Someone gave us a top tip about a playground that was great for smaller kids yesterday and we rushed straight over. I feel like we should have a flashing beacon on the top of our car - the 'Must Play Emergency Vehicle' or something. Anyway, if there is an award for Most Adorable Playground, this would be a contender.
Situated at the backside of MacDonald Park, between Simcoe and Niagara, you can enter this enclosed playground from either Montreal St or the alley that runs parallel.
It's a small, sweet park that is obviously well loved because there are lots of toys there, practically still warm from being played with, scattered around. There is actually a sand pit- I haven't seen a sand pit for years and apparently they change the sand frequently enough for it not to be disgusting.
When we visited it was completely empty- happy 'A'- and he got to climb all over everything before demanding that I push him in one of the toddler swings until my arms almost fell off. I had to recover by having a swing in one of the 2 big kid swings which was surprisingly high- my feet didn't touch the ground- which for the record is a woodchip base.
The main structure is fabulous for kids 'A's age. It is the only climbing frame that I have seen where he can use all the features, but that they are still big enough to be a challenge. He was so happy that he could climb up one of the interesting takes on a ladder that he stood at the top clapping and shouting "I did it, I did it!" There are two metal slides of appropriate height, one single and two doubles.
There are grassy areas to plan on, a picnic table and benches. As I said the whole playground is fenced in, so little ones can't escape. We loved this park and will definitely be back. You may ask why it didn't score higher, but in trying to be fair with my nonsensical scoring system, I have to admit that as much as we loved it,. it wouldn't challenge the bigger kids as much as some of the playgrounds around Victoria, plus to use any facilities you'd have a bit of a walk.
We love this park. It's local, friendly, small enough for my 2yr old DS to get up by himself and most importantly ... it's completely fenced (if people would remember to close the gate on their way out!). I only wish they would put more sand in the sandbox. I agree with your review and score. Great park for toddlers.
ReplyDeleteBest park for toddlers in Victoria hands down. This was the first time my partner and I were able to have an adult conversation without being interupted! Our 21 month old was so engrossed in playing with all the push toys, and he loved being able to play on all the equipment without help from Mama and Daddy. The only thing this park needs is a water feature.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in James Bay calls this the "toddler" park. But I've found out it's actually named "Todd" park. How funny is that? And for all those wanting to know ... they filled the sand box!
ReplyDeleteI should be known that there are washrooms available near Todd park... but not awlays - they are seasonal. They are located in the building that faces the James Bay school (across the back laneway), and seem to be open more or less for the various sport teams that use the feild. Also, sometimes, if the sand is running low, we call the parks department to come fill it up. So if it is too low, please call them.
ReplyDeleteWe love this park too, and find that kids age 5 and up can enjoy it as well. Also wanted to note that the washrooms are about 20 feet away, although as someone said I didn't realize they were seasonal? They have been open every time we have needed to use them. I think this is one of my top 5 parks in the entire city.
ReplyDeleteFYI, the city has removed all the toys in the sandbox. They said it was starting to become a liability as broken toys were not being removed by the people leaving them there. Rather sad.
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