Hempstead Town adds kickball to free summer youth recreation program

Hempstead Town folded kickball into a free summer recreation program that was scheduled from Monday, July 6, through Friday, August 7, at several town parks for children ages 5 to 14. The lineup also included arts and crafts, street hockey, tennis, capture the flag, wiffleball and other outdoor activities, giving the summer calendar a mix of team play and low-cost recreation.

The program sat inside the Town of Hempstead Department of Parks & Recreation, which describes itself as one of the largest municipal parks systems in the nation. Its youth-programs page places the summer park activities within a broader set of arts, sports and special-event offerings for town residents, with kickball serving as one of the simplest entries on the menu.

That simplicity was the point. Kickball needs little equipment, is easy to explain to younger players and can be adjusted across a wide age range, which makes it a natural fit for a town program built around participation rather than pressure. For families looking for structure during the middle of summer, the game offered a familiar team setting without the costs or travel tied to club sports.

The town’s approach also stretched beyond a single day or one-off clinic. The schedule covered five weeks, so children could move in and out of the program as family calendars allowed, and different parks could draw different groups on different days. That gave kickball a role as part of a recurring recreation network rather than an isolated event.

Parents seeking details could turn to the town’s recreational youth programs contact, Lonnie Werner, at 516-292-9000 ext. 7544 or Lonnwer@hempsteadny.gov. The town also said a full Summer 2026 schedule was available through its Summer Activities Brochure and online registration system, which laid out event and class details for the season.