“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” – Kay Redfield Jamison
Time to get outside with your family!
1. Springfield's Forest Park: There are TWO great playgrounds here. The first is right in front of the entrance to the Zoo. It's a great place to stop before or after you go to the zoo. Currently tickets to the zoo must be purchased in advance online. There is plenty of parking and a restroom close by. The second playground is on the other side of the zoo. Not as large but it is usually not crowded and in a nice shady area just a quick walk from the duck pond as well.
2. East Longmeadow's Heritage Park: A trip to this park on North Main Street is perfect when you have kids of various ages with you. The swing sets are positioned in between two play areas so adults can keep an eye on all that's happening between the climbing wall and several play structures. You can walk over to the pond and feed the ducks too! There are no bathrooms at the park so plan accordingly. Stop & Shop and Panera Bread are both across the street if you are thinking of grabbing lunch to bring with you.
3. Wilbraham's Spec Pond: Located near the YMCA in Post Office Park off Boston Road. The restrooms are open during the summer and the Pavilion can be rented for you to host a fun summer party.
4. Hampden's Memorial Park: Memorial Park on Main Street is worth a visit even when the FREE Spray Park isn't open for the season. Our kids love to play in the tiny stream or go on the playscape. Bring a picnic lunch or stop for an ice cream cone at Mountain View Drive In afterwards.
5. School Street Park in Agawam: This was our favorite park when visiting the grandparents right over the bridge in Agawam. This one has one of our favorite splash pads. There are actually TWO playgrounds here. Parking can be a little funky. The park has two sections separated by a wall of trees. The School Street entrance will bring you to a large parking area, bathrooms, the soccer fields, and the bigger of the two playground areas. The other side of the park (the newer side, with the splash pad, open fields, volleyball courts, band shell, new pavilion) can be accessed either via a nice path from the School Street parking lot, or from an entirely separate entrance off of Corey Street on the opposite side of the park.
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