up.

Twilight Tours offer a unique way to spend a warm-weather evening in Prospect Park. Start with wine and cheese on the charming Audubon Boathouse balcony, and then tour the park's majestic Lullwater on the electric boat, Independence. After the ride, an Audubon naturalist leads an evening bat walk.

Come to think of it, it might be safer to say that you can do a week trip as opposed to a day trip without ever leaving the park!