A game of “What Time is it, Mr. Fox” at the Municipal Playground Program. (AMY PORTER/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
WESTFIELD — Aug. 6 is the last day for the summer drop-in program for youth ages 6 to 12 at Papermill, Munger Hill School, Municipal/Hubbard Street, Chapman and Sadie Knox playgrounds.
Parks and Recreation Program Coordinator Jim Blascak said the season is winding down. “Most of the camps over the summer saw good enrollment, some were even full,” he said.
“I think it’s a great program,” said Angela Burek, director of the drop-in program at the Municipal Playground for the past four years. “Some kids like to come here every day,” she said, adding that they don’t all go to school together, so they enjoy seeing each other at the park.
Burek said that day they had the theme of Summer Olympics and had been doing a summer camp version of Olympic games. They also have arts and crafts programs and board games that they can play under the pavilion, pickleball and tennis courts, basketball and the water spray park to cool off in.
Sister Maya and Nola Marcoux cool off in the Hubbard St. Spray Park. (AMY PORTER/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
Playing in the water spray park were sisters Maya and Nola Marcoux, who came by on a walk with their family and decided to jump in and get wet, despite the rain clouds coming. The water spray parks will remain open through Labor Day weekend
Another bonus at the playgrounds are free grab-and-go meals delivered by the Boys & Girls Summer Eats program. John Slattery and Janis Rodriguez said at the peak of the program, they were serving 100 meals at the Municipal playground alone. The Boys & Girls Club meals will continue to be delivered to the playgrounds and other sites through August 20, after the drop-in playground program ends, on the following schedule:
Boys & Girls Club staff John Slattery and Janis Rodriguez deliver grab & go meals at the Municipal Playground. (AMY PORTER/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
Cross Street Playground, Cross Street: 11:30 a.m. – noon
Sadie Knox Spray Park, 50 Prospect St.: 12:15 – 12:45 p.m.
Hubbard Street Spray Park, Hubbard Street 12:50 – 1:30 p.m.
Chapman Playground, 50 St. Paul St.: 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Boys & Girls Club, 28 West Silver St.: 12:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Colonial Pine Acres, 50 Southampton Road: 11:30 a.m. – noon
Powdermill Village, 126 Union St.: 12:05 -12:35 p.m.
Edgewood Apartments, 134 Union St.:11:30 a.m. – noon
Westfield Farmers Market, Church of the Atonement, 36 Court St.: Thursdays only, 12:45 – 1:30 p.m.
Burek said some of the kids who attend the Municipal playground ride their bikes, and can also get a hot lunch at the nearby Franklin Avenue Elementary School from the district’s Westfield EATS program. The drive-through sites at Franklin Avenue and the Middle School on Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will also continue through Aug. 20.
A Westfield EATS Food Truck also stops daily at Stanley Park at the playground next to the pavilion from 11 to 11:30 a.m., at the Westfield Athenaeum from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; and at the Full Gospel Church at 110 Union St. from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
