Winter Indoor Recreation Open Hours ($30,000)

Location: Cambridge Youth Centers

Cost: $30,000

Committee: Facilities, Parks, and Recreation

Short Description: Kids and families need more places to play during cold winters. Let’s provide a warm, indoor option with open play hours on one weekend a month at rotating Youth Centers in the winter. Kids under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Long Description: This project proposes opening one Cambridge Youth Center one weekend per month during the winter season. This would give kids and families a place to play during the cold winter months. The Winter Indoor Recreation program will rotate between different Youth Centers each month. Kids under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult guardian during the program; they can not be dropped off during this programming. Rather than planning specific activities, the Youth Centers will host “open hours” for free play.

The original project submissions showed interest for more indoor recreation in the winter. School gyms and War Memorial are typically booked and unavailable on the weekend. Currently the Youth Centers are not open on the weekend. During winter indoor recreation open hours, the gyms can be split into different activity zones to provide multiple play options.  This proposal would function as a pilot program for one year (one winter). That will allow the City to gauge interest in expanded weekend programming at youth centers. This program would run from November to March, for a total of five days of “open hours”. Each will be four hours long. The City will determine which Youth Centers to use based on availability of space and staff. There will be a sign-up form available online to reserve a timed starting slot. This will help balance space capacity and program availability.

This project addresses the need for more indoor recreation space during the winter season. It provides the potential for increasing programming at existing indoor spaces across the City. If implemented, this project will allow for further indoor spaces for kids and families to enjoy during the cold winter months.

Youth programming at the Frisoli Youth Center