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Wasn’t Just Kids

I am very happy to hear that we might be adding a splash pad to Jacobs Beach. When my kids were very young, we lived in New Haven, whose public beachfront park also has a splash pad. Along with other families with kids too young to swim in the ocean (and parents who couldn’t leave those kids to dash off and take a dip), we had a great time playing in it while still enjoying the sun, sand, views, and vibes of the beach.

But it wasn’t just little kids and their parents who enjoyed it; there were often older people and adults with limited mobility cooling off in the splash pad, too. I imagine that here in Guilford, some of our older neighbors might find the terrain at Jacobs Beach, with its uneven sand, slope, and sharp shells, somewhat daunting; maybe a splash pad would allow several generations of residents to enjoy the beach environment without having to either risk a fall or get overheated.

I understand that young kids might be the main target audience for the splash pad, but I hope the designers and users—and maybe even potential detractors—will keep in mind that other ages might enjoy it as well. Who knows? Maybe the splash pad will water the seeds of intergenerational friendships!

Meg Weisberg

Guilford