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This summer, the Des Moines Park and Recreation Department is bringing the fun of the park to neighborhoods without easy access to one.
The city’s Park-N-Play program launched in March. The program brings parks and recreation staff to neighborhoods in a van filled with games and crafts for up to two hours, giving kids and families a chance to join in the fun.
“The city’s goal is to provide equitable access to parks and recreational programming here in Des Moines, and the Park-N-Play program is just the evolution of ensuring everyone has access to recreational activities,” said Des Moines Parks and Recreation Supervisor Amarre Negussie.
Park-N-Play is a free program for the public, and no sign-ups are required. Negussie said the idea for the Park-N-Play program dates back to 2023, when Park and Recreation staff analyzed ParkServe data from the Trust for Public Land.
“[ParkServe data] can show you what parks are within a 10-minute walk from any neighborhood or street in the city, and you can also see the income and single-family home demographics of the area as well,” he said. “The data showed us a lot of areas in Des Moines that did not have a park within a 10-minute walk.”
The goal of Park-N-Play is to focus on these areas first, but he said he wants to take the van “any and everywhere” in Des Moines to bring recreation to the people. Since the program’s launch, more than 500 people have attended a Park-N-Play session, according to Negussie.
“What we hear a lot from people is ‘We’re glad you’re finally in our area,” he said. “People have been very happy with the program, especially since we’re in areas that haven’t traditionally been offered recreational programming.”
The van was purchased through a $60,000 donation from the Friends of Des Moines Parks, a nonprofit organization that fundraises for Des Moines Parks and Recreation. The program received another $20,000 from the Trust for Public Land for the games and activities stored in the van.
What activities and games are featured in Des Moines’ Park-N-Play van?
The van features sports equipment including basketballs, footballs, jump ropes and hula hoops. There are also crafts like bracelet making and painting.
“Some of the more popular activities for the kids have been the bags boards, giant Lego sets and a giant inflatable dartboard,” he said. “We’re having a lot of success so far with the kids, and we’ve probably used one-fourth of what we have available.”
Starting in the summer, Park-N-Play will also incorporate weekly themes like sports, arts and superheroes. For example, during nature week, parks and recreation staff will work with kids to identify plants and create art based on nature.
What is the schedule for Des Moines’ Park-N-Play?
Here is the spring schedule for Park-N-Play that lasts until May 17. All sessions are from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Monday: Willard Elementary, 2941 Dean Ave.
- Tuesday: Park Avenue Elementary, 3141 S.W. Ninth St.
- Thursday: Cattell Elementary, 3101 E. 12th St.
- Friday: Sheridan Park, 4000 Hull Ave.
- Saturday: Rotating (Redhead, Belle Turner, Cheatom and Edna Griffin parks)
The Park-N-Play’s summer schedule runs from June 9 to August 23. During the summer schedule, the program will host two sessions per day — a morning one from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and an afternoon one from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Monday: Redhead Park (mornings), 1700 Dean Ave. and Willard Elementary (afternoons), 2941 Dean Ave.
- Tuesday: South Union Elementary (mornings), 4201 S. Union St. and Park Avenue Elementary (afternoons), 3141 S.W. Ninth St.
- Wednesday: Belle Turner Park (mornings), 800 Jerlynn Ave. and Cattell Elementary (afternoons), 3101 E. 12th St.
- Thursday: Sheridan Park (mornings), 4000 Hull Ave. and Ruby Van Meter Park (afternoons) 710 28th St.
- Friday: No morning session. Rendezvous at Riverview Park (afternoons), 710 Corning Ave.
- Saturday: Cheatom Park (mornings), 1100 Day St. and Edna Griffin Park (afternoons), 1613 13th St.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
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