The funding, announced at City Hall Friday by Guelph MPP Liz Sandals, is for "park activation," a project aimed at providing and enhancing physical activity for children up to 12 years old in public parks.
"It's about providing recreational opportunities that any child can access," Sandals said.
The program could range from providing interactive building blocks for young children to city staff organizing a game of dodge ball.
"It's an opportunity to learn how to use the park and recreational equipment and to be more active," Sandals said.
Eric Pool, project specialist for the city initiative Energize Guelph that was launched last year, said the money could will be used for imaginative play equipment and to provide park staff to help initialize play activity.
Pool said it's about spontaneous play, "loose park" play and some portable types of play equipment such as imagination blocks, Frisbees and balls.
"Equipment that it takes imagination to put something into," Pool said.
He added that parents also like the fact that city staff are on hand to help organize and oversee the activities.
A pilot project was done last summer. This money will allow the project to increase up to eight parks this summer and 12 next summer.
Activities are programmed six days a week.
Mayor Cam Guthrie applauded the initiative, saying that the project will help 900 children be active in city parks.