Editor’s Note: Thanks to Maureen for submitting this review of a brand new park in Scotch Plains that includes a water playground!! Maureen will be adding a few more pictures once there is some nicer weather! For her submission Maureen earns 2 passes to IMAGINE THAT!!! Children’s Museum in Florham Park, NJ. If you want to earn tickets to Imagine That!!!, click here to find out more about our Roving Reporter Promotion.
Ponderosa farm (located on 1600 Cooper Road, Scotch Plains NJ) is a beautiful 23-acre park (opened June 2012) has two large playgrounds (one for older kids and one for younger kids). There are swings, rock climbing walls, multiple slides, tunnels and rope climbing sculptures. My three year old loved the big boy playground, climbing up the rock walls and going down the tunnel slides. He walked across the safe and secure rope walk too. My one year old daughter enjoyed the swing but I imagine we will be back very soon for her to explore the little ones playground. This playground is great for one and two year olds and they can feel more secure being away from the big kids. In the middle of all the playgrounds is a large water playground. All of this sits on a very soft and colorful turf.
In addition, there are two soccer/multi-use fields, walking path, picnic tables and public restrooms. The landscaping is beautiful and the windy path into the playground area has beautiful lamp posts.
Tell us about the playground equipment:
Recommended Ages: Great for all ages. One playground for 3-12 year olds and a child playground for 1-3 year olds
Climbing: Rope monument, Rock climbing walls, monkey bars
Playthings: Spinning puzzles, tunnels, farm castles
Slides: Toddler slides
Swings: Big kid, bucket swings and swings for disabled
Parking: Larger parking near the playground area
Picnicking: Picnic tables scattered
Bathrooms: Large indoor bathrooms right next to the playground
Handicap Accessibility: yes
Sports Fields: 2 soccer fields
Walking Paths: Nicely paved walking paths
Other Cool Stuff: water playground
SPRAYGROUND HOURS (from 2013, currently confirming for 2014) 11am-7pm (approximately) according to Union County Parks.
Make a Day of It: Town of Westfield is 1 mile away, walk around town and go shopping, for pizza and ice-cream. It is a very family-friendly town. There is a Trader Joe’s too!
Update- Made a quick video of this newest attraction!
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- Spiderweb/Rope climbing
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- Big Kids Playground
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- Younger Playground
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- Younger Playground
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- Maureen’s Photo of Ponderosa Farm (njplaygrounds.com)
is the water playground restricted to residents only?
The whole playground (including the water part) is open to the public. I wonder when the water will be turned on?
The water is turned on! It is on a motion sensor and shoots up water into spouts (kind of like a sprinkler). My 2 kids, aged 6 and 2 went there today and the kids had so much fun! There is a lot to do and the layout of the park is wonderful. There is a huge grassy area that you could have lunch on a blanket. I will definitely be returning! My kids absolutely loved it!!! 🙂
is there any fee? can you go on weekends?
no fee!!! it’s free. yes weekends too 🙂
Wow this looks great and there’s no fee! Finally a place locally to take our kids on hot days to cool off without going broke.
Thanks for posting this. I will be checking it out soon.
My boss told me about this new park and I am definately going to take my almost 5 and almost 3 year to the park, they will love it.
Went here today with the kids and they all loved it, from the 4 year old up to the 12 year old. Great shady areas to sit and the kids loved the water feature and the playgrounds. I recommend going early in the day, it got very crowded by 2pm.
We visited last weekend, amazing playground…my 5 years old son enjoyed water founatin alot..we will go frequently.If your kid is below 3 then s/he may not enojy it.
We went Saturday and Sunday and we’re praying for sun to go back. My 6,5, and 3 year old love it there. The playground is big enough that kids aren’t on top of each other but small enough they can go explore and you don’t have to constantly be on top of them. Just bring your own chair/blanket because there are a few picnic tables but not many and they are set kind of far back from the playground. Also, remember to bring some money they have many ice cream trucks that pull up and park there.
we went this past saturday and we love it, the good thing about it is free
This is a beautiful park! My only complaint is that there is nothing shading the playground. I went today with my kids and I think I was only there for about 20 minutes. It was so hot! The slides, swings, monkey bars, and everything else was so hot that my kids couldn’t go on them. The only thing they were able to do was walk around and get wet. My 4 year old has autism and was afraid to get wet. All he did was walk around. He wanted to go on the slide and the monkey bars, but I had to keep telling him that he couldn’t. I ended up leaving early because I was afraid that he was going to pass out. If they can do something about shading the playground it will be perfect, but until then I don’t think I’ll be going back.
hours of ponderosa park please
beautiful park. wish it had more shade though. was super hot when we went. i ended up getting wet with my kids, but it was well worth it. will return 4 sure and pack a picnic lunch. swimsuit 4 me next time. lol
THanks for the review! This is the only place where i found good info on this new park, along with pics and accurate info on the spary area.
thanks again!
Really wish someone would understand that playgrounds need shade! Otherwise this park is fabulous.
Anyone have any idea when they will turn the water OFF? I’m hoping to take my son there Labor Day week as the local pools will all be closed.
Are the Sprinklers still on?
Yes, Can anyone tell me when the water is turned off for the summer?
Hi, I would like to know when the sparklers are starting this year and also tell me if we are allowed to arrange kids birthday party, if yes what is the process
The park is open. I called for info on having a party. It is on a 1st come, 1st served basis. No booking, just go early and set up before someone else does. Tents and grills are not allowed.
does anyone know if you would need to get permission or speak to anyone to have a birthday party here?
Janette- I actually called the other day inquiring about having my daughter’s party there. You definitely can, with a few details: There are a few picnic benches that are first come first serve. Now that the park has become so popular, I wouldn’t be suprised if people get there super early to claim them on weekends. If they are taken, you can bring your own tables and chairs. They just don’t allow grills or tents. Only downside I see (besides having to lug tables and chairs) is you probably won’t be in the shade. What little there is, is covering the picnic tables.
How early do you think that you should get their to reserve a covered table?
This is one of the best playgrounds in the area. The only downside is there’s no shade over the playground equipment so it can get very hot on summer days. Fortunately there is the water feature for cooling off and some shade under the trees next to the playground. The picnic tables are in the shade so you can take a lunch break and cool off. There is also an ice cream truck parked at the playground during the summer months. Warning: This playground can get extremely crowded on summer days, especially on the weekends with parties, so keep a close eye on any little ones.
Mara’s Cafe in nearby Fanwood is a great place for lunch, dinner or dessert.
http://marascafe.com/fanwood-new-jersey/
No water today 🙁
They just turned the water on at 12 🙂
Is there any fee for birthday party .
can anyone advise what the parks hours of operation are? ( specifically the sprayground?)
What are the hours for the playground
SPRAYGROUND HOURS (from 2013, currently confirming for 2014) 11am-7pm (approximately). Tonight they were open till 8pm.
No fee for birthday parties – first come first serve for use of the picnic tables. No tents and no grills allowed.
Went today for the first time with a 9m old and a 22m old. The 22m old loved it! The 9m old loved the swings 🙂
Can someone please provide the address to this park?
What the address ?
We would like to come by tomorrow
Thank you
1600 Cooper road scotch plains nj
Are we allowed to have like cotton candy machines,popcorn machines,bouncy house.. It’s actually I bouncy slide with a minature pool…
So today myself,my sister in law, 2year old niece and my two children went to the park. We had lunch then started to gead over to spray pad. While seeimg other kids with their shoes off our kids took theirs off aswell. They walled on to the pad and all started running off of it complainimg it was too hot my niece was historical crying. We walked over to the table to put shoes on when we discovered my the bottom of my nieces feet were severely burned with huge bubbles that formed instantly. It was not like it was an extremely hot day either clouds were in amd out. Being the pad gets that hot to where it burns you there ahould be signs all over stated shoes must be worn at all times. Very disappointed that we could not even spend our day there amd makes me not want to go to amy splash pad for that matter.Now were are at the doctors office to get her burns treated. SIGNS NEED TO BE POSTED this is unacceptable!!!!
I AM THE PARENT OF THE CHILD WHO NOW HAS 1ST AND 2ND DEGREE BURNS ON HER FEET FROM THIS PARK!! WE WENT TODAY THINKING “LET’S DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT”, HAVING NEVER BEEN TO ONE. WE BEGAN OUR DAY TRIP PICNICING IN THE LITTLE SHADED PICNIC AREA, MY CHILD (27 MONTHS) ALONG WITH HER 2 COUSINS (5 AND 6 YEARS OLD) THEN RAN OFF TO PLAY AFTER LUNCH. NOT EVEN 10 SECONDS ONTO THE PLAYGROUND, DID THESE 3 YOUNG KIDS COME RUNNING OFF SCREAMING AND CRYING, COMPLAINING THAT THE GROUND WAS TOO HOT. RUSHING MY CHILD TO A PICNIC BENCH, I THEN NOTICED HER BURNS AND IMMEDIATELY SOUGHT MEDICAL HELP FROM MY DOCTORS, SINCE THERE WAS NOTHING ONSITE. AFTER A TRIP TO THE DOCTORS, PERSCRIPTIONS, SUPPLIES, HURT, TIME, AND A MERE $100, MY 27 MONTH OLD CAN NOW NOT WALK FOR AT LEAST 48 HOURS. TELL ME HOW I AM SUPPOSED TO KEEP A 27 MONTH OLD ON BEDREST, NOT EASY!!!!! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS!! THERE HAS TO BE A RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM BEFORE MORE CHILDREN BECOME HURT!!!!! I EXPECT TO BE NOTIFIED REGARDING THIS MATTER FROM SOMEONE ASAP, AND SOMEONE IMPORTANT, THE MAYOR, PUBLIC SAFTELY, THE TOWN, SOMEONE!!! MY CONTACT EMAIL IS HLOILER828@YAHOO.COM.
Put shoes on your children.
Thank you Amber God bless you please put ahoes on the kids feet. Please dot lwt them close the sprinkles because of apologies and law suit. It is free
Is the sprayground still open? Would like to being. Y son tomorrow, but will be coming from about 35 minutes away. Don’t want to make the trip if it’s been closed or of there are any problems from people with kids with burned feet. Thank you
Dear Admin – please can you email me I would like to talk to someone regarding the ponderosa park – thanks
Just catching up on comments. For point of contact information for the park itself here is the direct link: http://ucnj.org/community/parks-community-renewal/parks-facilities/
For a point of contact, here is the direct link for this County park: http://ucnj.org/community/parks-community-renewal/parks-facilities/
To the best of my knowledge Laura the park is still opened, here is the link to the County page for the park, http://ucnj.org/community/parks-community-renewal/parks-facilities/
Just wanted to note, that it seems common sense to make sure kids have water shoes or even crocs on their feet at parks, besides the heat that could cause blistering, many bacterial and fungal infections can be blamed for bare feet in public facilities where water is involved. My son had a ringworm scare last summer from a local rubber matted park but we make it a point to make sure we are wearing shoes that are water proof and still okay for climbing and playing. These are public parks, not private facilities so they are not subject to the same regulations as private industry. It’s not a bad idea to write the the county park commissioner though and suggest signs be posted warning parents of the dangers of shoeless play.
The days of operation please?
When does the water get turned on its memorial day weekend think this would ve a great idea. Dont want to take the long drive if water isnt on. The link posted above does not work.
Do u have to reserve a picnic area??
Hi is the park open. i cannot find any number to call and check and are they open weekdays. thanks
Hooray, the water is going off!!!!!! Now I can visit the park. I won’t go in the summer b/c of the water part.