By Kim McDarison
Remember those days in school? Sure, learning could be fun, but there was nothing so physically and mentally freeing as recess.
It was the break in the day when everyone could let loose, make friends, organize games and just have fun.
Fort Atkinson Parks and Recreation Department Director Brooke Franseen says you don’t have to be a kid to find value in that break.
“Adulting can be hard,” she said, as she and Josh Crandall, a member of the department’s park caretaking staff, played “Giant Connect Four,” Wednesday afternoon in Jones Park.
Each armed with colored disks, Crandall said the object of the game is to get four in a row before your opponent does.
As the two played, they took stock of their surroundings, thinking together about how they might organize “Adult Recess,” an adults-only program that will be piloted by the Fort Atkinson Parks and Recreation Department Friday, Sept. 23.
If the pilot is a success, Franseen said, the department would consider sponsoring the event again, perhaps annually each spring and fall.
Franseen said the concept for Adult Recess in Fort Atkinson developed after she and her husband attended a similar event in Sun Prairie.
“Everyone was so friendly and it was a nice environment,” she said, adding that she estimated some 150 people participated in the Sun Prairie event.
Further, she said, the city has been working on its Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. In June, the city announced in a news release that the plan under development is the city’s first.
According to information shared by the city in June, the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan helps to maintain the city’s eligibility for state and federal grants.
Also in June, an online survey was presented, which remained open through July 15, according to the June release.
Responses received through the survey indicated that residents were looking for more adult activities, Franseen said Wednesday.
“In Sun Prairie, everyone who attended was involved. I expect more (participants) in Fort because the event’s in Jones Park,” she said, adding that events in the park are typically well-attended.
Additionally, she said, the Generals Baseball Team’s concession stand will be open to provide food and beverages, including such favorites as $1 beer, hotdogs, popcorn, and other fun food that is easy to eat while participating in games.
Restrooms will be available for recess participants.
Franseen noted that several options will be available for Adult Recess gamers, including organized games, such as dodgeball, kickball, spike-ball and Captain of the Flag. For those interested in less strenuous gameplay, opportunities like Giant Connect Four, Giant Jenga, and bags, among others, will be provided.
Another game is “washers,” which Crandall described as a tossing game. The game, which is similar to horse shoes, uses metal washers. The objective is to toss and land the washers in a box or pipe.
“We will also have Glow Disk Golf. The basket will be illuminated,” Franseen said, adding that everyone over the age of 21 is invited to play, and they shouldn’t worry if they forgot the rules to any of the offered games. A laminated instruction sheet will be provided with each game choice, she said.
While there is a charge associated with concessions, playing the games is free.
Franseen said there will be a lot of different games, offering opportunities for everyone to find something fun to do.
“It’s recess, so for organized games, we will pick a captain and have guy-girl,” which, she said, is how teams will be selected.
“Just like recess, you have to pick a guy and a girl, so one team can’t be all guys. It’s like how it was back in school at recess,” she said.
The idea is to create a fun atmosphere, so games will not be so competitive. They are more for fun, she added.
Franseen said the idea of playing games like a kid appealed to her and her husband, which is why, she said, they chose to check out Sun Prairie’s event.
But, she said, she is sure she and her husband are not alone. Pointing to the Giant Connect Four game, she said: “We took this to the Farmers Market and adults asked if they could play. We said come to Adult Recess and you won’t even have to ask.”
Franseen said the Adult Recess will take place in Jones Park, located on Milo Street, Fort Atkinson, from 6 to 9 p.m.
“It’s at night so people can get home from work, get their babysitter settled and come out and have fun,” she said.
Upon arrival, participants will be asked to stop at a “welcome table,” where their IDs will be checked, and they will be given a wristband. Participants also will be asked to sign a Parks and Recreation Department waiver, Franseen said.
A list of games available for play also will be available at the table.
Five staff members from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department will be on hand to help run the event, which, Franseen said, “will be low key.”
Franseen said she anticipates that sunset will occur around 7 to 7:30 p.m., but games will continue under park lights. In the event of rain, the recess will be canceled.
On Wednesday, after their friendly face-off, Crandall won the game of Giant Connect Four. Franseen congratulated him on his victory and the two worked together to put the game pieces back in the box.
Perhaps there will be an opportunity for a rematch on Friday, Sept. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m., when the game will once again be available for adults to play in Jones Park.
Fort Atkinson Parks and Recreation park caretaking staff member Josh Crandall, at left, and Parks and Recreation Department Director Brooke Franseen play Giant Connect Four Wednesday in Jones Park. The game is one of many that will be offered during “Adult Recess,” a new adults-only program offered by the Fort Atkinson Parks and Recreation Department. The event, which is free and available to participants 21 and older, will be held Friday, Sept. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m. in Jones Park. Kim McDarison photo.
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