It was a beautiful July evening in 2011 when my wife and I took our daughters and visiting nephews over to the Sag Harbor Elementary School playground for some exercise. The playground was getting old – the slides were a dented aging metal, the ground consisted of cigarette-laden sand, the swing set had rusted chains – but the grounds were still very functional and the children enjoyed their time there. In retrospect, it was not a space in dire need of renovation.
After bidding farewell to our visiting family that night, we drove by the elementary school the next day where each of the passengers did a double-take and said, “Wow, look what happened to the playground.” The play area of the elementary school was fenced off with orange construction dividers, there was a pay loader parked on the grass, and large signs declaring the playground was closed. I immediately thought, “Good thing we didn’t try to walk over to the playground tonight.”
For a few weeks there was uncertainty as to what was going on with the space – there’s no way an elementary school could eliminate the playground, right? There were also rumors that some snobby residents were complaining about children returning home and dragging playground sand onto the homeowner’s fancy wood floors (the old playground had sand under all of the playground equipment and swings).
No matter the actual reasoning behind the reconstruction, the result is a brand new, rubber-floored, modern playground with various new features and a new layout and design. The main playground structure contains 3 slides, a fireman’s pole, and rock climbing wall. Attached to the slide structure is a complex of numerous monkey bars and intricate mazes with rope-suspended balance platforms.
Outside the immediate playground area there is well-manicured grass, which may not withstand the beating it receives from the children, but adds a little color to the landscape. Extended off the grassy field is a specially-designed hill with two slides embedded into the side of the slope. Kids can run up the hill and slide down – a clever touch. The swings are back, just in a different location (parallel with 114) with an updated look and contained by a box with wood chips.
Since autumn our family has thoroughly enjoyed the new playground and the bizarrely mild winter has provided us with even more days to take advantage of the new facility. Since Mashashimuet playground is continuing to deteriorate (they recently removed the old wooden train from the grounds) and has shown no signs of improving, the Elementary School is your best bet for an outdoor playground in Sag Harbor.
