The City of Moncton, in partnership with the YMCA, is ramping up the summer fun with a pilot project for neighbourhood playgrounds called Mobile Fun.
Children and families are being offered fun, camp-like experiences all summer long at the city’s playgrounds.
Two mobile recreation teams visit four neighbourhood parks for three hours each day, Monday to Friday, rain or shine.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us and the city to be partners in this program bringing out activities to the communities, to the kids that may not be able to attend our programs here at the YMCA,” said Bonnie Geldart, recreation director with the Moncton YMCA.
The city used to offer grants to neighbourhood groups so they could hire a playground leader. That program allowed for 12 of the city playgrounds to be staffed with activity coordinators five days a week in the summer.
This year, with the same $65,000 investment, the city decided to try a different idea, and it’s allowed them to engage more families.
“This allows us to go to 20 parks in the city and offer programming for a three-hour period, which allows for families to plan to participate,” said City of Moncton community development officer Nadine Melanson-Leblanc.
“So when they know we’re coming, it’s a certain day a week, at the same time and it’s repeated weekly at that same park, so it’s easier to plan for families to participate.
“We have seen a huge hike and now parents and grandparents are participating with the kids, so we’re really happy about that.”
The daily schedule with playground locations and activity times is available online at moncton.ca and ymcamoncton.com.
The project runs until September 2nd.
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