Kids ages 5 through 11 will have more options for summertime fun this year with the addition of the Parks and Recreation “Summer Fun 2024” program. This new initiative will provide six weeks of themed activities running Monday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m., beginning July 1.
According to Parks and Recreation Director Anne McWaters, beach operations are expanding this year to provide the community with more options for enjoying the town’s robust natural resources. “Summer Fun 2024” will take place on the beach at Bare Hill Pond, the field on Pond Road, the basketball courts at Bromfield School, and Barba’s Point conservation trail.
“Red, White, and Blue” is the theme kicking off the program, aptly named for Independence Day. Other themes include “Under the Sea,” “Olympics,” “Space,” “Nature,” and “Mission Impossible.” “Each day will have a rhythm to it,” said McWaters. Children will participate in games, sports, crafts, swimming, and other activities led by longtime beach employee Julia Kimball, along with other staff members facilitating the fun.
Complementing traditional activities
For many years, Parks and Rec has run summer swimming lessons, sailing, and paddling instruction provided by beach staff; tennis coaching through Marcus Lewis; the Learn to Row program with the Bare Hill Rowing Association; and Ultimate Frisbee. “Summer Fun 2024” will add to the delight of pond-goers; registration will be capped at 25 kids per session.
While many families in town are familiar with the summer camp options provided by Hildreth Elementary School’s after-school care program, Alphabest, the Parks and Rec programming is a separate entity. “Summer Fun” is timed to complement the other Parks and Rec activities at the pond by offering programming into the afternoon hours. “It’s something that has been lacking in Harvard,” said McWaters. “Having kids of my own, having grown up here, it would have been great to have some programming other than the swimming and boating. … I just felt like it was the missing piece.”
Beach programming has always included summer activities for kids of all ages. Swimming lessons, which follow the American Red Cross’s Learn to Swim Program, include instruction from infants to level six stroke proficiency to lifeguard and swim instructor readiness. Similarly, sailing and paddling lessons begin at an early age and offer varying levels of proficiency, which means that Harvard youth have the unique opportunity to complete a cycle from beginner to teacher over the course of their adolescence.
The beach at Bare Hill Pond is set to open June 29, when it will be fully staffed with lifeguards and sticker checkers at the entrance to the parking lot. That date is subject to change based on the weed removal initiative currently scheduled to begin Monday, June 10. (See story, “Voyage to the bottom of the pond”).
In addition to the programming, Harvard residents will be able to take advantage of the boat rental kiosk again this summer. Households can purchase registrations for any individuals over the age of 18 in the home, allowing them to check out canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and pedal boats, along with life preservers and paddles. All programming, boat rentals, and parking passes can be purchased via check, which can be delivered to the Parks and Rec office in the lower level at Fivesparks or to Town Hall. Additionally, registrations can be completed online at www.harvardma.myrec.com.
Parks and Rec will have a list of online registrations and will distribute beach stickers to residents at the pond upon official opening. Until that time, use of the beach is at residents’ own risk.
