RECREATION STATION COUNSELOR Emma Rose and campers, from left, Jacob Whaley, Vivianne Silva and William Schedin didn’t let frequent temperatures in the 90s stop them from playing basketball this summer. (Dan Tomasello Photo)
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The fun never stopped during Lynnfield Recreation’s summer programs.
Over the course of late June through mid-August, Lynnfield Recreation held a wide variety of different programs to make sure children were having plenty of fun in the sun.
“Lynnfield Recreation is proud to offer a wide range of summer programs that give kids the chance to stay active, make new friends and try something new,” said Recreation Director Jimmy Olsen in an interview with the Villager. “From sports and art to day trips and special events, our goal is to create fun, safe and memorable experiences for every family in the community.”
Olsen noted that Recreation Station featured 318 children participating at Lynnfield Middle School.
“Our Rec Station program was the hub of the season, giving elementary and middle school kids full days of games, activities and themed events,” said Olsen.
Director Nikki Louise Ferullo has been overseeing the Recreation Station program for the past 31 summers.
“Recreation Station went very well and it was a very busy summer,” said Ferullo. “It was a very warm summer. I think all of the kids did great with the heat.”
Recreation Station Chief Fun Officer Michael Wein agreed.
“It was a great summer,” said Wein. “It was very hot, but we had a great crew working the waterslide, crafts to keep kids cool in the shade and we made sure the kids took lots of trips inside to get water. We set up some indoor cooling stations on really hot days. We encouraged the kids to play for 15 minutes and then find a place with shade to relax.”
In addition to the very popular inflatable waterslide that was typically held on Fridays, Wein said children enjoyed making arts and crafts as well as playing basketball, gaga ball and pickleball. He said the most popular game was tennis baseball.
“Tennis baseball is essentially baseball played on a tennis court,” said Wein. “You use a plastic bat and a tennis ball, and the staff turns the court into a baseball diamond. Every morning, they did a three-inning tournament with two games going on at once with four teams. The two winning teams play each other every day for the championship. We had a tournament every day. The teams were picked every morning, and the teams were different every day.”
Olsen said Rec Adventure trips featured the most participants with 656 registrations. Children went on trips to Boda Borg, Canobie Lake Park, Fenway Park, Funtown Splashtown, Kimball Farm and Sky Zone Trampoline Park.
“Kids had the chance to join us on trips to amusement parks, beaches and other destinations, giving them memorable summer adventures with their friends,” said Olsen.
Olsen said Recreation Junior is a program held for incoming kindergartners that is run by two kindergarten teachers and an elementary school paraprofessional.
“Rec Jr. provided a fun and nurturing introduction to camp-style programming,” said Olsen.
Olsen said Lynnfield Recreation also “ran a strong lineup of sports programs,” including a basketball league that featured 51 children participating.
“Our popular basketball league continues to grow every year,” said Olsen.
Lynnfield Recreation held a Junior Golf Program for children between the ages of 8 and 14 who have their own clubs. Olsen said the Beginner Golf Program was for children who are interested in golf but do not have their own clubs. He said the Lynnfield Ladies Golf Clinic was for women age 18 and older.
Olsen said his goal for Lynnfield Recreation’s summer programming was to make sure children had plenty of opportunities to have fun.
“More than anything, I hope the kids walked away with great memories, new friendships and the confidence that comes from trying new things,” said Olsen. “Summer is a special time for kids, and our programs are designed to give them a place to be active, creative and connected to their community. If they ended each day tired, smiling and excited to come back, then we did our job.”
When asked why Ferullo continues overseeing Recreation Station, she had a two-word answer.
“The kids,” said Ferullo. “I love watching the kids play. I enjoy seeing the kids grow up. I hope the kids had a great time, learned how to make their own choices for what they wanted to do because they were not on a schedule and play.”
Wein concurred with Ferullo’s viewpoint.
“I wanted the kids to learn how to be more independent, solve problems, come to the adults when they need to, recognize when they need help and recognize what types of situations they can solve on their own,” said Wein.
Wein, who began working at Recreation Station when he was 14, said he hopes Ferullo will continue leading the program for “another 31 years.”
Olsen, who began working as Recreation director last year, said it has been “exciting to see our summer programs grow each year.”
“The community has really embraced what we’re doing, and that support has allowed us to expand with more trips, sports and specialty programs,” said Olsen. “Our goal has always been to keep offering fresh opportunities while holding onto the traditions families love, and it’s rewarding to know that more and more Lynnfield kids are spending their summers with us.”
Olsen also thanked Lynnfield Recreation’s staff for their hard work this summer.
“Our staff is the heart of Lynnfield Rec’s summer programs,” said Olsen. “They’re the reason kids have such a great experience. From running games to leading trips, they went above and beyond this summer to make sure every child felt included and had fun. We’re lucky to have such a dedicated team.”
With the summer of 2025 officially over, Olsen is gearing up for fall programming.
“We’re really excited about our fall lineup,” said Olsen. “At the middle school, we’ll be running after-school programs every day of the week, including flag football, soccer, a multi-sport program and a game club. We’ve also added new art programs through Heidi Reynolds, along with four golf groups at Reedy Meadow. In addition, we’ll be continuing with some of our popular youth half-day trips, Stock Market Club and Game Club that the community looks forward to each year. It’s shaping up to be a busy and fun season. We also added an extra session of adult basketball and our new adult pickleball clinic. We also have a strong partnership with Lynnfield’s golf courses and offer adult and child clinics with them.”