Patch Passport: Kid-Friendly Fun in Medfield

Hinkley Swim Pond on Green Street:

Five-year-old Jillian Gauch likes to swim – she has spent much of the summer doing “cannonballs” at town-owned Hinkley Swim Pond at 51 Green St.   

“I like to swim fast.  I like all the docks.  I like to meet new friends,” said Jillian.

Her mother, Michelle of Medfield, said she brings her three children (ages 5, 8 and 10) to the pond for swimming lessons and to play with other children.

“The kids love it,” she said.  “There’s always someone to play with and it always seems to be clean.” 

“We usually have at least 50 people on a regular day,” said director Michelle Pound.

The main section of the pond is sloped with depths up to about six feet, said Pound.  The “deep end,” with marked lanes, runs between eight and 10 feet deep. 

Lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day from late June to mid-August but residents are allowed to swim at their own risk until dark. 

The cost is $5 per day per person for residents, or seasonal passes are available for $75 per family. Non-residents are welcome but pay higher rates.

Red Cross swim lessons are offered in one-week sessions during the summer. There is also a swim team. The pond is also enjoyed by the Pfaff Summer Day Camp program.

Hinkley Park also features a volleyball area, swing sets, a picnic area and a snack bar.

The town drains the pond each year and monitors clarity and algae levels all summer. 

For more information, stop by the pond, call (508) 359-4003, or visit www.town.medfield.net.

Medfield Library's Children's Room:

Over 300 children are involved in this summer’s reading program entitled “One World, Many Stories” at the Medfield Public Library.

The reward-based reading event – featuring free books and gift certificates to Friendly’s – runs from June 25 through Aug. 24 and is designed to keep children interested in reading (and the library) during the summer. The program is also supported by the Boston Bruins.

There is also a weekly estimation jar for which the best guess wins a $10 gift certificate to .

“We also offer crafts in the Children’s Room from 2 to 5 p.m. every week day,” said Children’s Librarian Ann Russo. “We have two [drop-in] crafts each week from different cultures; right now we have an Hispanic tissue paper flower … past crafts included animal cracker jungle scenes and Russian nesting dolls."

Upcoming programs include ongoing story times with snack/picnic lunch near the gazebo, an origami workshop on July 27, storyteller Kurt Jackson on Aug. 9, and author and storyteller Mark Binder on Aug. 24.

Families are also encouraged to take advantage of the library’s museum pass program in which cardholders can receive discounted or free tickets to local attractions such as Rocky Woods, the Massachusetts State Park system, Battleship Cove, Boston Children’s Museum, Museum of Science, Museum of Fine Arts, Mystic Aquarium, and more. Tickets should be reserved in advance.

Summer hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The library is closed on Sundays during the summer.

For more information, visit the library, call (508) 359-4544 or visithttp://www.medfieldpubliclibrary.org/

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