Above: Sometimes when the Cape’s too long of a drive and the kids are bugging me for the beach, I like to grab a pass from the library and head to Hopkinton State Park. (photo by Beth Melo)
This week, I started sharing tips on what to do with your kids this summer. So far, we’ve covered getting them off your hands, family-friendly programs in town, area farmer’s markets, and taking them on museum outings.
But it’s summertime. To my kids, that means swimming.
We don’t have a pool, so I try to placate them with the sprinkler. (It gets old rather quickly.)
Since I need to plan some outings, I’m sharing my tips on places to go for free water play outside the yard.
An easy option is local splash pads. A couple of years ago, Southborough Recreation had to give up the dream of opening one at the Arts Center. But there are free spots in surrounding towns:
- Northborough has a splash pad at Assabet Park
- Hudson has a splash pad at Celucci Park
- Marlborough has public wading pools at Ward Park and Farrell Field
All of these are now open for the season – though you may want to double check the hours before heading there. (You should also make a decision up front about whether or not to bring money for the ice cream truck. There’s a good chance one will come by while you’re there!)
If your kids are demanding actual swimming, then you may need to find a beach. No need to head to the Cape. Local Mass State Parks fit the bill.
They generally charge for parking in the summer. But you can reserve the state park pass for the day from the Library or Southborough Rec Dept. Local swimming holes include:
- Hopkinton State Park*
- Ashland State Park
- Cochituate State Park (in Natick)*
*Both Hopkinton and Cochituate websites warn that parking may be closed when they reach full capacity. I’ve never experienced that at Hopkinton and been there on very busy days. I couldn’t tell you how commonly that occurs at Cochituate.
What about you?
Do you have a favorite water play spot not listed above? (Or have a tip about one of these to share?)
Shout out in the comments.
Throughout the summer, for more tips on what to do with your kids, you can pull down stories from the Features menu.
Beth, on all the pages on this site, under the header My Southborough.com, the flowers look familiar., Are they flowering brances of the cherry trees in blossom on our Main St.? Beautiful. .
Correct. Good eye.