Indonesian Digital News Archive: Sandbox

Articles by "Sandbox"

Groff Park, Amherst MA

Located just off Rt. 116 in Amherst, Groff Park is a great destination in good weather. A large parking lot is mostly sunny, but if you don't mind crossing the lot, there are shady spots near the baseball field. The park boasts many tall beautiful trees, picnic areas with seating, including a pavillion. At the top of the hill, a decent playground and nice set of swings are near the restrooms, newly constructed a couple of years ago. They are not disgusting, though I've rarely seen toilet paper there. A wading pool with fountain is fenced in. The pool is open for a short season - essentially July and August. The pool might be closed on any given day due to lightening, bacteria levels in the water, lack of lackadaisical teenage lifeguard, or some such. You should not psych your kids up for it unless you call to confirm that it's open. A sandbox and small climbing area at the bottom of the hill are very inviting. A shallow river (Fort River) flows by the park and is followed by a sandy path, so a nature walk is included along with the rest of the features here.

Amherst Wading Pool Schedule
A Review of the Trail at Groff Park

Ecotarium, Worcester, MA (Update)

Our recent visit (June 2009) was a lot of fun. I found that exhibits had been changed/renewed since our last visit, sometime in the midwinter of 2008-2009.

We got to see the polar bear. The tree canopy was still not open. The person I spoke with said that there are pretty strict weight and height limits so my kids might not be eligible to do that yet anyways. We'll be back there soon - after several visits I am even more convinced of it's lasting interest. The boys played on the pirate ship in the toddler area for a good 45 minutes, a feature that had barely caught their eyes previously. There are plenty of corners to discover here.

Original Post:
We are very happy to have discovered the Ecotarium. Our admission is free with our membership pass to the Springfield Museums. After gaining admission at the front gate, the parking is free.

The museum itself is an interesting building with an eclectic array of exhibits. You'll enter at the top level, right by the gift shop. The shop is nice and they do have some smaller items. When we get our kids a treat we tend to want to spend $1 or so.

Walk down a curved staircase to the second level. More animal stuff, some dino stuff, a presentation area - on our first visit we saw an excellent owl presentation.

On the ground floor, there are live animals in the aquarium/terrarium area, lots of fun weather related exhibits. My husband's favorite feature is a tidal pool camera; by turning a dial you can watch hours of sea activity in mere moments. It is really cool to see the starfish and sea urchins moving in time lapse.

From the ground floor you exit to the grounds. This is the reason that the compound is such a wonderful destination. There are more animals in small, self contained buildings and environments throughout the grounds. We haven't seen the polar bear (!) but it has been fun to explore the trails.

The playground is fine - the rope ladder is an interesting feature & the sandbox is large.

There is a train - tickets are several dollars. We haven't gone yet.

The snack bar that is open only a few hours a day, so bring your food.

Ecotarium

Lupa Zoo, Ludlow, MA

Update:

My recent visit here was excellent. The zoo has put a lot of work into improving the landscaping, the insides and outsides of the enclosures, the seating areas. Even the signage directing you around looked fresh and was helpful. The playground had been reinvigorated, too. In all, the facility looked so well cared for, and the attention to detail was remarkable. I was so impressed, especially with my memory of a previous visit around 2006.
I highly recommend visiting here.

Original Post:

There is plenty of parking here, right when you pull in. Pay at the gate and buy food if you care to.
Once you're in, wander where you will. They have a very wide variety of animals.
This is not the most wonderful zoo in the world. Some cages are so thick with bars and mesh that the animals can't be seen. Some areas are not cared for or are stinky. However, compared to the higher profile Southwick Zoo, Lupa compared favorably in these areas. All zoos are smelly, and all except for a prize few have too many bars on the cages.

A small train ride is adjacent to the giraffes, who have their own viewing area up a staircase.

You can leave Lupa Zoo feeling nickle and dimed, as there are separate charges to enter, for animal food, for seeing the giraffe, for the giraffe food, for the train ride.... catch the drift? On the other hand, the admission price is really reasonable, compared to similar attractions.

Bring a lunch.

Restrooms are located in the main zoo building. As far as I know this is the only restroom location, so use it the first time you pass or you may be backtracking quite a bit.

Lupa Zoo

Belchertown Family Center, Belchertown, MA

This is a beautiful family center. At one time this building was a school, so the center is equipped with three large rooms for various activities, a snack area, bathrooms, and a fenced in yard. The playground equipment here is more appropriate for toddlers than older children, but the older ones can find plenty to do with the cars (there is a long grassy hill), the sandbox, or swings. The family center hours are limited, but it's really a wonderful place, especially if your kid is gearing up for school and wants peers to play with.

Lynn Paul is the director of the center; she does a great job with programming, but also with being a warm host and making introductions. There are many parents who give their time and skills to improve the Center.

Snacks are provided, or donated by patrons. There is a $4 donation, but it really is a donation.

The family center has a yahoo! group that you can join to receive updates: belchertownfamilycenter@yahoogroups.com

Belchertown Family Center

Chestnut Hill Community Playground, Belchertown, MA

This is an old playground, and that is the "charm." It was put up when wooden playgrounds were all the rage. The kids love crawling through the tunnels and going into the towers. There are no swings, they broke a couple of years ago. If you are extremely safety minded you'll want to know that splinters are a possibility here. On hot summer mornings there is a huge block of shady grass that you can sit on, and on warm spring days there is a sunny bench that you can sit on. Simple Pleasures.
The school also uses this playground. They can't officially kick you off because it's a community playground, but they may drop hints at you. The fifth and sixth graders rush the playground in a wave of heedless energy. My older son runs out and stretches his arms out wide, SO excited. My middle one finds me ASAP and hides behind my leg. Most of the kids are very nice and enjoy playing with the little ones.

Erving Elementary School, Erving, MA

On our way home from another activity, we spotted a great playground and decided to let the kids loose for a while. It was quite early in the season, a warm February or March day; the park was not busy, though our oldest found a friend to play with. The play equipment was very new. A separate toddler area, including a sandbox, is fenced in. The open play space is surfaced with a rubbery, impact-reducing substance. They had a nice swingset, and a tire swing.

Free Parking.

No Restrooms.

Erving Elementary School

Erving State Forest

Medieval Faire, Putney, VT

A grammar school in Putney has an anuual fundraiser with a medieval theme. "Rides," including ziplines, a big swing, a haunted house, maze, climbing wall, pony rides - cost you a couple of tickets. Free activities, such as play equipment, a sandbox, storytelling, and music, also abounded. Many of the attendees, of all ages, were dressed in period garb, which enhanced the atmosphere, as did the dozens of handmade decorations. If you have to spend money, this is a nice way to spend it - at a fundraiser for a beautiful school in a nice community.
The autumn drive was lovely with foliage, the sun was warm. Our kids played on the playground took some "rides." We ate some food from home but also made purchases. A wide variety of really delicious items were for sale.
I confess I don't remember the restrooms. They did exist, though. I DO remember nursing my newborn (about a month old), in the shade of a cherry tree, on the grass, on a hill overlooking a scene filled with families. A group of teens clowned around at the picnic table behind me. The sun and sky made me grateful. The band was playing just in front of me. It's a truly lovely memory and I can't wait to return.
Parking was copious, in a large field across the road from the event. I can't recall whether it was free or not! As I said, I had a newborn.

Grammar School

Town of Putney

Swift River School, Belchertown, MA

This playground combines an older play structure (pictured above) with a brand new one (about two years old). A fenced in sandbox/toddler play area is provided. A large swingset and tire swing, many advanced climbing structures for older children. The parking is right next to the play area, so you could sit in your car and read, or clean out your car, while still keeping your children in sight. This I like! There are only two trees, and they are rather spindly. They do offer shade - but the real estate is limited! One picnic table is provided. There are no restrooms, and you may only visit OFF school hours. Otherwise, it is a liability for the school for your kids to play there and they will ask you to leave. There are NO restrooms, but if you have young boys you can send them down to the fence in the back. I am still trying to figure out the age limit for this convenient behavior. Since I'm still figuring it out, I suppose my oldest has not reached it yet - he will be 5 in July 09.

Plains School Playground, South Hadley, MA

Since it's right on 202, we often use this playground to break up a car ride/shopping trip. You may only visit outside of school hours, otherwise it's in use. There are three separate play areas, we usually hang out in the first one. It has a new climbing structure and a great slide. Nice swings, a sandbox, even a zipline make it fun. There are several large picnic tables to sit at, and a big shady tree. There are no restrooms. Parking is free.

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