Park and Play : * Every week, a city mobile unit visits neighborhoods to get kids involved in soccer, relay races, crafts and all sorts of fun and games.

Each Monday afternoon, the children of East Newhall don’t have to go to the park. The park comes to them.

Because the area has no play grounds nearby, the Santa Clarita Parks and Recreation Department’s Parkmobile, a staffed mobile unit providing equipment, games and activities, makes a weekly trip to the neighborhood. A group of 25 to 30 children usually flock to the white truck.

In a dirt lot blocked off in the Newhall neighborhood, smaller children play with toys in one corner, while another group of older boys plays soccer in an open area. At a table set up by Parkmobile staff, a crowd of boys and girls string beads to make necklaces that they can keep.

Noe Reyes, 12, of Newhall said he comes to the Parkmobile sessions every Monday.

“I like to do a lot of the projects,” he said. “I get to talk to people I’ve never met and become friends. The older people on staff can help you with different problems. It’s nice of them to come out here, because a lot of kids’ parents can’t take them anywhere else.”

The Parkmobile provides not only soccer but such activities as hockey, foursquare, relay races, football throwing and jump rope, along with crafts and games. It visits areas in Saugus, Canyon Country and Valencia from 3 to 5 p.m. every weekday for a month. It has been visiting the East Newhall location each week for about four years.

Grisel Hernandez, 8, of Newhall said she enjoys the Parkmobile’s art projects. “I want to be an artist. We get to paint, color, and make beaded necklaces and rings.”

Fermin Guerra, 13, said his favorite Parkmobile activity is soccer.

“I get a chance to run and get good practice,” he said.

The Parkmobile is usually staffed with three to five people who supervise the activities and trouble-shoot any potential safety problems.

Staff member Rory Maus, who has worked with the program for the last three years, said: “It’s different from a normal job. The kids make it fun. It’s never the same every time.”

Community members request Parkmobile services by writing or calling the Parks and Recreation Department and submitting an application. It takes two to three months to fulfill a request.

The site must meet certain guidelines besides being beyond an easy walk from a local park. For example, the site must be within Santa Clarita city limits and on a flat street with minimal traffic (ideally, a cul-de-sac).

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It must have the potential to attract 15 or more children, and not be connected to any private roads, block any construction sites, or be covered by sand, gravel or dangerous debris. All residents on a cul-de-sac or block must agree to allow the Parkmobile on the street.

Debbie Robertson, a Canyon Country resident, said she contacts the Parks and Recreation Department frequently to request the Parkmobile for her two children, ages 6 and 7, and other youngsters in the neighborhood. She said the turnout is large.

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“It’s great for the kids. They really enjoy it, and it’s something they look forward to,” Robertson said. “I’m happy I found out about it.”

The Parkmobile parks in front of Robertson’s house, a convenient location for the children, and its staff can use the home’s electrical outlets for certain projects.

“Any way I can help them out, I’ll do it,” she said.

Robertson, who grew up in Maine, said, “Out here on the West Coast, I’m afraid to let my children out to play in the front yard. (But) when they are participating in the Parkmobile, I feel like it’s safe for them.”

The Parkmobile program began in 1990 after several years of planning, said Jonathan Skinner, who headed the program last year.

The idea originated with Lions Club members, who provided a donation to purchase the van and recreational equipment, Skinner said.

In addition to making its weekly visits, the Parkmobile offers special events, such as a visit from Santa Claus each Christmas in East Newhall; a Fourth of July party at Newhall Park; a Halloween pumpkin raffle at each site; a child safety fair every spring, jointly sponsored with other groups, at Saugus Speedway; and free dental exams at various churches.

WHERE TO GO

What: Parkmobile visits to Santa Clarita neighborhoods.

Hours: 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Price: Free. Requests to visit specific neighborhoods take two to three months to fill.

Call: Santa Clarita Parks and Recreation Department, (805) 255-4910.