Local park and trail officials say county residents are listening to experts' advice regarding the coronavirus and using parks and trails to relieve the sensation of being trapped in the house.

Some families strolled the streets on Thursday to get their share of fresh air.

Monique Stapel of Butler followed her young son, Rylee, down the sidewalk on Beckert Street as he pedaled his sporty blue two-wheeler with the training wheels deployed.

Stapel normally works as a cleaner for homes and businesses, but feels entering customers' buildings would be too risky right now.

“The more exposure, the worse it is,” she said.

She took her son around the neighborhood on Thursday.

“We're trying to get some fresh air and not be cooped up in the house,” Stapel said. “There's only so much you can do, especially in a smaller apartment.”

She also decided to get out of the house to give Rylee, 4, a sense of normalcy.

“He doesn't understand why we're home all the time,” Stapel said. “He keeps asking to go to Chuck E. Cheese.”

Rylee quickly tired of his mother chatting on the sidewalk.

“Let's get rollin',” he said.

Chris Ziegler, president of the Butler-Freeport Trail Board of Directors, said she is working at home and the trail is right behind her house.

She noticed a large increase in the number of people on the trail these days.

“I'm passing a lot of families when historically we would have seen a single person or a couple,” Ziegler said, “and not just (families with) young children, teenagers too.”

She said maybe the virus, as life-altering and concerning as it is, will serve as a reset for families.

“There's more to life than video games and TV,” Ziegler said.

She said the trail's Facebook page is also seeing a lot of action since the virus became prevalent. Ziegler said the page has seen dozens of new members this week alone.

She loves the influx of interest in the scenic trail. She said those walking the trail still say hello to one another, but at a bit of a distance. And, of course, dogs still come up and sniff people along the trail.

Jeff Smith, Butler city councilman, said council is happy to see people at the city's many parks, but is disheartened to see the playground equipment teeming with children.

“That's what the concern is, that we keep groups larger than 10 from congregating,” Smith said. “The playgrounds look like a beehive at times with all the kids.

He said the council may consider closing the playgrounds at Institute Hill, Christy Avenue and Rotary Park if the situation continues.

Smith said council hoped to be able to keep the playground open for as long as possible.

He said sanitizing the playground equipment would be virtually impossible with the number of children using it.

“If I still had small kids, I would not take them to the playground,” Smith said.

He said many people were out walking their dogs in Memorial and Ritts parks, which the council encourages if they keep their distance from one another.

“It's a nice break from being cooped up in the house,” Smith said.

As of Thursday, teens could be seen shooting hoops and others using the tennis courts at Memorial Park.

“People are still using the facilities, but I think there is going to be less and less of that as people move to a shelter-in-place mentality,” Smith said.

Dustin Drew, park manager at Moraine State Park in the western part of the county, said he has seen folks hiking the park's trails and walking their dogs on the road that encircles the lake and park.

“I think it's just short trips to get a little fresh air, and then heading back out,” Drew said.

He said while all buildings, including restrooms, are closed until further notice, the lake is open for boating and fishing although it's not yet time for park workers to install the docks. Drew said people are still able to launch boats, adding that there were even a few out on the lake despite the temperatures.

Wil Taylor, center manager at the Jennings Nature Reserve in Franklin Township, echoed Drew in that all buildings and the educational center are closed.

“As of now, the parking lots and trails are open and people are using them,” he said.

Dog walking, hiking and running are the most popular pursuits on the reserve's scenic trails, Taylor said.

“We want everyone to be safe,” he said. “We're supposed to be recreating in a dispersed manner, so don't hike in a group and give people distance when you come upon them on the trail.”

Butler mom Stephanie Stoughton took her son, 10-year-old Dominick, and niece, 4-year-old Everyleigh, out for a walk on Thursday on West Wayne Street.

She said schoolwork happens first thing each morning, followed by brushing teeth and heading to the park as a reward for the schoolwork.

“I give them play time because being locked up in the house is going to drive them nuts,” Stoughton said, adding that her family constantly washes their hands to prevent the spread of the virus.

But Stoughton isn't depressed over the situation and looks forward to a time when life returns to normal.

“We just have a bump in the road,” she said.