🌞 Free Summer Program · Registration Required Per Day
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
View Schedule & RegisterAbout 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 brings something new — sports tournaments, art projects, STEM activities, community guests, and more — in a structured, welcoming environment where every kid belongs.
The program runs Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, July 6 through August 14. It’s completely free — but every child must be registered for each day they attend. Space is limited — register early to secure your spot.
Open Parks runs in parallel with our summer camps and is designed for families looking for a free morning activity — not a replacement for full-day care. If you’re looking for full-day summer programming, check out Camp Stoneham.
Registration is required for each day your child attends. Click the “Register” button on any day in the schedule below to reserve your spot through RecDesk.
⚠️ Each day requires a minimum number of registrations to run. Days that don’t reach the minimum by 48 hours before are cancelled — so early registration directly determines whether the program runs. Everyone registered will be notified if a day is cancelled.
📍 Open to all communities. You don’t need to live in Stoneham to participate — families from Wakefield, Saugus, Melrose, and all surrounding towns are welcome.
⛅ Rain or shine. Open Parks runs regardless of weather. Outdoor activities may move inside when needed — South Elementary’s gym and classrooms are available as backup space.
📧 Can’t make it? If your plans change, email us at info@bgcmetronorth.org as soon as possible so we can open your spot to another family. Spots are limited and families are waiting.
🎨
Art & Creativity
🏆
Sports & Teams
🔬
STEM & Discovery
🏫
Gym Open Daily
South Elementary’s gym is 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
You don’t need to commit to the full program. Register your child for any day that works for your family. Each day is its own registration — flexible by design.
🍽️
Free Lunch Included
Through the Summer Eats program, free lunch is served to all participants at 11:30 AM — no registration required for the meal, just show up with your child.
Daily Registration
Summer Schedule
Each day is a new activity. Register for any days that work for your family — no commitment to the full program required.
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!
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.
Wednesday
8
July
🎬 Greater Boston Stage Company
Kids create videos and learn to use media technology — cameras, audio recording, and basic video production tools through hands-on creative activities.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday
15
July
📺 Stoneham TV — Partner Interviews
Children partner up and interview each other about their interests and goals, then introduce their partner to the group. Builds communication skills, confidence, and friendship.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Week 5 — August 4–8
Monday
4
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.
Tuesday
5
August
🏆 Tournament Tuesday — Soccer
Three rounds of friendly soccer competition. Kids practice teamwork, sportsmanship, and skills while building confidence in a positive, active environment.
Wednesday
6
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.
Thursday
7
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.
Friday
8
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.
Week 6 — August 11–14 (Mon–Thu only)
Monday
11
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.
Tuesday
12
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.
Wednesday
13
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.
Thursday
14
August
🎉 Last Day — BGC Got Talent & Celebration!
The season closes with a Dance Party, Talent Show, and bounce house celebration. Kids share talents, dance, and celebrate an amazing summer — and get a special send-off into the school year!
Good to Know
Open Parks — Frequently Asked Questions
Each day requires a minimum number of registrations to run. If we don’t reach that minimum by 48 hours before the program day, that day will be cancelled and all registered participants will be notified directly.
The simplest way to make sure Open Parks runs: register early. Every registration directly contributes to whether the program happens. Don’t wait — if your family is interested in a day, sign up now.
Registration is required for each day your child attends — walk-ins cannot be accommodated. The good news is you don’t need to commit to the full program. Register for any individual days that work for your family, one at a time.
Open Parks is open to children and teens ages 5 through 18. While our daily activities are designed with a range of ages in mind, the gym is 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 runs at South Elementary School in Stoneham, MA. We have access to classrooms, the gym, and outdoor space. The gym is available for free play every day.
Open Parks runs 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Free lunch through the Summer Eats program is served on site at 11:30 AM and runs until 12:30 PM. Children should be picked up by noon unless staying for lunch.
Open Parks runs rain or shine — the program happens every scheduled day regardless of weather.
That said, some activities are weather-dependent by nature. If a guest visit or outdoor activity can’t safely happen due to weather, that specific activity may be rescheduled — but the day still runs. South Elementary School gives us access to indoor space including the gym, so your child will have a full morning of programming no matter what.
There’s no need to check the forecast before dropping them off. If a weather-dependent activity needs to move, registered families will be notified directly.
That said, some activities are weather-dependent by nature. If a guest visit or outdoor activity can’t safely happen due to weather, that specific activity may be rescheduled — but the day still runs. South Elementary School gives us access to indoor space including the gym, so your child will have a full morning of programming no matter what.
There’s no need to check the forecast before dropping them off. If a weather-dependent activity needs to move, registered families will be notified directly.
Yes — completely free. There is no registration fee, no membership requirement, and no cost for the daily lunch served through Summer Eats. Boys & Girls Club of Metro North operates Open Parks as a community service for Stoneham families.
Open Parks is 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. They’re designed for different needs and can complement each other — Open Parks for families looking for a free morning activity, camp for families needing full-day coverage.
Not at all. Open Parks is open to families from any community. Many of the families we serve come from Wakefield, Saugus, Melrose, Woburn, Reading, and surrounding towns. If you can get here, you’re welcome here.
Life happens — we get it. But please cancel your registration as early as possible if your plans change. When you register your child for a day, our staff schedule accordingly and our activity partners plan based on anticipated attendance. A no-show without notice doesn’t just leave an empty seat — it affects the experience for every other child there that day and can impact whether future days meet the minimum needed to run.
Families with repeated no-shows without cancellation may lose booking privileges for the remainder of the season. We’d rather keep everyone in good standing — so if something comes up, email us at info@bgcmetronorth.org as soon as you know.
Families with repeated no-shows without cancellation may lose booking privileges for the remainder of the season. We’d rather keep everyone in good standing — so if something comes up, email us at info@bgcmetronorth.org as soon as you know.
Drop-off is welcome — you do not need to stay. Our staff are on site and responsible for your child throughout the morning.
Pickup must happen by 12:00 PM. The program ends at noon, and our staff are not able to remain on site beyond that time. If a child has not been picked up by 12:00 PM, we are required to hold staff on site and notify the appropriate authorities — which is a significant disruption for our team and for the child.
If your child is staying for Summer Eats lunch (served at 11:30 AM), pickup by 12:30 PM is acceptable on those days — but please plan accordingly and don’t count on staff availability beyond that.
Pickup must happen by 12:00 PM. The program ends at noon, and our staff are not able to remain on site beyond that time. If a child has not been picked up by 12:00 PM, we are required to hold staff on site and notify the appropriate authorities — which is a significant disruption for our team and for the child.
Families with late pickups will lose enrollment privileges for future program days. We know things come up — if you’re running late, please call us immediately. We’d much rather hear from you than wait without word.
If your child is staying for Summer Eats lunch (served at 11:30 AM), pickup by 12:30 PM is acceptable on those days — but please plan accordingly and don’t count on staff availability beyond that.
Free Lunch · Every Day
Summer Eats — Frequently Asked Questions
Every day Open Parks runs, free lunch is served on site through the Summer Eats program. The following FAQ was sourced directly from Project Bread, who administer the program statewide.
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, can receive free meals at any Summer Eats site. At Open Parks, that means every child attending receives free lunch at 11:30 AM — no exceptions, no income requirements.
No registration is required for Summer Eats meals specifically. If your child is registered for Open Parks that day, they simply join lunch at 11:30 AM. No one will check an ID or ask any questions about the meal.
Absolutely not. No identification will be asked for in order for a child or teen to receive free meals through Summer Eats.
No. Due to federal regulations, caregivers are not permitted to pick up meals for children and take them home. Meals must be eaten on site.
All meals served through Summer Eats must meet nutrition standards established by the USDA. Fruits and vegetables are provided with every meal, along with whole grains. Exact menus vary by site and are prepared by the sponsoring organization.
It is likely that the site will be able to provide a meal that is free from allergens, but they will need to know in advance to prepare accordingly. Please contact us at info@bgcmetronorth.org before your child’s first day to discuss specific allergy needs.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), known in Massachusetts as Summer Eats, is a federally-funded, state-administered program. Program operators receive federal reimbursement for the free healthy meals they serve to children and teens while school is out. 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 verbatim from Project Bread’s Summer Eats page. For more information about Summer Eats sites statewide, visit projectbread.org.