Parks and Rec Dept. urges parents and their children to ‘Just Play’

July 15, 2012

Six-year-old Emma Kerrigan shows her ocean painting she created Wednesday during a day camp for local children, open to everyone, at Cold Spring Park in Woonsocket. The camp is held at a different park each day for six weeks and is sponsored by the Woonsocket Parks and Recreation Department. Photo/Ernest A. Brown

WOONSOCKET – Jamal Lee saw the poster on a building at Bernon Park after playing softball with his adult league: the city was starting up a new recreational program for parents and children.
A few days later, the 38-year-old public health major at Rhode Island College was at Cass Park with his kids, swinging a badminton racket, making crafts, and having fun.
He liked it so much that he and his children, Alanah, 7, Olivia, 5, and Isaiah, 11, did it all over again two days later at Cold Spring Park.
“It’s something to get the kids out of the house so they’re not just watching TV or playing video games,” he says. “I think kids should be active. I like to be active, too, so it’s a win-win for everybody.”
“Just Play” is the brainchild of Parks and Recreation Director Elizabeth Kerrigan, who was just hired for the position in April. It marks the first time the city has sponsored a summertime activities program since the financial meltdown of 2008.
It takes place weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon at a different park each day, Mondays at Cass, Tuesday at Dunn, Wednesday at Cold Spring, Thursday at Globe Park and Fridays at Bernon. The cycle continues through Aug. 20.

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