Woodchips

Woodchips is an outdoor play area containing a large climbing structure, a water table (with a hose to fill it), a playhouse, and toys such as ride-in cars and toddler basketball hoops. There is also a picnic table and benches. The floor of the “Woodchips” play area presumably used to be covered in woodchips. It now has soft, rubber, outdoor matting but has retained the nickname.

Rules for Woodchips:

1) Keep gates closed and do not block them. They are fire escapes and must be kept free of locks and blockades.
2) Please dispose of any garbage in the trashcans before you leave and replace lids securely.
3) No glass.
4) No dogs.

Guidelines for Parties at Woodchip:

1. Only 1 party can be reserved per day, and parties cannot be reserved on the same day that PAA parties and community-building activities are planned in the outdoor space, e.g. June Ice Cream Social, August Caffeine and Conversation
2. Parties may be reserved for a maximum of 1.5 hours: Mon-Fri  from 6pm- 7:30pm; Sat-Sun 10:30am – 7:30pm
3. Parties held in the outdoor PAA play space must be kept to a maximum of 10 children. If members would like to hold a birthday party or celebration with more guests, we suggest you do so at one of the nearby parks or playgrounds, particularly those with picnic tables and bathrooms:
   1. John Jay Park: FDR drive from East 76-78th Streets: picnic tables, fully-equipped playground, water sprinklers, bathrooms
   2. St. Catherine’s Park: 1st Ave between 67th/68th Streets: picnic tables, fully-equipped playground, water sprinklers, bathrooms
   3. Carl Schurz Park: East End Av To East River, E 84th St To E 90th St: fully-equipped playground, green grass on which to picnic, room to roam or ride scooters / bicycles along the East River, a pair of restrooms.
   4. Arthur Ross Pinetum Playground, Central Park: picnic tables, open space to roam, swings, fairly close to a bathroom.
   5. Billy Johnson Playground, Central Park: East 67th Street and 5th Ave: A picnic table and green grass on which to picnic, giant sandbox and swings, water sprinklers, a giant granite slide, fairly close to a bathroom.
   6. Hecksher Playground, Central Park: 61st-63rd Street, mid park: picnic tables, fully-equipped  playground, water sprinklers, bathrooms, and the bonus of Umpire Rock to climb.
4. PAA members must contact parties@paanyc.org at least 5 days in advance to see if they can reserve a date and time for a birthday party.
5. The outdoor PAA play space must be cleaned up after the party. Families who violate this rule will be fined $200 per offense in accordance with PAA policy.
6. If a family asks to have more than two parties/year in Woodchips, the request will be reviewed by the Board as we want to make sure that Woodchips is available to as many PAA members as possible.
7. Members may not exclude other children from Woodchips during a party, as Woodchips is a shared space for all our children to enjoy.

Filed in: Play Areas