Summer 2026 · Season Complete
Open Parks 2026
A free morning program for kids and teens ages 5–18 — right here in Stoneham.
📍 South Elementary School | Mon–Fri | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Explore School Year Programs →About the Program
A Safe Space to Have Fun This Summer
Open Parks is a free summer morning program run by Boys & Girls Club of Metro North at South Elementary School in Stoneham. Every day brought something new — sports tournaments, art projects, STEM activities, community guests, and more — in a structured, welcoming environment where every kid belonged.
The program ran Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, July 6 through August 14, completely free to every family who registered.
Looking for full-day summer programming next year? Check out Camp Stoneham. Looking for something right now? School year enrollment is open for Before School, After School, and Teen Center programs.
🎨
Art & Creativity
🏆
Sports & Teams
🔬
STEM & Discovery
🏫
Gym Open Daily
South Elementary’s gym was open every day for free play, pickup games, and active programming — a great option for older kids and teens looking for space to move.
📅
Register Day by Day
Families didn’t need to commit to the full program — each day was its own registration, flexible by design.
🍽️
Free Lunch Included
Through the Summer Eats program, free lunch was served to all participants at 11:30 AM — no registration required for the meal, just show up.
2026 Season Recap
Summer Schedule
A look back at everything Open Parks offered this summer — six weeks of activities, tournaments, and community fun.
Week 1 — July 6–10
Monday
6
July
🎉 Summer Kick Off
All About Me Poster & Get to Know You Activities. Kids create posters sharing fun facts about themselves and jump into icebreakers to build friendships. Bounce house included to kick off the summer right!
Completed
Tuesday
7
July
🏆 Tournament Tuesday — Kickball
Three-round kickball tournament focused on teamwork, sportsmanship, and having fun. Multiple rounds give everyone the chance to play, improve, and cheer on their teammates.
Completed
Wednesday
8
July
🎬 Greater Boston Stage Company
Step into the spotlight for a day of creativity, imagination, and performance as youth explore acting, movement, storytelling, and stage magic together!
Completed
Thursday
9
July
🖼️ This Is Me Creations
Children design and decorate an item that reflects who they are using a variety of art materials. A thoughtful, extended creative activity encouraging self-expression and focus.
Completed
Friday
10
July
🎤 Show & Tell
Children bring in a special item, photo, or story to share with the group. Builds confidence, listening skills, and community as everyone celebrates something meaningful to them.
Completed
Week 2 — July 13–17
Monday
13
July
🔭 Future Scientist — Design Your Own Planet
Children imagine and create their own planet — choosing colors, landforms, animals, and special features. Encourages creativity, storytelling, and scientific imagination.
Completed
Tuesday
14
July
🏆 Tournament Tuesday — Dodgeball
Multi-round dodgeball tournament focused on teamwork, communication, and friendly competition. A high-energy day of active play and cheering on teammates.
Completed
Wednesday
15
July
📺 Stoneham TV — Partner Interviews
Kids create videos and learn to use media technology — cameras, audio recording, and basic video production tools through hands-on creative activities.
Completed
Thursday
16
July
🎨 Logo Lab — Create Your Own Brand
Kids design their own personal brand — logo, colors, and symbols that represent who they are. Encourages self-expression, creativity, and decision-making.
Completed
Friday
17
July
🪨 Paint Your Future — Rock Painting
Children decorate rocks with colors, symbols, and words reflecting personal goals for the upcoming school year. A creative and reflective take-home keepsake.
Completed
Week 3 — July 20–24
Monday
20
July
🤝 Team Challenge — Team Building
Collaborative games and challenges designed to help kids work together, communicate, and support one another. Focuses on problem-solving, listening, and building positive relationships.
Completed
Tuesday
21
July
🚲 Safety Day — Bike Safety
Interactive discussions and activities covering helmets, traffic signs, hand signals, and safe riding habits. Builds confidence and teaches responsible road safety skills.
Completed
Wednesday
22
July
🚒 Community Heroes — First Responders
Children learn about police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency personnel through hands-on activities and safety discussions about how our community is protected.
Completed
Thursday
23
July
🚗 Stoneham Ford Day — Vehicles & Transportation
Hands-on experiences exploring how vehicles operate, basic car safety, and the importance of routine maintenance. Encourages curiosity and problem-solving about everyday transportation.
Completed
Friday
24
July
🏃 Relay Challenge — Clean-Up Race
Teams race through cleaning challenges while practicing teamwork, responsibility, and time management. Makes everyday chores fun through friendly competition and cooperation.
Completed
Week 4 — July 27–31
Monday
27
July
🌈 Rainbow Sock Creations — Tie-Dye
Children learn the tie-dye process as they design their own colorful socks using folding, twisting, and dyeing techniques. A creative take-home keepsake!
Completed
Tuesday
28
July
🏆 Tournament Tuesday — Relay Race
Teams compete through multiple rounds of fun relay challenges. Focuses on teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and friendly competition.
Completed
Wednesday
29
July
🍞 Food Revolution — Baking
Children learn basic baking skills including measuring ingredients, following recipes, kitchen safety, and food handling while creating delicious treats together.
Completed
Thursday
30
July
🦸 Superhero Creation
Children design their own superhero — name, powers, costume, and backstory. Encourages self-expression, storytelling, and imagination in a supportive environment.
Completed
Friday
31
July
🖍️ Creative Chalk Creations
Kids use chalk and water to create colorful outdoor artwork on sidewalks and playground surfaces, exploring drawing techniques and color blending.
Completed
Week 5 — August 3–7
Monday
3
August
🐾 Animal Hat Workshop
Children design and create their own animal hats inspired by their favorite wild animals, exploring animal characteristics and building wearable art skills.
Completed
Tuesday
4
August
🏆 Tournament Tuesday — Soccer
Three rounds of friendly soccer competition. Kids practice teamwork, sportsmanship, and skills while building confidence in a positive, active environment.
Completed
Wednesday
5
August
🎬 Greater Boston Stage Company
A return visit — kids continue exploring video creation, cameras, audio recording, and basic production tools through hands-on media activities.
Completed
Thursday
6
August
🗺️ Create Your Safari Journey
Children design and build their own safari maps, adding animals, landmarks, and exciting paths throughout their imaginary adventure. Encourages creativity and storytelling.
Completed
Friday
7
August
🌿 Nature Adventure — Outdoor Walk
A guided outdoor nature walk to observe bugs, trees, plants, and elements of the natural world. Encourages exploration, curiosity, and hands-on appreciation of the environment.
Completed
Week 6 — August 10–14
Monday
10
August
🎨 Future Artists — Tie-Dye Mini Bags
Children design and decorate mini bags using colorful tie-dye techniques, exploring patterns, color mixing, and individuality through hands-on wearable art.
Completed
Tuesday
11
August
🏆 Tournament Tuesday — Basketball
Three rounds of fast-paced basketball competition in the gym. Kids practice skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship in a positive, high-energy environment.
Completed
Wednesday
12
August
🚒 Community Heroes — First Responders
A second Community Heroes day exploring the roles of police, fire, and EMS through hands-on activities and safety discussions.
Completed
Thursday
13
August
🎤 BGC Got Talent
Kids took the stage to show off their skills — singing, dancing, comedy, magic, and more. A celebration of creativity and confidence as the season wound down.
Completed
Friday
14
August
🎉 Last Day — Open Parks Celebration!
Children came together to celebrate a successful Open Parks season with games, touch a truck, activities, and time to play with friends — a joyful send-off into the school year.
Completed
Good to Know
Open Parks — Frequently Asked Questions
Open Parks 2026 has ended for the season. The FAQ below reflects how the program ran this summer and is kept here for reference — it will apply again when Open Parks returns next summer. For programs open right now, see School Year 2026-27 enrollment.
Each day required a minimum number of registrations to run. If a day didn’t reach that minimum by 48 hours before the program day, that day was cancelled and all registered participants were notified directly.
Registration was required for each day a child attended — walk-ins could not be accommodated. Families didn’t need to commit to the full program; registration was available one day at a time.
Open Parks was open to children and teens ages 5 through 18. While daily activities were designed with a range of ages in mind, the gym was open every day for free play and pickup games — a great option for older kids and teens looking for active, less structured time.
Open Parks ran at South Elementary School in Stoneham, MA, with access to classrooms, the gym, and outdoor space. The gym was available for free play every day.
Open Parks ran 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Free lunch through the Summer Eats program was served on site at 11:30 AM and ran until 12:30 PM.
Open Parks ran rain or shine. Weather-dependent activities were occasionally rescheduled, but South Elementary School’s indoor space, including the gym, meant the day still ran regardless of weather.
Yes — completely free, with no registration fee, no membership requirement, and no cost for the daily lunch served through Summer Eats. Boys & Girls Club of Metro North operated Open Parks as a community service for Stoneham-area families.
Open Parks was a free, drop-in morning program — a few hours of structured fun and a free lunch. Camp Stoneham is a full-day licensed summer camp program running 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM with weekly themes, field trips, and swimming.
Not at all. Open Parks was open to families from any community. Many families came from Wakefield, Saugus, Melrose, Woburn, Reading, and surrounding towns.
Free Lunch · Every Day
Summer Eats — Frequently Asked Questions
The following FAQ was sourced directly from Project Bread, who administer the program statewide.
Summer Eats at Open Parks has ended for the season. This FAQ is kept here for reference and will apply again next summer. For statewide Summer Eats site information year-round, visit projectbread.org.
Summer Eats is a federal nutrition program designed to ensure that all youth (18 and under) have access to healthy meals and snacks during the summer, when school is not in session. Free meals are available to all kids and teens at hundreds of sites across the state.
All kids in Massachusetts, ages 0–18, could receive free meals at any Summer Eats site. At Open Parks, that meant every child attending received free lunch at 11:30 AM — no exceptions, no income requirements.
No registration was required for Summer Eats meals specifically. Any child registered for Open Parks that day simply joined lunch at 11:30 AM — no ID, no questions asked.
No. Due to federal regulations, caregivers were not permitted to pick up meals for children and take them home. Meals had to be eaten on site.
All meals served through Summer Eats met nutrition standards established by the USDA. Fruits and vegetables were provided with every meal, along with whole grains.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), known in Massachusetts as Summer Eats, is a federally-funded, state-administered program. It is administered in Massachusetts by Project Bread in partnership with the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Source: The Summer Eats FAQ above was adapted from Project Bread’s Summer Eats page. For more information about Summer Eats sites statewide, visit projectbread.org.