“The program is about providing supervised play for city residents,” Playground Program Supervisor Ryan Zavinski said. “The kids get to be kids — play, make friends, and have fun.”

It is free for city residents ages 7 to 13.

Registered youth can spend a few minutes or all day at the playgrounds. The program runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The average day is spent at Beaty or Lacy playground, but there are exceptions.

City of Warren Playground Program participants (from left) Caroline Curren, Audrey Wurst, and Luci Salvatore go for a spin on the merry-go-round at Beaty Playground on Tuesday.

The program includes regular trips to the CAR Pool.

There are also special events — “science programming by Warren’s 4-H extension, planting with the Warren Garden Club, mountain biking instruction by Rock Solid MTB, and tobacco and vaping education by the Department of Health,” Zavinski said.

Every day, the Warren County School District Summer Lunch Program — which offers free breakfasts and lunches for anyone under the age of 18 — provides lunch for the youth in the playground programs. There are 106 young people signed up. On the average playground day, 10 young people receive their lunches at Lacy and 16 or so walk from Beaty playground to Beaty-Warren Middle School for the meal.

The program started right after the end of the Warren County School District school year and wraps up this week, as all of the playground supervisors — Ellie Lobdell, Rilee Nuhfer, and Paige Rafalski (Beaty) and Kelsey Fadale and Hailey Jenkins (Lacy) — are college students and will be heading back to school.

Zavinski offered his thanks, on behalf of the city program, to the city staff, the playground supervisors and the program donors: Betts Industries, Stapleford & Byham, Stone Consulting, Ed Shultz of Warren, John Anderson Construction, Jones Chevrolet, Howard Hanna Professionals, Superior Tire, Larson Karle, Greenman-Pedersen, Warren Tire Center, Dan & Larina Zimmerman, A&B Heating, and Sheetz.