After being closed since July 14 for construction, the Mindowaskin Playground is up and running again for both children and parents to enjoy. With the help of donations from The Westfield Foundation – Bogaert Fund, County of Union, New Jersey, The Optimist Club of Westfield, and The Glasser Foundation, the new playground is already a success.

On any given day North Euclid Ave is now lined with parked cars, and swarms of thrilled children are playing in the playground area. The park now includes swings, monkey bars, slides, a small climbing wall, tunnels, and more – all of which were designed to be handicap-accessible equipment.

Although it hasn’t been reopen for long, parents and their children already love the renovations.

“This [playground] is incredible, I was really excited about it,” said one parent. “I had driven by a couple of times and seen they were redoing it, and it’s phenomenal so far.”

Many other parents shared the same sentiment: they were all so impressed with the new playground. And their children are no different; all of them were running around screaming with huge smiles on their faces while climbing up the slide, being pushed on the swings, and just having fun at the improved playground.

“It’s so immense, there’s lots of climbing options for the kids, and the fact that they have a separate section for toddlers makes it really nice,” said another parent about what she thought made the park stand out.

Another mom echoed the rave reviews, saying, “I have three boys and they need to be outdoors, so I definitely appreciate the variety of outdoor spaces to play in.”

Compared to the playground prior to the renovations, it was noted by parents how much it has been improved. “I love the turf material they have, I think it’s going to really help keep the equipment from getting muddy,” one mom commented. “I also like how spaced out everything is because I feel like if there’s a lot of kids here, it’s going to prevent them from being on top of each other.”

But it’s not just the new equipment that makes the new playground a huge hit, it’s also about what playgrounds stand for within our town. Whether it be a growing sense of community, a safe place for children to run around while being outside, or a chance to meet new people with children of similar ages, the playground has something to offer to everyone.