On Wednesday, Aug. 9, the Esplanade Association (EA) hosted the first ever “Children in the Park: Science Day,” in collaboration with the New England Aquarium and Museum of Science.
To everyone’s delight, the New England Aquarium’s “traveling tide pool” exhibit and the Museum of Science “Science Truck” came to the Esplanade and taught close to 150 children participating in the organization’s Children in the Park program about the wonders of science and sea life.
The Children in the Park (ChiP) was first created in 2010 by the EA as a means to support the physical well-being of children, and to introduce Boston youths to the joys of outdoor recreation at the Esplanade. The program collaborates with roughly seventy urban day camps, such as the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, to bring child campers with ages ranging from 5 to 17 to the Esplanade for a day of outdoor games, fun, and exploration. In addition to offering participants the opportunity to explore the natural beauty of the Esplanade, the EA invites local sports and educational organizations like the New England Aquarium and Museum of Science to come and organize activities for campers. Other groups that have participated in CHiP this year include the Boston Bruins Foundation, Playworks, Metro Lacrosse, and Zumix.
“We are having a great summer on Esplanade where by the end of August, we will have welcomed close to 1,000 children from across the Boston for a fun day in the park,” said, Micah Jasney the Esplanade Association›s stewardship manager. “Through our community programs like ChiP’s, the Esplanade Association is happy to be able to provide a safe space for children to learn and play and it is our hope to continue working to enrich the lives of children who visit the Esplanade.”
Funding for Children in the Park is provided by the Highland Street Foundation, the Reebok Foundation, and the Boston Bruins Foundation. Also, snack salads for participating children are provided by Sweetgreen, and the water donated by Polar Beverages.