Washington Park
89 Center Street, Groveland, MA 01834
Date/Time Visited: Monday, May 17, 2021 at 11:00 am
Bathrooms: 2 port-a-potties
Parking: Plenty of parking
Shade: Limited
Benches/Tables: 2 benches and a few picnic tables further from the playground
Additional Features: Baseball fields
Washington Park is one of our favorite playgrounds! On this day that we visited, we were actually the only people there for a good chunk of our visit.
This park does get busier after school hours, on weekends, and whenever there’s a baseball game. There are two baseball fields at the back of the playground area that the town uses for t-ball and baseball.
The playground area has two different structures. The larger structure has a sign saying it’s for children 5-12 years old and the smaller structure is for children 2-5 years old. It’s really up to your own discretion with your children. My four year old loves to play on both structures and does well, though there are a couple things she needs help with on the larger structure, like the rock climbing wall.
The larger structure has 2 slides, one of which is divided into two so kids can go down side by side. There’s also a few different ways to climb up onto the structure, including the ‘rock wall’. This does mean that there are some openings where kids could fall, so that’s something to keep in mind if you have younger kids navigating the structure. There’s also a small tunnel, monkey bars, and a few spinning seats around the structure.
The smaller structure also has two slides, and both of them are set up so the kids can go down side by side. This structure also has a longer tunnel, a steering wheel to play with, and different ways to climb up including a ladder and an ABC ramp, which has always been a favorite for us.
There’s a swing set that is to the back of the play structures, which has four big kid swings and two baby swings. I like this set up, because if you have multiple kids and one wants to swing, the play structures are right in front of you so you can easily see your other kids. There’s also a sandbox that is situated right in front of the smaller structure.
When we were at the playground today, I noticed that there isn’t really any shade on the play structures. There are lots of trees around the playground though, so there are spots to go if you need a break from the sun. One of the picnic tables was in the shade today. We’ve brought picnic lunches to this playground before when we’ve wanted to spend more time.
There are two port-a-potties, but I believe these are only there during the baseball season. Also, during the baseball season, there is a snack shack that is open during games and offers different foods.
Something else we enjoy about this playground is the parking lot. It is a good sized parking lot and is totally flat, so on days it isn’t busy it is perfect for riding bikes. Since it is so flat and open, it is easy to see the whole parking lot so you can see as soon as a car is coming in. There’s typically plenty of parking, but when there are baseball games the lot can fill up.
The playground area is not fenced in. There is a fence along the side of the park that borders the street though. There are also barriers along the edge of the parking lot, which are the perfect height to double as additional seating for parents.
Something else fun about this playground is that there is a Little Free Library which was added recently. There’s been an assortment of books there and my daughter has both found books to read and has brought a few of her books there to share.
This playground isn’t too far from Carter’s Ice Cream in Haverhill, so sometimes we will stop there on the way home!
Thank you to reader Nicole Gordon for submitting this information about the Washington Park playground in Groveland! If you would like to learn about how to become a contributing writer and get paid to share useful information for local parents, please email Barbara at barbarae@macaronikid.com.
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