Rediscover Lawton With These Screen-free Adventures

Every Sunday my phone pings with my weekly recap of my daily average of screen time. And every Sunday I'm repulsed by the idea of spending over five consecutive hours starring at a tiny screen. So I tell myself that I need to spend more time touching grass, and I mean this in a metaphorical and physical sense.

In order to spend more time "touching grass," I decided to put together a list of the best ways to touch grass in Lawton, because I know I'm not the only person in town that needs to spend time off their phone.

Best activities to stay off your phone and touch grass in Lawton.

Whether you're an outdoorsy person or not, there are several ways to disconnect from your phone and reconnect with the real world in Lawton. Below are a few ways I try to "touch grass" in my everyday life. Sometimes I don't even have to leave my home, but during these activities, I try to stay of my phone so all my focus is off the tiny screen.

Take a class or participate in a free activity.

In April, I took a watercolor class at Lawton's Carnegie Library, and it was the only time I spent three hours each night in one week complete engrossed in an activity other than scrolling on my phone. The class was $50, plus I had to purchase my own watercolor supplies, but it was definitely worth it. I can now use the techniques I learned with the supplies I bought for the class to touch grass by watercolors.

If you don't have the funds to spare for a class at Carnegie Library, the Lawton Public Library offers several free activities for kids and adults. Some of the activities for adults include yoga, arts, crafts, book clubs, and more, and it's all completely free.

Kaley Patterson

Go for a walk in a local park.

Lawton's parks aren't just for kids. There are some great walking trails in most of Lawton's parks. Some of the trails are paved while others are natural. My go-to walking spot is the natural trail at Elmer Thomas Park, and to me, the best area is behind the Museum of the Great Plains.

Tend to your garden.

I first became a homeowner in 2020, and I've slowly been learning how to tame the garden at the front of my house. I've been working on cultivating a thriving wildflower garden for pollinators. Tending to the garden has been a literal way for me to touch grass, and I'll admit, it actually is therapeutic, even when I'm aggressively pulling at weeds.

Kaley Patterson

Go shopping inside your favorite store.

With the advent of curbside pickup, it has kept people from going inside a store. I do love a curbside pickup, but sometimes, I do need to aimlessly walk around Target. Even if I buy things I don't need, I still count walking around Target as a touching grass activity because I'm off my phone and am present in the real world.

Visit the Lawton Farmers Market on Saturdays.

Instead of sleeping in and staying in our bed for hours scrolling on your phone, a Saturday morning can be well spent at the Lawton Farmers Market. The market is a great touching grass activity because you can visit with local farmers and vendors, pick up farm fresh vegetables and try a local food truck.

It's also a free activity to do with family and friends, or even as a solo adventure. My niece loves the Lawton Farmers Market so occasionally I'll meet her and my sister there, and other times I'll wake up early and go by myself for a chill shopping trip.

READ MORE: Frozen Nostalgia: A Sweet Topping Of Lawton's Past

Plan an all-day outdoor activity.

This is one touching grass activity I need to do more often. I play golf, and Lawton offers a couple of great courses for a day of golfing. Lawton is also in close proximity to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, which I don't visit nearly as much as I should living so close. I recently participated in a free wildflower walk and watercolor class with the Friends of the Wichitas, and it was one of the best disconnected Saturdays I've had in a long time.

Kaley Patterson