Several different types of toys were placed around the east rink turf, such as plastic slides, collapsible cloth tubes, Little Tykes cars, and puppy and dragon shaped plushes the kids could sit on. Two bounce houses also stood at one end. One house that had a robot head and arms on top was new to the event, being the favorite of Zechariah Hall.

Zechariah Hall was at the Maysa with his mother, Alyssa Hall, and younger brother Jedidiah Hall, whose favorite thing to do is crawl around and explore. The family has gone to Tots on the Turf four times, and Alyssa Hall said she is very glad the Minot Park District puts it on.

“There’s so much space and lots of toys,” she said. “We usually spend a couple hours here because (Zechariah) has so much fun.”

Tots on the Turf is a free event held in the winter months to give kids a place to play and express themselves when they might not be able to outside. This winter is the first time that it’s been done. According to the Minot Park District, the east rink at Maysa is being used for the turf due to the cooling system being down, so they are utilizing the space to make more activities available for the community on Mondays and Fridays. They are also hoping to get another facility open in the future to use for indoor events.

Ciara Parizek/MDN Zechariah Hall walks around in a tube at Maysa on Monday.

Winters in North Dakota are quite cold and sometimes unforgiving, so having a warm area to play and run freely is a wonderful thing in the eyes of parents. Several children gathering together also gives them a chance to make new friends in an open and accepting environment.

The turf will be out through March.