A dinosaur safari, tree fairy trails and a mega mini-beast hunt: Some of the new adventures heading to Stockton-on-Tees parks

A free app which will bring themed games and activities to parks across the Borough will be ready to use this Easter.

The Love Exploring app will use augmented reality technology to bring exciting trails to life at John Whitehead Park, Wynyard Woodland Park, Preston Park, Ropner Park and Littleboy Park & Allison Trainer Park.

And the fun starts on Monday, 11 April with dinosaurs descending on the Borough's parks ready for people to explore and enjoy any time during the school Easter holidays and up to May half term.

Families will need to download the app onto their phones or tablets and use them to explore mapped trails around the parks. As they search for the virtual characters along the way, fun games and quizzes will appear, testing their knowledge. Children and adults alike will be also able to photograph themselves with the creatures!

Each half term new themes and games will be unlocked including Tree Fairies, Mega Mini Beasts, Butterflies and Moths as well as Halloween Dancers.

Councillor Jim Beall, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture, said: "The Love Exploring app is a fun and free way to explore some of Stockton-on-Tees' most popular parks.

"For regular visitors it will offer a fresh adventure each half term and will give people the chance to explore different parts of the park while exercising and having fun. We hope it will also encourage new visitors to come and see what the Borough's parks have to offer.

"We're sure families are going to really enjoy the Dinosaur Safari, seeing triceratops, T-Rex and others appear on their phones along the way. And as a memento of your adventure there'll be plenty of opportunities to snap a selfie with a stegosaurus too!"

To go on the Dinosaur Safari, download the Love Exploring app by visiting the Apple app store or Google Play. Search for 'Love Exploring' in the app store. Once downloaded, visit John Whitehead Park, Wynyard Woodland Park, Preston Park, Littleboy Park & Allison Trainer Park or Ropner Park, open the app and follow the map.

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