logo

Recreation offers free park activities for grade-schoolers

City News June 2, 2025
Children play on a slip and slide with water spraying around them on a grassy lawn, with houses and trees visible in the background.

The Albert Lea Recreation Department will bring fun to neighborhood parks this summer, starting Monday, June 2. Free activities will be available for children who have completed kindergarten through fifth grade from Monday – Thursday at several parks:

  • Mondays and Wednesdays – Academy Park, 910 Frank Hall Drive; Hawthorne Park, 915 Garfield Ave.; Hayek Park, 1104 W. Main St.; and Lakeview Park, 102 Willamor Road
  • Tuesdays and Thursdays –  Sondergaard Park, 806 17th St.; Valley Park, 611 Sheridan St.; Troy-Hammer, 603 Troy Road; and Lakeview Park, 102 Willamor Road

Children may drop in anytime between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and they may participate in any of the parks listed above.

All park leaders are at least 16 years old and have passed a background check. The Recreation Department encourages parents and caregivers to meet the play park leaders and complete an emergency contact form.

The activities will be available through July 24 with a different theme each week. “Welcome to Summer” will be the opening theme with water activities planned for June 4 and 5.

There will also be a free trip to the Aquatic Center on Thursday, June 24, with buses picking up participants at the following times:

  • Sondergaard Park at noon
  • Valley Park at 12:15 p.m.
  • Troy-Hammer Park at 12:30 pm.

Participants must ride the bus, which will leave the Aquatic Center at 4 p.m. to return to the parks listed above. While there is no fee, participants need to register for the trip. They also need to pack a lunch and beverage for a picnic before swimming and bring a swimsuit, towel and snack money.

In addition to the park activities, the Recreation Department will show the movie “Trolls Band Together” on Friday, June 13, at Edgewater Park Bandshell, 1600 Edgewater Drive, starting at dusk. There is no fee or registration required.

For more information on all these activities, call Recreation at 507-377-4370 or see the Fun Guide, available in English and Spanish.