Youth Programs
Summer Playgrounds
Supervised Summer Playground Program
Children of the 1950's are depicted here in the Summer Playground Program. The large panda (center front) is a mystery.
June 10-August 2
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
It’s going to be a great summer in the park and you are invited to join the fun! Kickball, t-ball, bumper pool, Mancala, basketball, arts & crafts, and Kohl’s Healthy Kids fitness program are just a few of the fun and exciting activities planned for our summer playground program.
All seven playground sites are supervised by qualified, trained staff. Children are free to come and go as they please. The program is FREE and is open to boys and girls ages 5 and older.
FREE lunches are provided daily by Fort Wayne Community Schools.
Each park will host a FREE summer carnival featuring games, food and fun for kids and their families.
A “farewell to summer” Fun Day will be held at Memorial Park on the last day of the playground program.
Summer Carnival Information
| Site | Address | Carnival Date/Time |
| Cooper Community Center | 2300 Clinton & Creighton | Carnival: July 24, 5-7 pm |
| Hamilton Park | Spring & Cherokee | Carnival: July 10, 5-7 pm |
| Lafayette Park | Lafayette & Douglas | Carnival: June 26, 5-7 pm |
| Lakeside Park | 1401 Lake & Vermont | Carnival: June 19, 5-7 pm |
| Memorial Park | 2301 Maumee & Glasgow | Fun Day: August 2, 3-5 pm |
| Packard Park | Fairfield Ave. | Fun Day: July 17, 5-7 pm |
| Hanna Homestead | Gay & Lewis | Mondays 9-11 am & 3-5 pm Wednesdays 9-11 am Carnival: July 31, 5-7 pm |
Summer Playground Daily Schedule
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 9-10 am | Enrichment | Enrichment | Enrichment | Enrichment |
Open Recreation |
| 10-11 am | Open Recreation | Field Trip | Open Recreation | Field Trip | Arts & Crafts |
| 11 am-12 pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
| 12-3 pm | Open Recreation | Kickball Whiffleball |
Open Recreation | Athletics | Field Trip |
| 3-5 pm | Athletics | Athletics | Athletics | Athletics | Athletics |
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The Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department is partnering with Parkview Health for the 6th year to help busy families and kids navigate important healthy behaviors like moving more, eating better and being their best. This year, Parkview Health is offering a new program called LiVe. Adopting LiVe’s core “8 Healthy Habits” has been shown to be the most effective habits families can undertake to get fit and healthy. Parkview Health will be sharing this information at Parks & Recreation programs throughout the summer. The Kohl’s Healthy Kids program will also return this year! Visit www.livehealthy.parkview.com for more information about LiVe.
Check out the Parkview Kohl's Healthy Kids & Parkview LiVe Program schedule and don't miss the fun!
Additional Information
Call 260.427.6000 for additional information.

Testimonials from parents:
Lakeside Park:
"Miss Kim provided energy, a ready smile, appropriate discipline and a photographic memory, not to mention strong leadership for the rest of the staff at her site. My child looked forward to the days she would be coming. Thank you!" Paul O.
"The best summer I ever had." J. Bridsall
"The summer program was great. My grand kids were very excited every day they came. I hope to see the staff next summer! Very good work, keep it up. Have a restful August. Thanks." Mrs. Jones
"I thank God for this program. This program is inspirational, fun, encouraging and exciting for my children. They beg me to allow them to come and stay until 4pm. The camp workers, Mrs. Theresa and Mrs. Alexis are terrific! Thank you again for helping the neighborhood children have a dynamite, fabulous and fun super summer!" Mrs. Jay C.
"He really liked the program. The staff provided my kids with excellent care. The kids were happy, safe, and stimulated. I would recommend the program to any parent." Patricia B.
"Thank you, it is a very good program. It helps parents very much." Hbdalla H.
"I am a parent of four children and one just came at the beginning of June. So it was very helpful to know that I can bring my older three to be entertained by the caring staff and fed lunches whenever we decided to come to the park this summer. Great help for a busy mom!"
"Tristian enjoyed coming and interacting with the other kids. He really enjoyed games, kickball, etc. He said he likes the Ford a lot." Kathryn B.
"I thanked God for the program. It gave my kids a wonderful way to spend the summer with other kids and meeting new people, which builds up their self-esteem. You couldn’t get any better than the staff. You guys pick wonderful, very exciting people who love the kids. I thank you again for a wonderful summer for my kids." Nicole A.
Lafayette Park:
My children really enjoyed how the staff interacts with the kids-Marie S.
Hamilton Park:
"It is awesome." Chris A.
"I enjoyed the program." Faith
"The summer park program has been a blessing to our family – we have been very impressed by it. As well the summer park program has exceeded our expectations. The staff is fantastic – our children talk about how fun, kind and welcoming staff members have been towards them. As parents, the staff has always been courteous, helpful and polite to us. Overall, it was clear that staff members enjoyed working with the children and were dedicated to their job. There were also several programs during the day – such as Auntie Anne’s Pretzel’s, Girl Scouts, etc. – that added to the fun of the program. We were impressed by these programs and our children absolutely loved them. Staff members also made some neat crafts with the kids and those were some of the kids’ favorite times. Overall the summer park program provided our children with an incredibly fun, friend-filled, and interesting summer. Along with having a good time the children also were provided with the wonderful opportunities previously discussed. Many thanks for offering this program. We look forward to it in summers to come." Aaron & Jen G.
"Thank you so much for allowing our children the opportunity to play at the park, make new friends, and enjoy some arts and crafts time. My children have formed friendships, that have brought them great joy…so, thank you again for the program. We have enjoyed it very much."
"I appreciated the mature staff that kept track of all those fun games and activities. The kids enjoyed the staff’s friendliness and their involvement in games. Five star effort!"Karen P.
"This was the best program of all the Fort Wayne Parks!" Billy G.

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