No, the kids climbing all over the yellow and orange equipment and futzing around in a sandbox in the small, fenced structure on Powder House Boulevard are not Tufts students indulging in the latest trendy piece of ironic nostalgia. They are, believe it or not, actual children, utilizing the Tot Lot, a little−known feature of the Medford−Somerville campus for more than 30 years.
The Tot Lot was originally conceived in partnership with the city of Somerville and the Tufts administration based on ideas "from a couple of different directions," Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel said. "First, we have open space on campus, and Somerville is a very densely populated city. Second, we have children's programs and we have other Tot Lots for the [Tufts Educational] Daycare Center and the Elliot−Pearson School, and it wasn't too far a leap for the community to think that we could provide one to residents as well."
The city of Somerville, led by then−Mayor Eugene C. Brune, approached the university around 1975, according to Rubel, to create the play structure and struck an agreement in which Tufts would provide the land for the lot and the city would bankroll the construction and the initial equipment.
Local parent Jennifer Flint frequently takes her children to the Tot Lot, and its connection to Tufts is one of the main reasons why. "My husband went to Tufts, and at one point he lived in [South Hall]. He had a window facing the playground and knew the sound of the swings pretty well. I have a couple of babysitters who go to Tufts who bring the kids here — at least one of them didn't know about this place until I asked them to bring the kids here," Flint said.
The Tot Lot is a prime model of the fulfillment of the Office of Community Relations' responsibilities, according to Rubel.
"We are here to be a bridge between the campus and its host communities," Rubel said. "It would be irresponsible not to be engaged with our neighbors. Our job, one of our missions, is to help the community see the university as a resource. Not everything here is available as a resource, but a lot is, and we want the community to be aware of that and to take advantage of that.
"The Tot Lot is here for neighbors and their families," she added.
Another duty of the Office of Community Relations is to foster relationships between the university and the municipal governments of Medford and Somerville, an effort that Rubel appreciated when the Tot Lot required renovation in late 1990. "We do a lot of business with the cities. We need permits to operate our dormitories, for example, and we rely on them being willing to work with us when things like that come up, and you have to really have a relationship," she said.
A small group of Somerville parents approached the university after noticing that "some of the stuff in the Tot Lot at the time was out of date," Rubel said.
"There have been sort of trends in playground development, and they wanted a change." The asphalt and concrete surface of the playground was replaced with sand and grass, and much of the wooden equipment was replaced with plastic−coated metal.
"For a while, climbing structures everywhere were being built out of press−treated wood," according to Rubel. "After a few years, that fell out of favor because the treatment apparently was not really something you wanted your children climbing on."
Students walking to and from Davis Square can often see toddlers and their guardians in the Tot Lot, but Rubel said that no official record or tally is kept of exact usage figures. "We haven't kept track of anything like that," Rubel said. "My office is not anywhere near there."
Instead, Rubel relies on Somerville residents and people who utilize the Tot Lot for information about potential hazards or complaints. "Neighbors have kept an eye on it for us," Rubel said. For example, "there were people bringing dogs there, so we were informed of that, and now there is a sign that says that no dogs are allowed because we are concerned about keeping the sandbox as sanitary as possible." Tufts maintenance workers also clean the lot on a regular basis.
Somerville parent Jack Coughlin remembers a recent improvement made to the Tot Lot. "They put the wood chips in pretty recently — before that one of my neighbors nicknamed [the Tot Lot] the Sahara; if it was a windy day, you'd get blasted by sand," Coughlin said.
Use of the lot ebbs and flows, according to Rubel. "I know that [Clarendon Hill Church] on the corner of Curtis and Powder House brings kids there, but it just depends on when there are families living on Powder House," Rubel said. "People have kids, and then the kids grow up and obviously they don't use the Tot Lot anymore, so if there is a slow period you just have to wait for the next wave of young families to move in."
Though crime has not been infrequent on Powder House Boulevard in the past, Rubel said that she is not concerned about the safety of the Tot Lot. "I'm not aware of any reported crime on the actual lot. In fact, every once in a while when I go by I see a lot of toys on the ground, so obviously people feel comfortable enough to leave toys there and not fear that they're going to be gone." The lot is also entirely enclosed by a fence.
"The students used to put plastic pails and shovels on the side of [South Hall] for the kids, but they don't any more. There's still two of whatever — pails, shovels — in the sandbox," Coughlin added.
Rubel said that the Office of Community Relations doesn't specifically target children in its efforts to engage with the community at large. "It's about families," Rubel said.
Michelle Strong is one of those local parents who has found the Tot Lot to be a great place to bring her kids. "This is the closest [playground] to my house, and it's the safest for my kids. I have a five−year−old and a one−and−a−half−year−old, and there's stuff for both of them. The sandbox is her favorite, and my son just likes to run anywhere. [The Tot Lot has] been here since I was a kid; I never realized it was Tufts' until recently. I've been coming here since I was my daughter's age. It's definitely calmer and safer here than a lot of other colleges," Strong said.
Other endeavors by the Office of Community Relations to foster relationships with Medford and Somerville families include Kids' Day, run by the Leonard Carmichael Society for 46 years. "That's a very important event in terms of the university's relationship with the community, and we help LCS in any way we can," Rubel said. "There are folks who bring their kids to Kids' Day, and the parents came to Kids' Day themselves when they were young. Multiple generations — it's pretty amazing when you think about it." Alexa Sasanow contributed reporting to this article.
