Ocean County Opens Inclusive Playground at Cattus Island County Park in Toms River

Ocean County officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday to celebrate the opening of a new inclusive playground at Cattus Island County Park, located at 1170 Cattus Island Boulevard.

Ocean County Commissioner Robert Arace, who chairs the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation, joined Commissioners Jennifer Bacchione and Virginia E. Haines, along with County Administrator Michael J. Fiure and Parks & Recreation Director Mary Jane Bavais, to officially open the facility.

The playground is designed to be fully accessible for children of all abilities. It includes ADA-compliant walkways, rubber surfacing, and ground-level play components. A prominent feature of the new space is its slide tower, which uses monochromatic panels to reflect sunlight onto the playground surface, offering a sensory-focused experience. Cattus Island also becomes the only playground in the county parks system to include a dedicated sand play area.

Funding for the $786,698 project was provided through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), enacted in 2021 to support communities recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Ocean County has used ARPA funding to expand accessibility and enhance public spaces across its park system.

The Cattus Island upgrade is part of a larger initiative to improve recreation facilities throughout Ocean County. Recent playground improvements have been completed at Patriots County Park in Jackson, Freedom Field in Little Egg Harbor, Beaver Dam Creek in Point Pleasant, Tip Seaman in Tuckerton, Lake Shenandoah and Ocean County Park in Lakewood, Mill Creek in Berkeley Township, and Eno’s Pond in Lacey Township. A new playground is also planned for the newly acquired Matthews McKinley Park in Lakewood.