EMC Park – 113 Hayden Rowe St., Hopkinton, MA 01748
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On our way back from my oldest son's football game this weekend, we stopped at EMC Park in Hopkinton, MA. I did not expect this! As you turn into the driveway (yes driveway) you are greeted with a GIANT EMC sign and a colorfully painted wooden fence. It looks as though each panel has been painted by different people and each scene is unique. Once you make your way down the driveway it opens up to a very large parking lot that lays center to multiple baseball fields and 2 separate playgrounds.
I quickly took note of the large variety of equipment as my youngest ran over to the wooden rope structure. This area is not fenced-in but is set quite a bit back from the parking lot. It includes multiple options for spinning, climbing, jumping, and more! The playground did a nice job of mixing elements as there were several pieces made from wood and rope and others that were comprised of hard plastic and metal. Brought me right back to when I was a child playing at a playground near my grandparents', the whole place was made of wood and tires but has since been redone to all plastic and metal.
Just beyond the edge of this playground stood a smaller, fenced-in version. Certainly put there to keep larger children and smaller children separate. And to keep your littles from trying to climb on the ropes course which could be dangerous for a newbie. Even though they separated the smaller kids, they definitely did not leave anything out. They too had a swing set and a wooden boat structure for pretend, spring riders, and a structure with slides and climbing options that may be easier for someone in the 1-4 age range.
This playground is completely fenced with a total of 2 gates. There were a few other families with smaller children in this area who also had an older child who was running from playground to playground so the gates were left open but could easily have been closed.
The swing sets here have a total of 7 swings. The set in the younger playground had 2 regular seats and 2 toddler seats whereas the older kids had 2 regular seats and a fun disc swing that my son liked to lay in while I pushed him.
The ground is covered in wooden mulch and had multiple rubber mats that led to and from structures and were placed under areas to help with slipping or padding. Normally this stuff sticks to my son's shoes however with the rain the ground was very wet and spongy so we did not go home with much.
There are SEVERAL places to sit, whether you are here to watch a ball game or your little ones climb, swing, and slide. Options include the several benches that were scattered along the playground, a large pavilion with picnic tables, or smaller tables by the baseball fields. Although I would come on a drier day because the latter had a number of puddles around those.
PLAYGROUND FACTS & RATING:(out of 10)
Parking: 10: Very large open parking lot located down a driveway and away from the road.
Bathrooms: 0: I would have assumed that a park this size and with so many different uses (playground, functions, baseball) would have bathrooms however both my children and I walked through the area and we did not find one.
Safety: 9: This park is far away from the street and is fenced in in certain areas. You can see most of the park with only a few obstructed areas. I gave it a 9 due to the climbing/ropes course and a certain pulley-system in the toddler playground. Your little one would need to be very careful in the ropes area or he/she could fall from very high heights. The pulley-system on the smaller structure was made of a metal chain and when one child is playing, another's fingers could get caught. Overall, I felt like it was a very safe place to bring both my kids.
Cleanliness: 9: The playground was very clean and included multiple trash receptacles. I did see a few pieces of trash including a water bottle and a wrapper but again very clean. The parking lot has large dumpsters to transfer the smaller bins into. The Parks & Rec department does a great job of keeping it clean.
Equipment: 9: This park has so many options for so many different levels of play. Even if this park was jam-packed, no child would be left out.
Overall: 7.4: Great option for larger families with age gaps. Also a fantastic place to host a party (with the towns approval) or baseball tournament.
*This review was completed by one of MacKid Franklin’s Editors.
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