Patch Passport: Kid-Friendly Fun—Stoughton's Halloran Park and Lessa Playground

Looking for a in town? Consider Halloran Park, near the Jones School, or the Lessa Playground, off West Street. Here's the scoop:

Halloran Park

Just off of Leach and Pierce Streets is a quiet little haven for families, young and old. 

Stoughton’s is beautifully maintained (by the Stoughton Public Works Department) and offers ample space for various activities and is conducive for all age ranges of kids. 

It is not a place where you have to worry about a crying infant disturbing anyone any more than your rambunctious four-year-old running wild. Quite the relief for any mom, or at least it is for me. 

During my most recent visit, there were so many kids in all the different areas of the grounds but because of the spacious layout there was plenty of room for everyone to have fun. 

My kids enjoyed blowing bubbles, playing Frisbee, catch and even drawing with sidewalk chalk. Everywhere I looked I saw people engaged in activities including basketball, bike and skate board riding and just plain old running around/rolling in the grass (yeah, kids still do that).

It was great to see one family having a picnic under a shady tree, mothers pushing their infants in strollers on the walking/riding path and a teenager cooling off at a table in the eating area, which does include charcoal grills for park visitors. 

With the vast open field that occupies the greater part of Halloran, two of the boys playing basketball, Andrew and Alex Iverson, shared that they mainly come to play baseball, and in fact had just finished up a game moments before. A six-year-old boy nearby, who was also actively focused on the hoop, told everyone that his favorite part was the big slide.

What big slide you may ask? 

While Halloran Park itself does not have any playground equipment it does have two walkways that lead directly to the adjacent , which is home to his favorite slide. Just another benefit to this little known park!

Lessa Playground

Like the many residents who travel along scenic West Street, unaware of the countless times that they passed by the thoughtfully designed and amazingly well-kept , Stoughton dad, Izzy, shared how he and his 2 ½ year old daughter, Caitlin, came upon this great spot:

“One day, on our way to , I happened to notice the structure behind the trees.  So, we pulled in, loved it, and have been coming about once a week ever since.”

Located at the end of a short gravel driveway off West Street, the Bradley Lessa Playground may seem a bit off the beaten path, but the location is part of its charm. 

Nestled between the and McNamara’s Farm, the Bradley Lessa Playground provides families an ideal setting for a variety of outings. 

A visit to Lessa can range from a quick stop for the kids to run around; a full day of family fun; a camp field trip; or even a sight for your child’s next birthday party.

There is a colorful jungle gym structure, a swing set, a small rock-climbing wall and a fire engine with a slide. There are also picnic tables, and plenty of shaded areas.

Here are some of the reasons visitors were there last Wednesday…

• Tiny Treasures Family Childcare (184 Central Street, Stoughton) was enjoying a short field trip with its owner and teacher Rachel Corcoran. 
• The Baker family of Stoughton was enjoying their first visit. Ester Baker, mother of five children ages 5 to 9 years, said, “Danny Mark kept telling me to come. (Stoughton Recreation Department’s, Dan Mark has long utilized the Bradley Lessa Playground as a field trip destination for its Pre-Playground Program).
• An Easton mom, Karen, and her two sons Jack, 5, and Luke, 2 ½, stopped by to enjoy lunch and to play before heading to a friends pool. Karen, pointed out, “It is easy to keep an eye on multiple kids based on the layout of the equipment.”
• Another mother who had her (almost) six-year-old with her remarked, “My car said that the temperature is 83 degrees; it doesn’t feel like it here though.  The trees give great shade and breeze.

With sentiments like these, there is no reason not to visit the Bradley Lessa Playground for your next family outing!

For a full day of fun consider the following:

Begin with a stroll by the farm and a quick hello to the cows, your family can then explore the trails of the , break for a picnic in Lessa’s shaded eating area and then conclude with mom and dad restfully watching their children bounce from one activity to the next on Lessa’s play structures, while sitting on the handmade wooden benches.

Take a look at photos of children having fun at both spots in town, in the media gallery above. Have any other kid-friendly spots in town you would like to share? Let us know in the comments section.