Good Hope Park and Sprayground
The Equipment
As the sole sprayground operated by Montgomery County Recreation, Good Hope seems like a good idea on a sweltering day. Not far from the White Oak area of Silver Spring, the not flashy concrete sprayground features three poles raining down and a dozen or so jets shooting from the ground — and that’s about it. A short walk on a pathway from the water area leads to a toddler-geared well-shaded playground with one small piece of equipment, two regular and two bucket slides, all above wood chips. It is worth mentioning that Montgomery County does have a splash playground, the South Germantown Splash Playgroundand it is a lot different than this sprayground.
The Scene
It’s barebones but nonetheless the sprayground had my 4-year-old gleefully prancing through the sprays for a while. When he noticed that most of the kids were playing with cups and buckets they’d brought, I scrounged up an empty water bottle so he could catch drops. A short wall lining the spray ground offers seating, though it’s set close enough to get watchers wet. There wasn’t any shade on the water area on our visit but onlookers can score some under nearby trees. A large parking lot right nearby made for easy back and forth. The park includes two basketball courts, two tennis courts, and two baseball fields. There’s a picnic table near the playground, and nearby New Hampshire Avenue has eateries, including Ledo Pizza.
Hours
The sprayground is turned on from 11am to 4pm Monday through Saturday. It tends to open after Montgomery County schools are out and close before they start (2014 dates: June 23 through August 9). Admission is free.
Age Recommendation
1-8 for the sprayground; 1-3 for the playground
Restrooms
The community center has bathrooms and there are port-a potties.
Review and photos by Kathleen Seiler Neary.,
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