Metro Parks’ Summer Playground and Lunch program is putting the final touches on their activity bins for 10 weeks of fun and games in Tacoma parks across the city.
Starting June 24, all children 18 years of age and younger can receive a free sack lunch at 10 different locations Monday through Friday.
The locations offer play equipment and spraygrounds and were selected using data from Tacoma Public Schools to identify areas with higher enrollment in free and reduced lunch programs. Nearly 20 percent of families in Tacoma’s school district reported being food insecure in 2023, a difficulty that compounds when schools are closed and unable to serve weekday breakfast and lunch offerings.
Lunch typically consists of a sandwich on wheat bread or hoagie roll with meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mustard and mayonnaise condiment packets. They also include either a piece of fresh fruit, or fruit cup, and a low-fat milk. Meals are served on a first-come, first-served basis from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and must be eaten on site.
At six of the locations, Metro Parks staff will also provide on-site programming. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., youth are invited to participate in field games, activities and craft projects, no registration needed.
Lunch and Playground Program:
- Franklin Park, 1201 S. Puget Sound Ave
- Manitou Park, 4408 American Lake Blvd
- Northeast Tacoma Playground, 5520 29th St. NE
- South Park, 4851 S. Tacoma Way
- Verlo Playfield, 4321 McKinley Ave
- Wright Park, 501 South I St.
Playground activities are dependent on staffing and may not occur at all locations.
Lunch Only:
- Roosevelt Park, 3601 E Roosevelt Ave
- Salishan Family Investment Center, 1724 East 44th Street
- Titlow Park, 8425 6th Ave
- Wapato Park, 6500 S. Sheridan Ave
Metro Parks’ Summer Playground and Lunch program is supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More information about the program and where to find additional summer meal options can be found online at MetroParksTacoma.org/summer-meals.
Metro Parks Tacoma is an equal opportunity provider.
