swings and roundabouts- Victoria

Browning Park Playground- Saanich

2010-10-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

We haven't been this excited about a playground in ages! Every time we drive up Shelbourne Street during the last two years we have looked over towards Browning Park and laughed at the old old little playground hidden in the long grass. I've always meant to visit there, fully expecting to give it a poor quality review as the type of playground where a child might need a tetanus jab. But those who snooze, lose. Because recently I was driving up Shelbourne, glanced over and almost crashed my car in excitement. Because not only was there a brand-spanking-new playground being built, but the entire park, which frankly had been overgrown and nondescript, was dug up and being redeveloped.

Kudos to the CRD and Saanich here because this is part of the Bowker Creek development project and if this part of Bowker Creek turns out as nicely as, or even nicer than the Oak Bay part then it will be a wonderful place for locals. And even in it's current unfinished state, it's looking amazing. Thanksgiving weekend finally gave us the opportunity to visit the playground and let's just say that when we tried to leave the kids kicked up a big fuss!

Located on Shelbourne Street and accessible from there or from either side of Browning St or from the Bowker Creek pathway that runs on the far side of the Creek, this lovely new park has smooth tarmac trails, a basketball court and a fantastic playground. Parking might be available on Browning St, but this is more the type of park that you walk or ride bikes to, and stop off at for a picnic. It looks like there will be nicely landscaped gardens and grassy areas but for now it's a bit of a mess with dirt and diggers- which hold their own attraction for little ones.

The playground has two main climbing structures, a small one for little kids and a big one for the bigger kids. The small one features various climbing options to a low tower and a double metal short straight slide. There is a double big kid, double toddler swing combo, a climbing frame car, a twiddly stem, and a rock feature for climbing over, under and across.

The larger climbing frame is the most exciting part of this playground according to my kids and my now 4 year old 'A' as the best climbing frame ever. It's a treehouse, and if I had my way this would be known as the treehouse playground- which it may well if it doesn't get called the frog park, but that's a different story. The treehouse climbing frame is built into a tree, and features several routes up which include a 'rope ladder', tree stumps, and tree climbing to the clubhouse up top. There is a long straight metal side down. It's beautifully made, fits in to the environment subtly and has great little touches such as a raccoon and squirrel hidden underneath.

So...the frog. Lastly, but not least, there is a giant frog squatting in the middle of the woodchip base in this playground. Oddly enough, my kids steered a clear path around it and my daughter definitely thought it was real. So whatever the local kids end up calling this fantastic playground, my betting is that it'll be between the frog and the treehouse and that the rest of this wonderful park, the creek and the bike trails will be forgotten in the playground excitement!

Community Park Water Playground- Parksville

2010-08-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

Community Park Water Playground in Parksville is right next to the playground in the large, pretty park in the middle of the city's waterfront. Just as eclectic as the playground, the water park has a weird combination of features, though not as diverse as the at the playground.
There are two ways in, past the huge lion drinking fountain, or at the far end, where you can enter normally, or through a tunnel.

There is not a lot to say about this water playground other than it looked a lot of fun and was mobbed by happy children. Mine didn't have their swim stuff with them but were so distracted by the playground that they didn't seem to mind. If you want to know more about the park or facilities check out the review for the sand-based playground next door but in brief, the whole place is pretty well catered for with washrooms, parking, a concession stand and a great view.

Inside the railed off water site there are a collection of older water features, things that spray, squirt and bubble away while you run around screaming. The most popular feature seemed to be a long low water slide, but if you're a thrill seeker you might find it a bit of a let-down. Let's face it, it's for kids!

You could easily spend a day down at Parksville Community Park and between the beach, the water park and the playground there's a lot to offer.

Community Park Playground- Parksville

2010-08-23T11:50:00.001-07:00

We've never been to Parksville before but this weekend we managed to sneak away from Victoria and finally got a chance to check out some of the things that Parksville has to offer. I'm not going to wax lyrical about the beaches and fantastic family friendly places to stay or visit, instead I'm going to do what this blog is all about and talk playgrounds. Well, one in particular- the Parksville Community Park Playground, located right on the water in the centre of town.

This park offers an almost bewildering array of playground equipment and without spending an hour documenting everything with a clipboard and pen I can't possibly list it all. I will, however, give a good overview. If you're thinking of going here and wonder if there is something for your child, I'm pretty sure that there is, although because the playground is more old than new and on a sand base, it's not very accessible and would probably not be ideal for kids in wheelchairs. There are facilities such as washrooms, drinking fountain and a food concession, which I expect are seasonal.

Located in the community park, there are large grassy areas, picnic tables, shady places to sit and the whole park goes right out to the beach and the sea. We have reviewed a few parks with glorious views and this is one of them, although because the playground is set back somewhat it doesn't reap the full benefit of the location so take a few minutes to walk out to the water and take it all in.

The playground equipment is a combination of old and new and looks like they have added to it over the years. Alternatively, they might have gone to a used-playground-convention...if there is such a thing...and bought a surprise bag and then planted it all down in the one park. There are literally restored vintage pieces here. There are a bunch of old metal bouncy things with restoration plaques on them, there are old fashioned diggers, a funky old fashioned merry-go-round and an array of old school metal climbing frames. There are some really interesting pieces here but they almost get lost in the sheer numbers. Mind you, with the number of kids around, it's probably a good thing. Our kids favourite climbing frames were the helicopter and the airplane.

There are some small scale climbing structures for the toddlers, and then there are several bigger ones that would suit all ages, but especially big kids. There is a multi plastic tubed slide feature that seemed to be the most popular and there is also a huge long continuous play style structure on the far side away form the parking behind the zip slide. Because, of course, there's a zip slide there too. Oh, and did I mention the water park? This large long climbing frame is a really good one for kids who like to climb because it offers a number of different climbing options to get from one end to the other, starting with low ramps and ending with a weird sort of climbing web hanging basket that I saw a few kids attempt but everyone gave up, not quite sure how to approach it.

There is too much to review the water playground in here so follow the links for more about that. In fact, there's so much here that I will leave the photos to speak for themselves. This playground is not the most glamorous around but it's got a lot to offer, especially when you figure in all the facilities around.

Cordova Bay Road Playground- Saanich

2010-08-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

I have no idea if this playground actually has a proper name, so I'm calling it Cordova Bay Road Playground. It'll come as a surprise then, that it's a tiny little playground perched on the edge of Cordova Bay Road between the road and the beach. We have driven past this little park many times but have never managed to stop and so it was exciting to finally visit it. Good things come in small packages!

There is roadside parking and a wall which protects playground users from harm and the playground itself is surrounded by trees which provide some shade. If you peek through the trees you can see down to the sandy beach or out across the sea in one of BC's stunning scenic drive views.

On a base of gravelly sand, the playground has a small climbing structure, a climbing frame car and a swing set with a toddler swing and a big kid swing. The climbing structure is a sweet thing with steps, a short metal slide, an alphabet climbing wall feature and underneath it has an ice-cream style serving hatch. I took a photo through it but the light was too bright to capture the amazing sea view. They should trim the trees in line with the hatch so that anyone bored of pretending to serve ice-cream can sit back and admire the view.

There is a picnic table and bench here, some grass, some shade and of course, if this place isn't the challenge that your kids need, there is a path down to the beach. This playground is an adorable little pit-stop!

Majestic Park Playground- Saanich

2010-06-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

So we were cruising around today in an area that doesn't seem to have a huge number of playgrounds and just as I made some off-hand comment saying just that, we drove right by Majestic Park Playground. You can find the park on Majestic which can be accessed from Shelbourne or Ash in Saanich.

With parking places right along the road, Majestic Park is very well equipped for its size. There are washrooms, a tennis court, a baseball diamond and lots of picnic tables. There are some benches around too and whereas there is no shade actually at the playground, there are shady places nearby where you could set up camp under a tree.

On gravelly sand, the playground is well equipped though slightly older and worn. The main big kid structure is the type that you see all over Victoria, with metal bars and a bright curly plastic slide. There are lots of ways to climb up, an arched ladder, a normal ladder and tires, and the structure is made up of several climbing platforms. There are two slides, a double straight metal slide and a higher curly plastic one. In this part of the playground there are also an old school metal seesaw and a digging machine.

As well as this larger structure, there is also a double big-kid, double toddler swing set and then there is a smaller play area across the path. This is of a different style and has a low climbing structure with a ramp, a couple of climbing platforms, an activity feature and a toddler appropriate slide. This isn't however a structure that I could leave my toddler on by herself because the top platform- rather curiously- has an entire edge open, so no rest for toddler parents here!
There was also a climbing thing- not sure what it was meant to be- perhaps a big climbing worm, but my 3.5 year old son loved it- till he got stuck. No rest for bigger kid parents either!

All is all this is a good little place to stop. It's not the best playground ever but the package of everything at the park makes it an easy place to play. Oh, and it's got a bus stop right out the front by the parking for easy access.

Paradise Park Playground- Esquimalt, Victoria

2010-04-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Paradise Park playground is tucked into a small fanced park on Paradise Street between Lyall and Head. AND, it's really a toddler playground. It's older and a little worn and not very glamourous but our 1.5 year old LOVES it.

There is one main oversized plastic climbing structure with three slides. There are tiny little swings that look like they've been leftover from the 70's- one toddler and one big kid and then there are a selection of bouncy things, an old fashioned digger machine and a tunnel. I forgot to check if the calling tubes work, but there's a set of them too.

On a sandy base, this playground is safe, small and has benches for resting parents to relax on. There are no facilities or shade and the parking is street parking. There is come grass to play on too. If you want to go somewhere low-risk where your little ones can have fun, this is a great playground and it's popular for an out-of-the-way spot too- I had to return twice before I could get a photo without kids everywhere. If you want to make a day of it, the end of Paradise Street hits Head right where the West Bay Waterway path runs and so you can walk or bike along that for scenic views and sightings of birds, boat planes and if you're lucky, maybe a ship or two!

Fisherman's Wharf Park- Victoria

2010-04-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

Fisherman's Wharf Park is the big piece of plain grass behind the Fisherman's Wharf carpark. Or I should say WAS. Because there are plans underway to extensively improve this area and change it from something completely nondescript to something rather beautiful. And they have started with the playground.

On first approach, you can't quite tell if the playground is finished or not, but after our play there I'm under the impression that it's done, but the landscaping is yet to be done. At any rate, the playground was covered with children and adults playing together so we charged right in. 'Charged' is definitely the correct word because 'A's love of ramps meant that he could run all the way down from the road right up to the top of the slide. I don't know why there are not more slides like this one, built onto the side of the hill. They are clever because it completely removes any fear of heights that anyone might have, and also in this case they have covered the area underneath the slide- and to the sides- with grippy rubber surfacing which enable the kids to run up the hill next to the slide easily. We all know how much kids like running up slides and this little feature means that they can do this without doing it- if you see what I mean?

So the playground is spread over a nice large area and has a pyramid climbing feature right in the middle. There are two bouncy things- in fact they are the bounciest bouncy things I have met yet and I had a moment when I thought that 'A' might pling off into the stratosphere.

The other two features of this playground are a fake rock climbing arch and a big wooden ship hull. There is a woodchip base and nice paths around with mosaic features. There are lots of seating areas and picnic tables and there will be shade once the trees grow a little. Oh, and there's a good view. If you don't know this area it's such a treat for kids because there is so much to see and do. We played for a while and then walked across the carpark to the wharf where we saw the resident seals, watched seaplanes take off then we caught a water taxi to downtown. I look forward to seeing how this playground and the whole park develops over time because it's a good start.

'A' liked it so much that he begged to go back soon, something he wasn't old enough to do last year but it's cool that he can now express his opinion. Just as we were leaving the playground he took one last run at the slide, and unlike all the other kids he decided to run up the metal rather than the grippy rubber- showing me that old kid habits die hard.

Willows School Playground #1- Victoria

2010-03-09T22:07:00.001-08:00

Willows School in Oak Bay is not only in a lovely part of Victoria, near the beautiful Willows Beach, near Esteban Village (with every parent's favourite Crumsby's), but it also seems to have three playgrounds! The equipment was pretty popular when we stopped by so we decided to pick them off one at a time and will use our return visit as a chance to eat cupcakes at Crumsby's.

So Willows School playground #1 is a typical school playground with lots to climb, hang from and burn off excess energy, and with not a lot of frills. Unlike many typical school playgrounds this one seems to be well thought out and built on the continuous play type model- meaning that kids old enough to use all the climbing equipment can climb, hang, balance and step their way round the whole structure in a circle.

There are too many climbing options here to list, many of them that are realistically only for the bigger kids. However, there are steps up to the main climbing tower, which has a bridge and a high metal wavy straight slide. On a woodchip base, this playground would probably not wow anyone and is limited for the little ones but it would definitely provide a good challenge for those that like climbing structures. There are no facilities but there is lots of grass and you can park in one of the many streets or back roads that surround the school.

And at risk of sounding like I am on their payroll- when I am not- don't go visiting without stopping by Crumsby's in Esteban Village!

Hyacinth Park Playground- Saanich

2010-03-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

We got a hot tip this week to go to Hyacinth Park Playground which is in Hyacinth Park on Marigold in Saanich. We drove around a bit before discovering that the best way to get access to the playground is to take Hyacinth Ave, which is a 'no-through-road' that runs off of Interurban. It has a nice little parking area and is right next to the playground.

Well, the hot tip paid off as this is a great playground. Hyacinth Park is pretty big with sports fields and there is a building there which may or may not have washrooms- we didn't make it over to that side. There are walking trails behind the playground that run onto Panama Flats and they definitely looked tempting had we more time to explore.

On a bed of gravelly sand, the playground has something for everyone. There is a climbing frame car, a double 'duck' seesaw, a double toddler/double big kid swing set, a bouncy thing and two climbing structures.

The smaller structure has steps up to a low climbing tower and a nice double width metal straight slide down. There are a couple of different climbing options to get up. The bigger climbing structure has a good range of things to climb up including hanging mushrooms and an elevated ladder to hang from. There are steps, parallel bars and a nice arched bridge in the middle- always a hit with little ones. There is a low double width straight metal slide and a high climbing tower with a curly metal slide.

This is a great playground in a great location. Lots of grass, trees for shade and multiple picnic tables.

Nicklaus Drive Playground- Bear Mountain, Langford

2010-03-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the playground on Nicklaus Drive up on the Bear Mountain resort wins the prize for highest playground in the area- feel free to challenge me on that one!

The playground is a nice one tucked onto one of the highest roads on the resort and according to a resident that we talked to, the only playground on Bear Mountain. This is surprising on two fronts, 1- because it's a massive development with many young families who would appreaciate a good playground and 2- because Nicklaus Drive is so high. With weather the way that it is around here it would make sense to me to have the one and only playground as accessible to as many as possible and this one is high up and if you drive from the entrance of the resort to the centre, you will not pass it.

There....finished that rant. The playground itself okay but not great, though I am sure that any parent would be happy with their child playing there. It features two small climbing structures, a small tower with a low plastic slide and a higher metal climbing tower that has a few good climbing options for the bigger kids.

The playground is set on gravel and there are two twiddly stem things a bouncy thing and a pudding basin. There is a swing set with one toddler swing and one big kid swing and there are benches, a good path around and you can park easily on the road. There are no other facilities, but this is a residential playground so that's normal.

The equipment, the location and the surroundings to this playground are all good, my only issue is that if this is the only playground in this new, profitable development, then it could be so much bigger and better.

Cecelia Park Playground- Victoria

2010-02-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

On Cecelia Road between Jutland and Manchester there is a square of grass with a rather good playground on it. We've never noticed it before which got me thinking that I only ever go down Jutland, not up it- yes folks, that's about how exciting my brain is today! Anyway, after I'd noticed it there in all it's unmissable primary colour glory, we had to return for a play and test out the equipment.

On a bed of woodchips, this new playground is in great condition and offers a thorough play experience for the kids. There are two separate structures, a lower, more accessible one for smaller children and a bigger more challenging one for the big kids. The smaller one has stairs up to the platform as well as a couple of climbing options such as a chain ladder wall and one of those things that looks like a giant pogo-stick on steroids! Although this structure is more accessible, it's not super-low, so smaller kids would definitely need some help though they would really enjoy the short straight metal slide on the way down.

The bigger structure is a spindly-looking affair with a ton of different climbing options to challenge bigger children. This one has a high straight metal slide- one of the higher ones around town which went really fast when I tried it out. What? I know adults are not meant to test the equipment but it was too high for my little 'A' so someone had to try it!

Finishing off this nice playground is the usual double big-kid, double toddler swing sets and a picnic table. There are benches and grassy areas to run around or picnic on. There are not other facilities and street parking is limited but possible. If you're passing, check this playground out- seems like a good once especially for older kids.

How Wee Travel Saved my weekend

2010-02-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

I am about to digress slightly away from my normal beaten track here, but I feel the need to babble on about my weekend.

A while ago I agreed to house sit for my folks, who live near to us here in Victoria, but it was Thursday before something of critical importance dawned on me. Our 1.3 year old daughter ‘S’ isn’t famed for her sleeping skills at the best of times but recently she has taken a serious dislike to her pack and play, which is what she has to sleep in when we go anywhere. So here were my choices for the weekend:

• Put her in the pack and play and have her moan, screech and flap about unhappily all night
• Have her sleep with us, which would mean no sleep plus a good kicking, scratching and screeching for my husband and I
• Unscrew her crib- which is no easy feat- and reassemble it up at my parents’ house

I was starting to panic when a friend suggested Wee Travel. A bit of handy googling and I ended up at http://weetravel.ca/ where, to my delight, I saw that I could rent a crib. A beautiful, pristine folding FULL size crib. I got in touch immediately.
Less then 48 hours later I stood amazed at my parents house as I watched ‘S’ snoring away peacefully. No complaints, no fuss, no painful assembly. She slept all night. Anyone who has had two children within three years knows the precious sanctity of a decent nights sleep, so for that, Wee Travel, I owe you my weekend!

Launched in Vancouver by sisters in 2005, Wee Travel Baby Equipment Rentals has now added two more locations, Toronto and Victoria. They provide a full range of hard-to-pack baby accessories for hire, including car seats, strollers, cribs, playthings, highchairs and useful accessories that will make any visitor comfortable. Now I’ve done my fair share of traveling with our kids and have never used a service like this before now, so it seems ironic that I ended up testing them out for use at my parent’s place, only 7.5 minutes drive up the road. But Wee Travel’s Victoria owner Jennifer, made the whole thing so easy for me that I would use them again in a heartbeat.

Wee Travel also has formed partnerships with a whole bunch of useful and relevant organizations such as car rental agencies and hotels. They also have an exclusive partnership with a beautiful Vancouver vacation rental suite. Making it as easy as possible for their clients, Wee Travel items can be reserved on the phone or online, and you can choose to pick your rental items up or have them delivered. On top of all of that, they rent or sell the CARES child airplane harnesses and sell the super-cute Trunki kids Luggage.

I was so excited about the whole crib/sleep thing this weekend whilst house-sitting that I got sidetracked and forgot to paint. Yes, I forgot to paint. However, Wee Travel gave me the luxury to get distracted because if ‘S’ had been in that pack and play, I’d have been a whole different person this weekend!

Leeds Park Playground- Saanich

2010-01-29T11:27:00.000-08:00

Leeds Park is one of those tiny little parks that's completely surrounded by houses and unless you had a reason to go there, you probably never will. However, if I lived there, I'd be thanking those exact circumstances and the fact that someone decided to build a teeny little playground right there. You can get to it right at the end of Leeds Place and there is limited parking but I doubt it ever gets very busy.

My photos aren't great because they were taken on the phone, but we discovered this great little playground after taking a wrong turn one night just before dusk. My son, who was fed up of accompanying us on grown-up errands all day took one look out of the window and yelled "PLAYGROUND!" So we were pretty much committed.

On a gravelly sand base, this playground is a little gem with two climbing towers connected by a tunnel. There are two straight metal slides, a low one for the little ones and a high one that is actually one of the steepest slides that I have seen. There a various options to climb up and down and a great activity wall feature. There are no amenities but I have the feeling that the clientele can probably all run home if they need a drink or quick trip to the loo.

I don't know what else to say about this playground other than if there was one of these within throwing distance of every child's home we'd have healthier, happier kids.

Howryod and Onyx Park Playground- Saanich

2009-12-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

Squashed between Howroyd Ave and Onxy Place there is a piece of grassy land with a small playground on it. It's probably one of those parks that you would never see unless you lived nearby or had a reason to pass, which we did on Christmas Even after dark when we realized with a jolt that we'd forgotten to buy Bailey's. My dad and I cut through the park on the way back from the liquor store and I vowed to visit it in the light to review.
So that's exactly what we did on Boxing day. It was bright, sunny and cold and so we wrapped up warm in mittens and multiple layers and hit the playground.

On a base of gravelly sand, this is a surprisingly well equipped playground considering it is small and tucked away. There are swings- a toddler swing and a big kid swing, a nice high mental slide, a metal seesaw and a climbing frame car.

There are no facilities here except for a bench and a picnic table, but it's a decent sized grassy space and enough to play with to wear kids out before nap time. Our infant girl, S laughed and laughed in the swing and after sampling all the other equipment, pre-schooler, 'A' found a big stick and proceeded to happily draw lines in the sand for a long time. At last, a good use for sand, which as you know is not my favourite!

Eleanor talking about things to do in the rain on Real Parenting show

2009-12-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

Craigflower Park Playground- Victoria

2009-12-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

Craigflower Park Playground is the 4th playground on the edge of the Gorge that we've visited. You can access the small car park from Gorge Road W just before it joins Admirals and the playground is a hop, skip and a jump from there.

It's not a huge playground, but the equipment is in good shape. There are the usual double big kid, double toddler swings, a metal seesaw a whale bouncy thing and a teeny tiny climbing structure. The climbing frame is really just a low one-platform tower with steps up and a short double metal slide. This is all on gravelly sand.

The real attraction of this little playground is not the equipment, though it is often crowded in good weather; it's the location. Perched on the top of the Gorge, there are sweet views, grassy areas, trees, lovely landscaping and of course, the fabulous Gorge Waterway path that winds all around the water's edge. There is a lot to see and do and even the occasional event or festival to visit. And when you're there, make sure to top off the visit with a quick play at the playground!

Rudd Park Playground- Victoria

2009-11-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

Rudd Park is one of those parks that you could drive past over and over and never really have any reason to stop- unless you play baseball, play soccer, have a dog, or of course, want to visit their playground. Located between Irma St and Whittier Ave, and Harriet Rd runs a long the far end.

The playground is an older construction with wooden beams, metal bars and plastic trim. There are two structures, one for small kids that features a ramp, low turret with two platforms, two activity walls a short plastic slide and two toddler swings.

The bigger kid structure features climbing platforms, two slides- a wide metal and a curly plastic, two big kids swings and a bunch of older-school metal climbing options. This is all on a base of sand that is sculpted out of an enormous grassy area. There are a couple of old fashioned digging machines and a seesaw.

There are washrooms and picnic tables and shade close by. Street parking is easy and there is a parking strip on Irma very close to the playground. This is not the most exciting of parks but has good solid facilities which are in good condition.

WildPlay Ticker winners!

2009-11-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

Congratulations go to Robin who won the 3 passes and Andrea who won the two passes. We all hope you have fun at the new park!

WildPlay Adventure Parks are coming to Victoria!!!

2009-11-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

Until now if you wanted to get into an aerial tree adventure course, or take a zip line you had venture outside of Victoria. Not any more! November 4th sees the opening of the 3rd BC location of WildPlay Adventure Parks right here in Westshore.

You can learn more about this exciting new location, see pictures and videos at www.wildplay.com . There is also a fabulous offer if you book before November 3rd.

I have two sets of passes (a set of 2 and a set of 3) for the Monkido Tree Course at the new Westshore location. To enter- and please bear in mind that it's for over 7's only- all you have to do is to email me with your name, email address and whether you'd like 2 passes or 3 passes, to victoriablog@yahoo.ca. I'm accepting entries until November 3rd and will announce winners- which will be picked by a draw- on November 4th. Good luck!

Rainy Day Activities

2009-10-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Looking for more suggestions to help us to get to 101 things to do on a rainy day. You can leave a comment below or email Swings and Roundabouts at www.victoriablog@yahoo.ca

Habitat Systems Inc.

2009-10-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

When you visit as many playgrounds as we do, it’s inevitable that you reach a point where you start to pay attention to details. Some time ago I began being able to differentiate between brands of apparatus, started to notice playground design trends and then I started to wonder about how a playground comes to be. This curiosity peaked after I first visited Victor School Playground in Victoria, a playground that impressed me in a multitude of ways and has become a firm favourite. Beyond the obvious attractions of Victor School; the fantastic colourful equipment, the engaging activity walls and universal accessibility, I was intrigued by a plaque on the wall that thanked a number of organizations for helping to fund the playground. It set off a train of thoughts in my head about how a playground gets built, who designs it and who pays for it.

After a bit of research I stumbled across Habitat Systems Inc.- a playground distributor in Western Canada based out of Burnaby, BC. Habitat was the consultant on Victor School- helping to plan the fundraising, and then designing and supplying the project. What I didn’t know was that about the same time I was Googling Habitat, they were excitedly reading the Swings and Roundabouts review of Victor School playground which they circulated around their office. Weeks later we started e-mailing, talking on the phone and bouncing around ideas that have led to a partnership.

Habitat Systems provides full spectrum consulting that can take a client from the start to finish of a playground project. It’s an exciting BC grown company (now in Alberta too) that chooses to put people first and the more that I talk to them, the more excited I get about the work that they do.

The company was founded in 1996 in Mark Bodie’s garage where he and partner Jeff Musson alternated using the phone-line over a kitchen table. They formed a partnership with Landscape Structures who are a leading provider of environmentally preferable playgrounds and whom exemplify best practices and going the extra mile to ensure that equipment is engaging and safe, that their people are treated well and that their business is light on the planet.

Fast forward to today, and Habitat has moved out of the garage and grown into a company where knowledgeable and empowered employees work to build community spirit by providing play spaces that inspire, engage and put smiles onto children’s faces.

During a conversation with owner Jeff Musson I asked him about the importance of playgrounds in this day and age and he cited examples of playgrounds that Habitat has built that have become safe gathering places in their community; school playgrounds that are packed on evenings and weekends where safe, fun play can be experienced by children of all abilities- outgoing or shy, high-energy or with no body strength. When he talks about these things he is enthusiastic and you can tell that Jeff loves what he does.

All of the Playground Consultants at Habitat Systems are ‘Certified Playground Inspectors’ which means that they know what they are talking about inside-out and, unlike many other playground providers, their team in not commission-based. This encourages hand-holding throughout the process because it is not about ‘the sale’.

“It’s a cooperative, collaborative process between the clients and us” Jeff explains. This approach is especially important when Habitat works with PAC clients- Parent Advisory Council Groups, because Habitat is in a fantastic position to walk the group through every stage.

“The benefit of working with us for PAC groups is that we can be there for them making sure that each stage of their project runs smoothly. We know the local surfacing requirements and regulations and we have already made local contacts so the process can be efficient-right through to providing safety tips and grand opening items after the installation has been completed.”

Habitat has a Playground Planning Kit that they use with PAC groups which provides comprehensive information on every step of the project. The Playground Consultants work closely with groups during the fundraising process, which might mean helping to plan the fundraising or it might mean that the Consultant is there at PAC meetings or fundraising events to help answer questions and brainstorm for solutions.

Habitat has its own installation team in BC which means that they control every aspect of the installation. This team already understands what Habitat is trying to achieve and they have a vested interest in the project being done right. That means that if during installation they see a way to do something better, they have the ability to do it better. It means that they are not driven by time, but by doing things right. It means that unlike contracted teams, this installation team has an on-going relationship, an investment in making sure that the installation quality is of the highest standards and that safety comes first.

Working so closely with Landscape Structures, Habitat has had high standards set from the beginning for seeking out ways to be environmentally friendly in their work. This attitude has seeped through every aspect of the business from the literature which is printed on recycled paper, to office recycling and composting initiatives, to the processes and products used during the manufacturing of the equipment- making sure that the kids who use the playground apparatus are going to be safe. The plastics contain no heavy metals, the paint is lead-free and there is even a line of equipment that has a 30% smaller carbon footprint. For every Landscape Structures playground sold, there is a donation made through Global ReLeaf to plant trees to offset the carbon dioxide production.

You always get a good idea about an organization by the people in it and when you talk to Jeff, he is so excited and proud of what Habitat does that it’s infectious. Whether Jeff is talking about the way that Habitat approaches business, the fact that the Habitat team is so connected that he says that he’s working with his best friends, or the passion he has when he talks about particular projects. “When my own daughter is going to meet friends at the local playground that we built- well what better compliment can I get?”

To find out more about Habitat Systems, their equipment and partners go to www.habitat-systems.com

Please VOTE for Swings and Roundabouts!!!

2009-10-25T16:44:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: It's round 2 of voting. Every entry has gone back to 0 so this is a chance for Swings and Roundabouts to get loads of votes. Please vote for me- you can actually vote every day, you can tell your friends, shout from the rooftops etc etc

Huge thanks in advance!

Swings and Roundabouts has applied for the Aviva Community Fund to enable us to go national and bring local playground reviews to the whole of Canada. We’d be involving parents, writers and aspiring teenage writers in the reviewing process, compensating reviewers to ensure consistent quality and creating resources to help get more playgrounds built.

To read our entry and learn more please visit our entry and vote for us. Voting closes soon so please vote now and spread the word to help us get the funding. It takes less than two minutes to sign up and vote and it could mean the difference between us getting the funding or not. You can read our entry on our slide. To vote you have to enter an email address and password and then you may need to click on the link below again or tab backwards to get back to my entry's page. Huge thanks in advance!

http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf2006

Oaklands Community Centre Playground- Victoria

2009-10-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Oaklands Community Centre in Victoria has one of those continuous play playgrounds that you want to take your child to after they've accidentally discovered your secret chocolate stash. Ho hum.
Nestled on a piece of land next to the community centre on Belmont Avenue, the equipment is in a long line and has climbing, swinging and stepping features all in a row. There are chain ladder walls, climbing walls, curved steps, and springy mushroom-like pods to step along. These start in a couple of climbing platforms which have a rope bridge, and they end with the piece de resistance, a rope pyramid.

There are lots of benches, some shade, lots of great grassy areas to run around in and parking is easy. When the community centre is open there are other facilities, though they probably like to save those for paying customers....err....if you see what I mean. This playground is bright, attractive and in good shape but it's probably best for the older kids. 'A' really really wanted to go there and play, but we ended up staying mostly on the rope pyramid because the climbing structure was a bit advanced for him. And I'm also thinking that we spent so much time on the climbing pyramid because he gets tangled up in them every time.

Barnard Park Playground- Esquimalt

2009-09-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

We've been past the end of Barnard Ave about 10,000 times and never thought to go down there until recently, when caught in a traffic line-up I glimpsed a piece of playground equipment glistening in the sun. The next afternoon we made out way down the shirt, dead-end road and lo-and-behold, there's a lovely sea-front park with a sweet little playground. I'd barely been able to un-clip 'A's seat belt before he ran over the grass and was up on top of the slide, almost like I never take him out to playgrounds.

The playground is set in a grassy and shady park. The only facilities are the playground itself, tennis courts and a lonely picnic table. The park however is lovely- paths leading down to the seawall that winds off around the cove. There was an enormous cruise ship docked opposite and between that and the sea-planes that landed and took-off in front of us 'A' had a ball. This is on a woodchip base. This is what I would call a pit-stop playground. You aren't going to find anything amazing there, you won't spend hours there but if you're driving by you can park right there on the road, get a good play in, take a stroll by the water, have another quick play and then be back on your way. It's a case of quality not quantity. Great little climbing feature/slide, nice solid swings and a lovely setting.

Back to the playground. It's a tiny little thing with double toddler, double big-kid swings, and a climbing turret with steps, a climbing wall and a nice straight slide.

Summit Park Playgrond- Victoria

2009-09-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

Guest review by Cheryl

Perhaps it is the isolation that has allowed Summit Park Playground to keep its older equipment. The modest sand-covered area boasts a swing set (two big-kid swings and two toddler swings), a mid-height metal slide and a set of monkey bars that my daughter refers to as a rainbow climber. There is a bench nearby on which caregivers can sit (more or less in the position from which this photo was taken). The playground is in the midst of a Garry Oak meadow so in the heat of the summer there is plenty of nearby shade and wildflowers to investigate. Access is easiest from Blackwood Street off Summit via a paved, stroller-friendly path but there are other walking paths in from other streets (we generally approach from Finlayson, up a steep incline). There is limited street parking available but it is possible to park on Blackwood.

The fact that the equipment looks like it has been there since the 1970s doesn't mean it is in disrepair. On the contrary, this playground seems to be well-maintained with minimal graffiti -- surprising given that when we've been there toward the evening there are often groups of teens gathering in the area and there is plenty of graffiti around the nearby communication tower. I almost hate to review this little park because it reminds me so much of parks of my childhood -- I worry that by publicizing it, the City will at once realize they've overlooked it and replace everything. While this is not the best park for very small children (my daughter is 8), the old-school equipment still allows for physical exploration and imaginative play and the surrounding area is full of plants, bugs and birds to investigate.

Check out the spud! Competition Entries so far....

2009-09-10T22:34:00.001-07:00

You can enter our competition here or if you just want good food delivered to your door, take advantage of our spud! readers special- $25 off over the first 4 orders details also here.

The smallest playground in town- Sidney

2009-09-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

We went to visit the Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney this weekend because it seemed like a good way to spend a rainy afternoon and when we were packed up in the steamy car about to leave I noticed the smallest playground in town. I had to rub a patch in the condensation on my window and then roll the window down to check that it really was a playground and whereas I am not sure what technically constitutes a playground, I'm pretty sure that this is one.

Thing is, even with my mantra of 'any playground is better than no playground' I didn't bother to get 'A' out of the car because frankly, it didn't seem worth it. Should we have been strolling down the seafront licking ice creams in the sun, I am positive that this story would read differently but it was just me standing under socked-in skies trying not to get my camera wet.

So, [drum roll] here we go......There is a postage stamp of a park at the back of the car park next to the Ocean Discovery Centre. You can access it through the car park which is on Seaport Place where there is, obviously, parking.... or from the waterfront. This playground is more or less just a weird slide on gravel. Not more or less, it is just a weird slide on gravel.

Weird because:
-It is a lonesome piece of equipment on quiet a large gravel patch
-It is a wooden turret and a plastic half pipe slide
-The bottom of the slide is quite a long way from the ground
-It looks like someones granddad made it in his garage

There is a bench for spectators to watch the fun unfold and whereas there are no facilities here, there are lots of stores, cafes and touristy things around. Although I took more than one photo I did not feel I needed to post multiple shots to get the playground across, so I included a couple of jellyfish pictures I took in the Ocean Discovery Centre.

Allenby Park Playground- Victoria

2009-09-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Allenby Park Playground is on Dean Avenue between Allenby and Townley. It's a nicely kept piece of green with a baseball diamond, lots of grass and a great playground. 'A' was very happy because there were no signs of beetles, the slides were not too high and- probably because it was dinnertime- the place was deserted. Even the sandy base didn't seem to bother him too much.

There are two play structures here, a big kid and a small kid and both are more or less a tower and platform with a tangle of climbing equipment. The small kid side has appropriately sized things to climb up and down and nice little extras like small pedestals. It has a low double plastic slide with one bumpy and one not. You can follow the climbing features around towards the bigger kid structure, where the climbing becomes harder and higher as it reaches up towards the higher tower. There is a nice high plastic slide with a bend in the middle but if you read this often you'll know how I feel about these types of slide- they are great if you get the right combination of weather and clothing, but if you don't, you end up with static issues or, as in my case this time- you just grind to a slow halt. Mind you, I weigh.....mind you, I don't weigh 50lbs like it's intended users!

The playground also has a climb-frame-car, double big kid/ double toddler swings and an old-school metal seesaw. There is a lonesome bouncy thing that looks like it's sinking into the sand too- but after 'A' vigorously pumped away at it for a while it looked no different so I'm pretty sure it's not going anywhere.

September Spud Competition

2009-09-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Our sponsor for the first half of September is the fabulous spud! organic food deliveries –read on to find out more about them and about our newest competition.

When I first heard about spud! my husband and I were living in Vancouver, working far too many hours and looking for ways to improve the quality of our lives and our food. We stumbled across spud! and quickly made the decision to sign up for a weekly delivery. We squeezed behind the computer a couple of nights before our delivery day and picked the groceries that we fancied, loving the fact that our meals would now be somewhat planned. The day of our first delivery we rushed home excited to check out what had arrived, and we were not disappointed; the vegetables were always crisp and green, the fruits plump, juicy and colourful and unpacking them together was a little adventure.

spud! describes itself as being like a ride-share for your groceries. They target one neighbourhood at a time, bringing your delivery in a reusable bin with your customized selection of organic, local and affordable all-natural groceries. Because you can order online and the food is delivered right to your door, it’s all super-easy. spud! focuses on purchasing certified organic produce and grocery items as locally as possible and takes pride in being the most locally focused, greenest choice for grocery shopping in North America .

spud! was founded in Vancouver in 1998, opened on Vancouver island in 2003 and has been delivering local, fresh, organic groceries to customers ever since! Healthy and convenient, organic grocery delivery takes all the hassle out of grocery shopping and meal planning, giving you more time to play on the swings with your family. You can place your order online at www.spud.ca.

For a chance to win a $50 gift card for a spud! organic food delivery, enter our competition by sending in your favourite summer playground photo. We've put a couple of our favourites below to inspire you. See all the competition details here.

spud! has also extended a great offer to all Swings and Roundabouts readers- you can use the promotional code ‘SWINGROUND’ to sign up for spud! deliveries and get $25 off over your first 4 orders!

Lighten your footprint with the greenest grocer!

August Competition Winner!

2009-09-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well, by a whopping lead it's official that readers of this site like firemen! Congratulations to Helen of Victoria for her review of Fireman's Park Playground......the fabulous prize of $100 Opus Gift Card is on the way to you.

Thanks again to everyone who sent in a review, everyone who voted and of course, to Opus Framing and Art Supplies.

Competition of the month VOTE NOW!!!

2009-08-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those that bravely sent in playground reviews. Please use the voting system on the right hand side to vote for your favourite review. The voting closes on the 31st August and the winner with the most votes will receive a gift card for $100 for Opus Framing and Art Supplies! Even if you don't know the playground that's been reviewed, pick your favourite one and vote vote vote!

Leighton Park Playground by Suzan

Diefenbaker Park Playground by Denise

Kinsman Spray Park Playground by Katherine

Fireman's Park Playground by Helen

Lochside Park Playground by Mack

Again, thank you to our fabulous sponsor

Montague Park Playground- Gordon Head- Saanich

2009-08-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

Montague Park is a surprisingly large piece of green- well yellow this late in the summer- grassy park slotted into a completely urban residential area. You can enter is from at least five different points- mostly cul de sacs. We drove up Graduation Place first but couldn't park there so ended up coming at it from Sandell Place which was far closer to the playground anyway- you could also try off Lexington or Hazelton or by coming the sweetest way, through a carved path in the hedge half way down Sandell Place.

It was very hot and yellow when we visited- the last of the afternoon sun was almost uncomfortable and so we probably didn't see this park at it's best, but I imagine that it's quite pretty and popular most of the year round. There is some nice shade near to the playground and whereas it's just a grassy park- no amenities, it would be a great place to have at the back of your garden, almost like a village green.

The playground itself is small, but newer and well designed. There are swings- one big-kid, one toddler, and one climbing structure split into big and small sides. On the smaller side there are chunky platform steps that lead up to a connecting tunnel which 'A' had a good time crawling through. He crawled back pretty soon afterwards to inform me that the big-kid slide was too scary and he proceeded to go down the small metal slide on the small side. I tried out the big-kid metal slide and didn't find it scary but then again, I'm over three-feet tall. There are a whole bunch of climbing options here- things to go up, down and hang from and there are also the lovely attention-to-detail features that I adore in newer constructions- an ice cream window like the one at Vantreight Park, counting number walls and so on. This is all on gravelly sand and we didn't stay long because frankly I couldn't take 'A's incessant removing of his shoes to check that sand hadn't slipped inside. Sigh.

Lochside Park Playground- Cordova Bay- Saanich

2009-08-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

Guest review by Mack

Lochside Park is located on Lochside Drive just near to Mattick's Farm and on the edge of Cordova Bay Golf Course. This is a very special playground - it's one of the few that has one of those funny digger things which my little boy REALLY loves. If you haven't encountered these before, they are essentially a mechanical digger, but thankfully without ignition or wheels. You use two levers on either side to operate the digger part, pick up sand (that inevitably forms the base of the parks in which they are installed) and then dump the sand. Sounds pretty rad? Just imagine how rad it would be if you were three years old.
Apart from that, it's a nicely kept park. The aforementioned sandy floor, plenty of swings (baby and child x2 each), a good climbing/running frame/slide contraption with 2x metal slides, and is really close to the Lochside Trail - so it's in a beautiful area. Surprisingly, though, it's often very quiet - I've never really seen many people using it when I've been there. Maybe because it's a little hidden away...? Either way, well worth going a little out of the way for a visit, particularly if you have a little man or two scurrying around the house with a bucketload of energy to expend and a love of diggers.

Fern Street Secret Playground- Victoria

2009-08-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

So I got a hot tip from a very excited friend who told me about a secret playground that was hidden off Fern Street which runs between Begbie and Fort. Well Ms M, it's not secret anymore! I don't know what to call this playground because it has no sign and it doesn't appear on any of my maps. Anyway- you can take walkways from Fern St or Chestnut St or you can take the drive-with-no-name that runs off Fern.

This playground is in a little square of park overlooked by condos and apartments and it features one large, worn structure on a bed of sand. A's aversion to sand has grown to the point where he turned his nose up at the playground and stalked the parameter like a tiger. Well, a small defenseless, stripeless tiger that's scared of sand, ants and beetles.

The structure has wooden ramps that lead to several platforms of different heights that are connected by a plastic tunnel. There are a lot of playgrounds around the city that are very similar to this but this one is bigger and a little more interesting. For example, it's got enough platforms at different heights to make it that bit more interesting plus it's got one of those sweet little picnic tables built in which get me every time.

There are a variety of things to climb and hang from including a rope wall, a ladder of things that look like handcuffs and there's a curly plastic slide for a quick, staticky escape. There are also a range of activity wall features such as match-the-picture-cylinders though sadly this era of playground has become dated and the activity wall features that are on newer structures around town outshine these. A did sample the swings that accompany the climbing frame- the usual double toddler, double big kid swing combo. There are not really any other amenities here though I'm thinking there was a drinking fountain but that could just be my over-active imagination playing up.

Blogging the day away

2009-08-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

I have a guest blog up today at the amazing yoyomama website. You can check it out here.

Fireman's Park Playground- Oak Bay- Victoria

2009-08-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

Guest review by Helen

Fireman's Park is in Oak Bay and you can get into it from Monterey Avenue- where there is parking, or from Lulie Street on the other side. It's a small and neat little park with some courts, washrooms and lots of grass to play or walk your dog on.

The playground is situated next to Monterey Avenue and is an especially big hit with little boys, on account of the fire hall over the road. We often visit this playground and it's amazing how often that the firemen cruise their trucks down to the field, bring out their hoses and start doing watery stunts-all in the name of practice! They usually get a line of spectator moms who desperately try to keep their kids from joining in. There are lots of places to sit -on benches and picnic tables (some shade too) in case you want to bring along a picnic to eat during the fun.
The playground isn't half so exciting......but it's a decent come-down after the firemen go back to the station. There are woodchips on the floor, and there is one main climbing area with separate swings and a free-standing slide. As you can see in the photo, the climbing frame has big steps, a bendy slide and a lower set of twin slides. The swings are, as we often see on this site, two for little kids, two for big kids and the most exciting thing is definitely the nice high straight old-fashioned metal slide which reminds me of the slides when we were little only about half as high and not over sharp gravel! Did I say the most exciting thing was the slide? I did mention the firemen didn't I?

Listen to CBC Radio Interview

2009-08-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Leighton Park Playground- Victoria

2009-08-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

Guest review by Suzan

Behind the Safeway at Fort and Foul Bay there is a little park tucked between Leighton and Bourchier with a brand new playground.

The playground is spacious and perfect for little legs of all kinds to run around - in fact, adjacent to the park is a large and lightly treed field for our four legged friends to romp around in. While we were there, there were no dogs, but in the past we have met several lovely and child friendly animals there. Parking is in a residential area, so it's not too busy. To get in to the park there is a path on either side and once you are there, you do not have to worry about traffic or anything. The play area is wood chipped, with some cement sidewalk areas and lots of grass.

Now, on to the fun parts! There are three separate play structures. The first is a typical swing set, two swings for big kids and two bucket style swings for babes and toddlers. The primary plus about these swings is that the toddler and babe swings are in the shade in the early afternoon, which is extremely hard to find in a park in Victoria. (see photo below) The second structure is a toddler size boat featuring a double slide, a chain ladder, a funky whistle device that sounded a bit weak (but not too loud thankfully), plus two steering wheels for kiddos to be captains at.
The third structure is a crazily high fun area - kind of hard to describe. First, it's high. Not for a toddler kind of high. My kid climbed it like a monkey and was WAY over my head- not for a squeamish parent by any means. The three ladders leading up are three different styles requiring different climbing styles (which, of course, my little one HAD to try). These lead to a small platform which is where a wonderfully long and fast slide awaits. Now, I have a thing about slides and let me tell you, this slide is pretty darned good. Slippery, yet has an extended flat lower area to ensure little ones don't go flying off the end. Plus, it is north facing, so little legs and hands don't get that lovely scorching burning sensation because it's in the shade! Now, this is not all! There are monkey bars, an awesome twirling device that us adults can go on without feeling like oversized chimps (like the little teacup thingy at Willows Beach - you know what I mean, admit it), three poles attached to bases to twist on, and two tribalish hand drums tucked under the slide. Last, but not least, there is a great six foot freestanding climbing rock with great handholds for all ages to climb up. We saw three other kids of assorted ages while there, and something about climbing rocks appealed to each of them.

The only negative with this park is that there is just one park bench right now. There used to be more before the renovation, but I'm not sure if they will have them back or not, likewise with a picnic table they had there. There are no washrooms nearby, with the exception of the ones at Safeway and two Starbucks approximately two blocks away.
Overall, we had a great time and look forward to heading to this little tucked away gem for more playtime. Hopefully we'll see you there!

NOTE: At the time of writing this, the structures are complete and playable but the landscaping has yet to be finished, so beware of metal posts and try not to get tangled in the red fencing ;)

Gorge Waterway Park Playground- Victoria

2009-08-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

We've been waiting a long time to visit the Gorge Waterway Park playground which is on Gorge just north of Tillicum. It has a little car park and every time we've pulled up something has dragged us away- urgent potty-training emergency, sudden reluctance to mix with any other humans or once I think we forgot our shoes. Sigh.
Anyway today, yes today when it was chucking it down with rain, we finally made it there......and it's adorable.
The first great thing of note is that there were beautiful big sunflowers in the flowerbeds between the car park and the playground. You don't see that many sunflowers these days and they added a lovely quality to the scene. The second lovely thing was that there were big, chunky dump-trucks and diggers strewn around in the gravelly sand which were labelled "Gorge Park- have fun" and suchlike. 'A' was so happy and even though this was the one morning that I'd finally got my act together to straighten my hair and put some make-up on my face which the rain was making short work of, we both quickly forgot the rain. He pushed the trucks around and I strolled around the pretty park.

Okay, so back to business. There are two main climbing structures here one big kid, one smaller kid and everything here is pretty new and well-kept. The big kid side features a great metal curly slide one high-ish tower with lots of ways to climb up including platforms, a spiral ladder, and a hanging ladder.

The smaller kid side is in a pirate ship shape with the ship's bow down low in the sand for little ones to wander around and run their sandy little fingers through the grooves in the activity wall treasure map. Behind the ship is a smaller structure with a lower platform, a spiral ladder, steps and a nice metal straight slide.

There are two big-kid swings, two toddler swings and two bouncy whales. There are benches, a picnic table with some shade and a water fountain just down the path towards the water. Interesting enough this could be viewed as an odd place for a playground -wedged between a busy road and a gorge but the landscaping (thick foliage and bushes) and the small car park mean that it feels nicely enclosed, safe and very loved.

Horner Park Playground- Saanich

2009-08-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

You can access Horner Park Playground in Saanich from Kisber Ave, Palo Alto Street or Iona Drive. We've been there before a long time ago, I have a vague memory of search there at dusk for something that we couldn't find but we didn't have kids then so probably didn't even notice the playground. Now however is a completely different story!

On gravelly sand, this playground offers a decent sized climbing structure that would suit all sizes of child. There are three slides- a high curly plastic one, a short double plastic and a short wide metal. There are lots of things to climb up, down or to hang off including platform steps for the smaller kids, climbing wall features, a spiral climbing ladder and a wavy hanging ladder. In the middle there is an ever-popular tunnel that connects the two towers and even when they are super short like this one, 'A' seems to love them big-time.

There are double big-kid, double toddler swings, a reasonably old-school seesaw, and a climbing frame car. There are big playing fields that include a baseball diamond and a basketball court and for a park this size you'd expect washrooms but there are none here. There are benches and picnic tables and good shade near to the playground though the equipment itself is in full sun. To that end, our visit here was very short because, and I will use 'A's words here "Mummy! Too 'ot!!!"

Vantreight Park Playground- Saanich

2009-08-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Vantreight Park is on Leyns Road between Balmacarra and Vantreight and is a lovely park with trails, lots of grass and shady trees to hide from the sun under on hot days like yesterday. Parking is easy roadside where you can find it and although this park doesn't offer any of the fancier facilities like washrooms, it's surprisingly large and definitely worth a visit. Plus after you've had a good play at their rather good playground, you can take the steep steps at the bottom of Balmacarra Rd down to the ocean where little ones can throw stones to their hearts content.

The playground is pretty new and features two structures- one that offers climbing and hanging options for bigger kids and then a universal bigger structure. This one has a ton of great climbing options- spiral climbing ladder, hooped arched ladder, a tunnel, several platforms that lead up to a tower and two metal slides of different heights. In addition there is the usual double big kid, double toddler swing combo, a climbing frame car, the cutest twirly thing that I have ever seen and an absolutely adorable activity wall feature- an ice-cream stand built in underneath. 'A' spent a long time looking for the ice-cream 'man' or even just the ice-cream and was gutted when he couldn't find either. Next time on a hot day like this I'm thinking of taking a cooler, some waffle cones and a box of Breyers and 'A' will make a killing!

Competition of the month

2009-07-31T16:05:00.000-07:00

At Swings and Roundabouts we’re all about promoting play outside, but feel strongly that the play doesn’t stop there. Any parent knows how quickly their little one moves from one activity to the next and there are times when trying to think of the next thing to do is exhausting- especially when it’s being juggled with doing the laundry, making dinner or trying to keep relationships with friends and family up. I’m sure there isn’t a parent reading this who doesn’t do some kind of creative play with their children (not only on rainy days) and if there is any BC organization who can provide inspiration and resources for kids and parents alike, it’s Opus Framing & Art Supplies. Opus has paired up with Swings and Roundabouts for the month of August and has generously donated a gift certificate for our August competition. Opus has a long, rich history in the BC arts community and to find out more about their story click here and to enter our competition http://www.swingsandroundabouts.ca/index_files/Page354.htm.

I am a huge fan of Opus especially now that I am a mum. I go there for kids supplies- my little boy likes to pick his own tempera blocks and paint brush, then carry his newsprint pad to the till himself- which makes the whole experience better than if we picked up a shrink-wrapped set from a big box store. But most importantly for me, I choose supplies for myself. I need an outlet to keep me sane and for me it’s by being creative- the two things I love to do are to paint and to write. I am a huge believer in parents maintaining their own identity throughout the early child rearing years- something that I believe makes them the best parent that they can be. I often hear friends with young children saying that they feel lost, have no creative outlet, or feel like they eat, drink, sleep their kids with no idea who they are anymore. So in pairing up with Opus for August I’d like to offer the chance to win a gift certificate that can contribute towards the creative health of your whole family.

Opus aims to be a local resource and to support this they have cultivated a large and welcoming presence in the creative community. They provide free drop-in product demonstrations, host local artist demos, provide free handouts on a huge range of activities, and their website provides all kinds of links and resources on what is happening in the arts. Plus, their knowledgeable staff can provide help, advice and tips for all levels. Don’t be overwhelmed by the vast range of supplies – anyone who works in an Opus store can point you in the right direction. Most employees are artists themselves, and regardless of their medium, training or experience, they all know that everyone starts somewhere. Helping to nurture the next generation of Picasso’s, Van Gogh’s or Emily Carr’s seems to be of great importance to them.
Opus also has an amazingly wide range of supplies in their six stores (plus you can also browse/buy their products online) that range from beginner supplies for all ages to fine art, graphic design, craft supplies, printmaking equipment, DIY framing and much more.

So here are my own personal top ten art projects for kids- for fun filled days- sunny or rainy! You can also check out our on-going list of 101 things to do on a rainy day here.

• Finger painting on over-sized newsprint
• Making Fimo monsters, bugs, animals or jewellery
• Drawing/colouring with water-soluble pencil crayons then taking the picture outside and getting it wet
• Customizing mugs with ceramic paint
• Printing on blank cards then sending them out to friends (depending on the age of your child you could use proper printing supplies, stamps or potatoes and tempera paint- plus you can add on the post office trip for a learning experience)
• Make and paint Model Magic animals
• Paint t-shirts with fabric paint
• Face painting
• Marble some paper, then cut out shapes to make mobiles
• Make a floor mat by painting onto heavy duty canvas. You can design a town with roads to push cars along, paint dance steps, draw around each other and so on then after it is dry it will be a permanent mat-toy

Linden and Chapman Park Playground- Fairfield, Victoria

2009-07-31T10:19:00.000-07:00

We were droving around aimlessly the other day trying to find somewhere with a breeze to escape the humidity and stumbled across a little park on the corner of Linden and Chapman in Fairfield. Yes, 'stumbled' across another playground...fancy that!

The park itself is really a large grassy field with a few trees that gave us nice shade. There is a picnic table and on a woodchip square there is a nice little playground. There are two big kid and two toddler swings and a ship shaped climbing structure. This is small and probably wouldn't provide much excitement for the bigger kids but our pre-schooler, 'A' loved it. There are a few climbing options up and down including steps onto the ship 'deck' that features two metal slides down. I still maintain that it's a pity that no one seems to have invented metal slides (which are the best) that don't get hot in the sun because these were too hot to use- mind you that's not an issue for 99% of the year in BC! Underneath the deck there is the 'inside' of the boat where the little ones can run about and climb through windows. The whole climbing frame has a pirate theme including a treasure map activity wall in the bow.

This isn't a flashy or challenging, but it is a nice neighbourhood playground that makes a nice stop-off en route to the breezy sea-front.

Tolmie Park Playground- Victoria

2009-07-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

We stumbled across Tolmie park after taking a wrong turn and finding a dead end to turn around in and it led me to question if wrong turns always led me to playgrounds in the past? I seem to stumble across them all the time these days and maybe it's because I am on the lookout for brightly painted bars and sunlight on metal slides......or maybe I am just getting lost more.

Anyway, Tolmie Park playground is one of the typical 'well equipped but nothing special' playgrounds that seem to populate Greater Victoria. I am sure that it's well used and well loved and there were certainly happy playgrounders (I had to squash the urge to call them clients for a moment there) running around when we were there.

The park itself runs in a strip of grass between Saanich Road and Savannah Ave on Leslie- which breaks for the park in dead ends on both sides. There is plenty of parking on the Saanich Road side and a little parking on the other side, which is nearer to the playground. On a sandy base, there are two big kid swings, two toddler swings, a high hanging ladder, a digger machine and a climbing structure. This features several wooden platforms with a few climbing options, a short straight plastic slide and a higher curly plastic slide. Like I said, nothing outstanding to report here except for the fact that playgrounds like this remind me how lucky we are to have so many, and so good that one like this just seems 'normal'. In some parts of the world, in some parts of the country kids don't have these things. Better go before I go off on a tear-jerker?

Victor School Playground- Victoria

2009-07-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a scorcher and we were out and about when 'A' asked to go to a park, then asked to go home, then asked to go to a park......this flip flopping led me to take a turn down Denman Street, a street that we've not been down before and catching sight of a school playground there we decided to stop for a play. When you go to as many playgrounds as we do, it takes a really special playground to wow us. That might be because of fairy-like woods, or stunning views or amazing popularity or decrepit dangers.......but when we find those special ones the excitement is fantastic.

Today was one of those finds and it was 100% down to the equipment. Victor School is for children with special needs and they have built themselves a playground that the kids can access and enjoy. There is so much here that I don't even know where to start. There are nice wide ramps up and down that lead past some of the best activity walls that I have ever seen. There are steering wheels with gears to shift, rotating hour-glass wheels with silver sand that falls when you turn it, the alphabet with braille letters and many more.

The ramps lead in a sort of diamond shape, one corner of which goes onto a giant seesaw with bench seats at either side.

There are three slides: a static inducing triple bumpy plastic slide, a double plastic short straight slide and then an incredible roller slide (see top photo)that is really fast. There are numerous things to climb up and down, lots to play with and there are even two periscopes! There are two towers of differing heights and the whole lot is on spongy floor tiles.

As with many school playgrounds, there are no public facilities, though parking is not a problem, and there are no swings. 'A' usually loses it if there are no swings but he was so entertained with this wonderful structure that he didn't even notice.

Braefoot Park Playground- Saanich

2009-07-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

Braefoot Park on McKenzie Ave is one of those places that you drive past all the time but that unless you have a reason to stop, you never will. We never had any reasons to stop until I caught a glimpse of playground equipment tucked behind the clubhouse thingy and I swerved across three lanes of traffic to get to it. Well actually I didn't, but it makes for a better story than if I just said 'we dropped by next time we were in the area'.

On a bed of gravelly sand, this is a nice new medium-sized playground. It features two separate play structures, one aimed at the bigger kids, one at the smaller kids and while we're on the big kid/small kid theme, this playground has the usual double double swing combo- two big kid, two toddler.

The smaller kid climbing structure features a bunch of imaginative climbing options including 'platform steps', a tower and a straight metal slide. The big kid side has some interesting rope climbing features- a sort of upside-down rope climbing cone, a rope climbing bridge linking to a separate tower and a tower with a metal slide that is nice and fast.

There is also a bouncy animal, a hanging 'wheel' feature, a climbing frame car and a balance beam. It's pretty obvious that we don't frequent this park and so it was a nice surprise to find such a well equiped playground. There are huge fields to play on, some shade and there might be washrooms in the building between the playground and the car park but if there are, they were not obvious when we were there. I don't know when this playground gets busy but it's a great little spot definitely worth visiting for a play.

Ecole Quadra School Playground- Victoria

2009-07-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

Ecole Quadra School is a big brick building right on the corner of Quadra St and Finlayson St in Victoria. It's playground is in two parts, one part with two old-school climbing frames, a newer climbing structure and 6 big kid swings in the actual grounds behind the school, and then two newer pieces out in what was probably once Fifth St, but is now a pedestrianized dead-end.

On a base of woodchips the older climbing structures on the school ground are of a similar era to the once at the Sundance Elementary on Bank St, though not as imaginative. They are in good shape and would provide good climbing for anyone. The newer climbing structure is really meant for climbing and hanging but something about it makes it look less exciting than it could have been; it almost looks stretched out. All of these are really aimed at the bigger kids who have climbing down-pat.

The first of the two structures out in the street is also older but in decent shape and offers a wood-log & tire style climbing frame with a double metal slide and a metal tunnel. 'A' wasn't really interested in this one because he was, of course attracted to the newer colourful one next to it....that was until of course delaying tactics for going home set in and he suddenly could NOT LEAVE until he'd tried out all of the equipment. Sigh.

The newer structure is bright plastic & metal and is in two parts. The first offers lower climbing options and activities and the higher of the two offers a climbing tower with a variety of climbing options- a plastic mountain style wall, a metal rope ladder wall, a twisted ladder (not recommended for little ones unless you like performing emergency rescues), and a climbing wall. There is a high metal slide which for some reason seems faster than many, which I know because 'A's normal fear of beetles and ants has been joined by a fear of...well...just about anything including slides, which meant that I had to climb up and slide down with him not once, but four times. Hard life huh?

This is a nice little playground with leafy trees providing shade, easy parking because of course you are not using it during school hours and grassy areas next door to play or picnic on.

Rutledge Park Playground- Victoria

2009-07-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

Nestled between Inverness Rd and Scotia Rd just off Cloverdale Ave, Rutledge Park is a lovely, well-kept strip of urban-park. There is nice landscaping, lots of grass, a tennis court, parking on either side and a rather good little playground.

On a gravelly sand base there is the usual double big kid, double toddler swing combo, two bouncy things, a twirly thing and a climbing structure that is really aimed at the smaller kids- though it has a decent height of slide. It's a newer piece with several platform steps up, activity wall features, a tiny rope climbing wall and the aforementioned curved plastic slide.

The most interesting feature at this playground is the arched climbing...thing- need to think of a name for it. It's definitely for the bigger kids, 'A' took a stab at it and was caught like a fly in a web within one minute which required some untangling. We are seeing more and more of this kind of climbing structure appear which is great as they use the latest playground technology to create the most amount of playing options in a condensed space. Oh my...I sound like a magazine or worse still, an instruction manual. I'll get back to the playground...... So anyway, the climbing arch has lots to climb up and down and even a plastic hammock in case one gets tired halfway up.

Overall this is a surprisingly nice park and playground considering that it's in such a central location between pretty busy roads (Blanchard and Quadra are both stone throws away....if you can throw really well).

Okay, okay, so I can't finish off without mentioning the elephant in the room...or the park in this case. Yes, there is actually an elephant.....a large, pink elephant with no obvious purpose other than to provoke the question, what's that for?

Answers on a postcard please..............

Ecole Victor-Brodeur Playground- Esquimalt

2009-07-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Ecole Victor-Brodeur's playground at the corner of Old Esquimalt Road and Head St has tempted us many times but it's always been inside school hours so we haven't been able to sample it. So it was with great joy that we passed this morning, remembered that school was out and screeched to a halt. From the road this playground is a mass of bright colours and close up, it's a pretty big, but then again, it's a pretty big school.

There are two main climbing structures and if I was going to present an award to this playground it would be for most slides. Between both climbing frames, there are six plastic slides: one curly, one bumpy, one wavy, one straight and one straight double.

The climbing structures offer a multitude of climbing options and there are also a lot of nice little features such as activity walls, a house facade and piano chimes. There is a running roller, a plastic climbing mountain wall and a separate climbing wall.

Set back from the rest there is a row of eight swings, two therapeutic and the rest big kid. There is a smaller playground for smaller kids at the front of the school but it's all penned in just for school use- so toddlers or less adventurous kids might want to skip this one, though I am sure there is something for everyone here.

There is a bouncy bench, but not really any other facilities as it is with school playgrounds....except for parking of course...there's lots of parking.

Portlock Park- Salt Spring Island

2009-07-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

Portlock Park is located on Salt Spring's Vesuvius Bay Road just before the North End Road junction. The park offers playing fields for soccer (and other sports), tennis courts and swimming, and for those who can't get through the fifteen minute drive from Vesuvius Bay to Ganges without visiting a playground (us), there's a small one there.

Located right next to the car park Portlock Park Playground is small and a bit tired. It has a climbing tower...no, more like a small climbing turret with a curly slide, two bouncy things, a tire swing and the usual double big kid, double toddler swing combo. All of these are on tiny pebbles and there is also grass to play on and picnic tables. When the park is open there are washrooms.

There's not a lot to say about this playground. It's functional, has enough to keep any child occupied for a while and is in a location where I expect it gets used but never crowded. But then again, it doesn't match the playground in Ganges's Centennial Park for apparatus, views or liveliness.

Nottingham Park Playground- Victoria

2009-07-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

We were somewhat lost in the Uplands the other week and driving down Nottingham Road we passed a piece of green park with a postage-stamp of a playground smack dab right in the middle of it. It seemed so small that I actually burst out laughing and we HAD to get out for a quick play.

And a quick play it was! This playground is almost like an obstacle in an obstacle race rather than a place that one would linger with the kids. We raced out of the car, across the grass, up the climbing pods, onto the platform, up onto the higher platform, down the slide......then, after doing the whole thing once more we pegged it back to the car and continued on being lost in the highlands. A perfectly good pit stop and if you need a leg-stretch sometime you should try it.

Oh......for the record. This is a new, lovely little playground in a grassy park that is pretty much a field. You can park along Nottingham. The climbing structure has some climbing options, a double plastic slide and two levels of platform. This is all on gravelly sand.

Cook St and Hillside Park Playground- Victoria

2009-07-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

At the corner of Cook and Hillside there is a ballpark and a really nice playground. I hate to always give the newer playgrounds great reviews but it's hard not to when the equipment is well thought-out, well designed and in great shape.

There are two climbing structures joined in a rough circle by a rope climbing arch on one side and a range of things to climb on or hang from on the other. The whole area is on woodchips. The first side is aimed at the littler kids and features steps, some climbing options and a small tower with a decent length metal slide. The big kid side has lots to climb up onto a higher tower from which there is an even more decent metal slide! It's interesting to note that on this particular type of playground, many of the climbing features are so casually built in that on first inspection the whole structure might appear not to offer as much as it actually does. There are holes or slats to use as climbing aids and handles that would have been added with much more flair in an older design.

The climbing-rope-arch that links the two structures is a real hit with all ages and kids can do very different things on it according to their capabilities; in 'A's case it's to run over, start climbing, slip through, get stuck and holler to be rescued.

There are two gorgeous, in fact maybe the nicest bouncy-things that we have seen and little kids seem to instantly gravitate over to these on arrival. There are also two big kid and two toddler swings slightly apart from the climbing structure.

There are washrooms in this park but they were not open when we visited so I am not sure if they are only open when the baseball field is being used. There are benches, grass and whereas parking on the main roads may be difficult, there is a parking strip to the rear of the baseball field on Higgins Street. Lovely little playground- definitely worth a visit.

Luxton Fairgrounds Playground- Metchosin

2009-07-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

At some point, the playground at Luxton Fairgrounds must have been funky, modern and exciting but after visiting it today the question lingering in my mind was 'at what point exactly was that'?

1980? I doubt it.
1970? Perhaps. I need to buff up on my 'playgrounds through the ages' before I can date this accurately but needless to say, it's not just old, it's a bit of a wreck. We approached the fairgrounds from behind, parking right beside the playground fence on Penwood Road.

I almost feel like I should take a strong drink before attempting this review... I don't even know where to begin. Should I start with the weird tree-house-things with missing planks, the swing/seesaw-combo-thingy or the bendy ladder with tunnels halfway up? I know, I'll start with 'A', who insisted on going in there for a play. His dad actually tried to put him off by telling him that really big beetles lived in the playground but for some reason his need for a play trumped his strange fear of the beetles and off we went.

Okay...deep breath...here goes. The playground features three high, (danger danger- decrepit..honestly) tree house style constructions- sort of wooden boxes on poles, two of which have no obvious way of getting up (or what exactly they are for if you did get up). The third of these (see top photo)has a ladder up and a high wobbly metal slide down. It's a high slide and the metal looks about as beaten as a steel drum band's reject.

The second piece is a climbing ladder that rises in two upward bends before leading to a shorter metal slide down. The ladder has two metal tunnels for it's climbers to crawl through, each tunnel balanced on thin stilt-like legs.

The third piece is a rather odd swing, seesaw combo. For the record- and to try to remain fair in listing equipment- it has three big kid swings and three thin metal seesaws. The strange thing about this is that the seesaws are placed between the swings. At first glance the whole playground appears to be on grass but on closer examination I think it was once on gravel and that grass has just grown through over the decades. There is a missing swing and a few graffiti tags but honestly, that's the least of this playgrounds worries. Our little 'A' approached each item excitedly and then, after getting close he backed away and looked for something else to play with.

If you read this blog you will know that I am of the opinion that any playground is better than no playground but in this case I am not sure. If you read this blog you will know that on occasion (like often) I like to jump on the apparatus and give it a whirl but frankly, I didn't want to touch anything at this playground because it looks like it might collapse at any given moment and anyway, I think I am due a tetanus booster. Anyway....it could be worse.

The astounding thing about this all was that the first time we visited this playground we couldn't get any photos because there were a bunch of children playing. So perhaps it's just me- maybe I have simply crossed onto the other side of the fence in the whole 'we survived that kind of playground in out youth' argument, who knows- so I will wind this up where I started, with little 'A'.

'A' didn't get his play because he wouldn't touch one single plaything, which I guess is a measuring stick of sorts, though as we drove off my husband told me that that could have been because he saw an ant.

Centennial Park Playground- Salt Spring Island

2009-07-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Centennial Park is located right at the waterfront in the centre of Ganges, the largest town on Salt Spring Island. The park is most famously known for it's Saturday market which draws visitors from far and wide. The playground is tucked in between the market and the water, and is surrounded by trees which provide great shade for parents to stand in on hot sunny days while they wait for their little ones.

On a pebble base, the playground features a climbing structure aimed at big and little kids that has various things to climb up and down, a curly plastic slide, a low double plastic slide and platforms of various levels. It was very busy when we visited and I had trouble getting good photos and even this one needed some doctoring (spray-painted faces) before I was willing to use it.

There are six swings: three big kid and three toddler and there are also a couple more interesting pieces of equipment there. Firstly I should say that it's always fun to find new playgrounds especially during a day trip away, but when we stumble across a 'treasure'....well it always makes my day. Both of the frilly items are old and completely took me back to my youth. Firstly there is a metal rocking horse bench which is peeling and looks like it belongs in a museum, and whereas 'A' didn't even notice it, I almost swooned because I didn't think there were any of these left in the world.

The second thing was another horse, this time a worn yellow metal bouncer which must have been one of the first bouncy things made. It's in a leaping position and it took me a while to figure out that this is a design like one of those bouncy horses on four springs that you'd have been more likely to see in someones home, not in a playground....or maybe on a carousel.

Anyway, this playground might be a bit past it's prime but it has it's charms and is in the lovely and bustling Centennial Park which has washrooms, a bandstand and is nicely landscaped with lots of grassy areas for football or picnics.

Parking is probably okay on less busy days but can be problematical on Saturday's in the summer when tourists, locals and day trippers alike vie for the precious spots.

Doncaster School Playground- Saanich

2009-07-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

I've said this before but many of the best playgrounds around belong to schools. That comes with a down-side of course- they can only be used when school is out and as a result of that there are no facilities such as washrooms, but nonetheless, there are a lot of great playgrounds that can be used by the public during evenings, weekends and during holidays.

Ecole Doncaster is located on Cedar Hill Road at Rowan and for those that have driven past, it has a pretty exciting looking playground out front. This is just one of two playgrounds at the school and it is primarily aimed at bigger kids. There are two log and bar climbing constructions with a huge variety of things to climb up, down and to hang from. They are both original in design which is always nice to see in climbing frames and although there are no slides or other 'frills' here, there is a Rope-cone roundabout and this playground, which is on woodchips would offer a ton of exercise and entertainment to any child.

It was while I was trying to get 'A' to play on this side that he caught sight of the other playground which is down the right of the school and this front playground was discarded to the wayside. The second playground is bigger, more colourful and caters to a wider range of kids. It's a strange mix of old and new, with the older apparatus being wood, bar and tire like the front. There are several of these offering a range of playing activities, mostly climbing options, but they also include a metal tunnel, metal slides, and lots of hang off.

The newer additions to the playground include a decent sized climbing structure similar to some of the newer ones you see around town. It has a curly plastic slide, a couple of towers, a bridge, lots to climb up an some activity wall features.

There is a separate climbing wall and wavy climbing ladder which must be very popular at break-time and I wonder how many times a week an over-enthusiastic climber yells to be rescued from the top. This side is also on a bed of woodchips and there are large grassy playing fields to take advantage of when, of course, school is out.

Kinsman Beach Park Playground- Chemainus

2009-06-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

Kinsman Beach Park Playground can be found on Chemainus's Esplanade and is worth a visit. It's tucked in a residential neighbourhood and the park is right on the water's edge which affords good views during swinging time.

The little playground, which is on small pebbles has some interesting equipment and we found it to be a breath of fresh air. For the sake of reviewing, there are 5 separate play areas. To start off there is the usual double big kid, double toddler swing combo and as said before, there were good views of the sea and some decent people-watching if you face the right way.

The second piece of equipment is a good old fashioned slide. It's straight steps up, metal slide down and although it was a bit high for 'A's 2.5 years, I tested it out....just to be able to comment, of course, and it was a good ride. Next there are 2 things- a segmented plastic tunnel and a climbing thing with stacked plastic curved pieces and bars at the top to hold on to.

Finally there is a climbing structure. It's a small wooden tower with stacking plastic pieces to climb up, a climbing wall style ramp to climb up, a tunnel and a small double plastic slide down.

The park is quite small and has washrooms, parking, picnic tables, grassy areas and lots of shade. Couple those things with the view and this playground is well worth a visit.

Banfield Park Playground- Vic West, Esquimalt

2009-06-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

Banfield Park is tucked behind the Vic West Y on Craigflower Road. Right on the edge of the Gorge, it's the second of the Gorge playgrounds that we are going to review and it's a blinder. I've been meaning to go there for ages and now that we have been we will definitely go again because it's one of the best play structures that we have come across, even though it might not strike you as that on first glimpse.

We parked a couple of streets over and took one of the trails that runs through Banfield Park, arriving at the playground from below. Split into the usual big kid/small kid mix, the playground, which is on woodchips, is well-kept and well thought out. The small kid side roughly resembles a ship and has really cool low wiggly steps for the little ones to climb aboard. 'A' loved these steps and it's always nice to see new things, although you can now guarantee that they will be at every playground we visit for the next week now that I have said that. There are a bunch of good climbing options on this frame, two tunnels and a short wobbly plastic slide.

The big kid side features high wiggly steps, a whole big bunch of things to climb up, down, hand off and climb across, as well as a higher wobbly plastic slide and a plastic curly slide. It is really this structure that I am raving about- it doesn't look all that flashy...well, okay, it looks kind of flashy, but I am convinced that it's what kids want. 'A' is only 2.5ish and he can't use this structure to it's full extent, but there were things he could do and things to strive towards and he was very excited.

There is the usual double big kid, double toddler swing combo and there is one picnic table next to the playground though I am sure there must be more around in this pretty park. I didn't see washrooms but assume that the Y has some. There are lots of trees to find shade under and lovely rolling grassy areas that would be perfect for those not afraid of renegade beetles to roll down.

Kinsman Gorge Park Playground- Esquimalt

2009-06-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Those lucky enough to live around Vic West's Gorge not only have lovely views and great walking trails, but they also have 4 playgrounds scattered along the water's edge. We've been meaning to visit them for a while and managed to grab two this morning in a double play.

You can reach Kinsman Gorge Park Playground by turning into the park from Tillicum Road and taking the path west. The park itself is lovely- well-kept with grassy areas, picnic tables, lots of trees and gardens and of course nice water views.

The playground is slightly worn but it's got decent features and 'A' liked the fact that it was completely deserted- probably because it was lunch time. Split into two parts, the small kid side features a climbing structure with a tower, a ramp, several climbing options and a double plastic slide.

The big kid side has a whole bunch more climbing options, a wider, higher tower with a tunnel and a curly plastic slide and a straight plastic slide. There are things to hang from and even an old wooden balance beam along with a digger machine and several bouncy things. This whole large play area is on gravelly-sand and across the path towards the water there are 6 swings on small pebbles; 4 big kid and 2 toddler. It's worth noting for those that like to swing high that the big kid swings have very long chains- so the potential to go pretty high.

Wark Common Playground- Quadra Village, Victoria

2009-06-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Wark Commons is a tiny little piece of land at Kings Ave and Wark St, that has obviously been built and maintained with love. With a wrought iron sign and gardens around the edges, half of the common is taken up with a playground, the rest made up of grass and trees.

For a small playground, the climbing structure is surprisingly big. It is in two main parts linked by a climbing bridge and features wooden ramps, a tunnel, a couple of towers, a variety of things to climb up and a plastic curly slide. Separate from the climbing frame there is a single swing combo- one toddler, one big kid and the whole lot is on a sand base. This is obviously a playground with local regulars and on a sunny afternoon you'll find a few sunbathers lounging on the grass.

There are not any other facilities here but because the playground is smack dab in the middle of Quadra Village it's easy to park, find washrooms and if you need a pick me up you can go next door to Cafe Fantastico where you'll find debatably the finest coffee in town.

101 Things to do When it Rains........

2009-06-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

Well, 25 and counting.............

I started this list a while ago and got all of these fabulous contributions. I want to get to 101 one day, so if you have more suggestions, post a comment in the box under this posting by clicking on the word 'comment' and you'll be helping out a parent on a rainy day some time!

1- We like to position small plastic (or any)animals on a map of the world. We put them where the animal is from and then we talk about them make noises, discuss what they eat, the weather there, etc....
2 - build a giant fort/tent in your living room with bedsheets, make s'mores in the microwave and pretend you are camping
3- Put on your rain gear and go geocaching (or treasure hunting as my kids call it)
4 - Set up a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt in the house. Give the kids a list of what to find and clues as to where to find them..easily adapted for younger kids by making a list with the pictures of the objects they need to find!
5- One of our outdoor favourites is going to Goldstream Park in the rain! We walk to the Nature House, puddle jumping along the way, spend some time using the resources at the Nature House (they also sell drinks/snacks) - there's a library, bat cam,
microscopes, movie theatre, displays, puzzles, craft table and nature-themed books & toys to purchase. Sometimes we'll also pack a picnic lunch and eat under the covered area and enjoy the scenery.
6- Make a "time capsule". On a large sheet of paper draw an outline of your child, from head to toe. Then, have them colour it in with their favourite colours, write down all their favourite things to do, eat, see; favourite people, toys whatever is
"it" at this moment in their lives. Then date it and your children will have it to look back on at sometime in future.
7- Go to one of the wonderful swimming pools around town.
8- Be a tourist in your own hometown and go to Miniature World, UnderSea Garden, Bug Zoo, Museum.
9- See a movie at one of the theaters including Imax
10- Playzone or Tumblebums in Langford
11- Check out all the different things happening at the libraries.
12- Different kindergyms in town
13- Have a playdate at someones house
14- We like to pull out all sorts of pots, pans, lids, tupperware, etc. and make a massive, noisy drum set. You can experiment with different "drum sticks" too. We're quite fond of the metal whisk. It's even more fun if the "drum set" is in our homemade blanket & chairs fort!
15- How about potting a plant such as a tomato plant...or getting a mushroom gro-bag - then, when the next rainy day inevitably arrives, you can take some time watering the plant, talking about the plant's life cycle etc. Eventually, you'll get some food out of it too which your little one will (hopefully) be all too happy to eat up!
16- Don't forget the baking - cookies, brownies, cup cakes all fun things to eat and there is always the spoon to lick - yum, yum (find kiddie size cup cake tins, just right for small hands and mouths)
17- Potato prints with huge newsprint paper and tempura paint. You can cut the potatoes into cool shapes and the kids love it.
18- Playdough is great. Especially if you roll it out and cut out shapes with cookie cutters
19- A different take on tents is wool-maze. Collect ends of wool from all the knitters in your life (are there any left?) or buy cheapest wool. Then when the rainy day comes, choose a room and make a giant 3-D spider's web of wool, filling the whole room. Start in any corner, say by tying the wool to the leg of a bed then stretch it across the room to a shelf then across in a different direction and up to a window frame. Keep going and be imaginative! When it's finished (or the wool has run out) older children can try to get around the room without touching any wool. Younger ones can treat it like a tent.
20- Never throw out king-size cardboard boxes! Collapse and store so they are ready to become anything the kids want when it rains. A few windows and it's a play house; a side that folds half way open becomes a shop; open at the top for a boat. The
children decide on something different each time and then make up a story describing what happened in that shop/house/boat. Keep the stories!
21- Visit a farm or zoo or aquarium, then when it rains re-write Partridge in a Pear Tree based on the visit, with the children providing the words using their favourite animals. A recent one started "When we went to the farm park my mommy
showed to me..."
22- Cut out a window, the bottom flaps and the back of a big cardboard box/ poster board to make a standing stage for puppet shows. Use socks/ paper bags to make puppets and create puppet shows. You can create little plays together with varying
themes and characters.
23- Put a blanket on the living room floor, pull out the teddy bears and have a teddy bears picnic for lunch
24- Cover the kitchen table with a big piece of paper and pull out felts, glue and a bunch of bits and bobs to make a giant collage
24- Turning off the lights and closing the blinds and playing hide and seek or detectives with flashlights
25- If we are feeling lazy on a rainy day we make hot chocolate and popcorn and curl up together to have a movie time or to tell stories we make up!
26- Puddle-jumping!
27- Painting- just get really big paper and use washable paint.....

Sundance Elementary School Playground

2009-06-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sundance Elemantary School playground is on Bank Street tucked between Leighton and Oak Bay Ave, and it's awesome. Old-School Awesome. If you don't like old-school, don't even think about going there because I'm pretty sure that there has been no new equipment here this side of the eighties, possibly even the seventies. This playground could be right out of my childhood, except that it's on sand, woodchips and grass rather than concrete.

It may be old, but it's in great condition. It's design and look are outdated but it's not that faded-in-the-sun outdated that you see in the plastic playgrounds around town. before we go any further, this is a playground where you need to watch your little kids more closely because it was not designed with the safety features that we are used to today, and frankly, I am on the fence about whether this is a good or bad thing.

The playground has many features. The ones that immediately catch the eye are the three metal climbing frames- one rocket ship, one dome and one square cube-ish-laddery one. There is also a main log and metal climbing structure- which is probably the newest part of the playground. In my excitement to photograph the other features, I completely neglected to get photos of this one- but it's is plain, solid and has a few frills, climbing bars, a pole and a double metal slide. There are two toddler swings, two big kid swings, a swinging trapeze-like bar and swinging Olympic-style rings.

If that is not enough, there are some odd extras that you don't notice straight away. For a start, there is a long jump feature- a concrete running path with a sandpit at the end which I tried out several times before coming to the conclusion that flat slip-on shoes are not conducive to long jumps. Then, there are the strange little poles with balls on the end that I think must be for leap-frogging. However, there are 8 of them all in an-almost square and it makes me wonder if the school once had a leapfrog team that did mass group leapfrogging displays.

There are no public facilities in this playground but there are good grassy areas to play on, decent shade, nice rocky outcrops to scramble and climb on and if you like the old-school equipment then this is your dream playground.

Rathdown Park Playground- Sidney

2009-06-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so when we visited Tulista Park Playground we took a drive around and stumbled across Rathdown Parkwhich is at Calvin and Bowerbank. We didn't have a whole lot of time to play there, but all playgrounds are worth stopping at, which we did. It's not a glamorous playground, but it's solid and offers some nice playing options. The wooden climbing structure has a ramp, a rope ladder wall and two slides- a half pipe plastic and a higher metal. There are two swings, an old-school climbing frame which is like a long ladder that goes up, across and over (need to think of a name for that one!) and there are two swings- one toddler and one big kid. The playground is on teeny tiny gravel and the park itself is well kept. There are not really any facilities here and there is not much shade but there are good picnic tables, and benches around, and parking was easy on the side road.

We visited this playground a while ago and I needed some help in figuring out exactly where it was. One of the many helpful replies (thanks ladies) gave me this nice tidbit that I thought I should share:

"There is a very large green space that is great for flying kites and driving around remote controlled toys. It is also a good place to learn to ride a 2 wheel bike since there is a very long asphalt pathway that has soft grass on both sides. The large field also tends to flood in the winter and if it freezes the kids like to skate (with their shoes on) on the ice."

Pemberton Park Playground- Oak Bay

2009-06-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

Pemberton Park is at Richardson and Gonzales in Oak Bay and you can find their playground on Richardson, opposite Lawndale Ave.

There is one main play area (on sand)with separate swings- the usual double big kid and double toddler combination and the toddler swings go nice and high, unlike some which have low top bars and short chains. If 'A' had had his way he would have stayed in the swing all day when we visited Pemberton Park. Whoever made this type of playground must have had a large contract with Greater Victoria City for a while because there are so many around that are almost interchangeable and this is no exception; the tower, the plastic curly slide and the wooden ramp. This one has a sweet little touch- a mini picnic table and benches built into the climbing tower and the friends that we visited this park with says that her daughter likes to have pretend tea parties in there.

Whether it's unique or not, I like finding playgrounds like this. There are good grassy areas around, benches, and surprisingly there are washrooms too. Parking was easy on Richardson and there are also lots of shady areas in case it's too sunny for you and your little ones.

Victoria West Park Playground- Esquimalt

2009-06-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

Victoria West Park is sandwiched between Wilson St, Bay St and Esquimalt Road and semi-obscured by a cultural centre. There is an exciting looking little playground squatting there which 'A' points to every time we go past. We finally visited it and as it turns out, it's not actually that exciting.

Victoria West Park Playground is a pretty bog-standard Victoria playground. On sand it's one of those wood and plastic, slightly faded, slightly graffiti-tagged with some climbing options, a tower, a plastic curly slide and a tunnel. There is an old-school metal seesaw and a couple of swings set away from the main play area. Parking nearby would be easy, there's lots of grass but there are not a lot of facilities and frankly, I don't have a lot else to say.

Other than this:

You're pretty spoiled for choice when a playground like this is 'bog-standard'. It's well kept, and has good safe play options. I might not like sand...someone else might not like old seesaws, 'A' might not like the odd beetle or two that might occasionally scuttle around........but we're lucky to live somewhere with so many good play options for our children and writing this review today reminds me of just that.

Alexander Park Playground- Fernwood, Victoria

2009-06-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

Sandwiched between Bay St and Walnut St at Oregon Ave there is a little park - not much more than a grassy field, called Alexander, where someone builds amazing things when it snows. Winter 2008/09 there was an igloo that almost made me swerve the car as I drove past it looked so good.

Over on the Walnut St side of the park is a playground. It's not a big flashy affair, and it suffers from the usual fading in the sun/grafitti tagging but it's got some decent equipment and it is usually occupied.

There is one main climbing structure with a few climbing options, a tunnel, a high tower and plastic curly slide. There are swings, both toddler and big kid, an old metal seesaw, a bouncy animal and a huge bouncy double thing which I am going to have to come up with a better name for! All of this is on sand.

There are no facilities here, which is always 50/50 with a park this size but there is also not much in the way of any frills: not much shade, no picnic facilities and when I go there I always feel that the playground, and the whole park in fact, is slightly neglected.

Transfer Beach Playground- Ladysmith, Vancouver Island

2009-06-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

We got a hot tip to visit Transfer Beach in Ladysmith and we were told to 'plan to stay a while', and if we'd taken a tent with us, we'd likely still be there. Well, that might have something to do with the fact that as inept campers we'd probably still be trying to put the tent up but I guess that's missing the point. The point is, it's a lovely spot with fantastic facilities.

The beach is located off Transfer Beach Blvd which runs straight off the Trans Canada Highway and there is plenty of parking though we went on a week day and I expect that on weekends in the summer the place must be rammed. Transfer Beach Park has picnic tables, covered picnic tables, washrooms, a drinking fountain and lots of pristine grassy areas to play on.

There are three main playground areas. The first one that you get to is called Totland and is a wood construction on fine pebbles and features a plastic slide and a double plastic slide, a whole bunch of tires to climb up, ramps, tunnels and steps with a separate 'lighthouse' and 'boat' to climb on.

The second area is called Kidland and is basically a great mass of wooden ramps with swinging bridges, tires to climb up and down, slides- an old curly metal one and at least one metal double. In this area, which is also on the fine pebbles there are also three toddler swings, big kid swings and a tire swing.

Just down the grass there is a water playground called Ladysmith Centennial Spray Park which features a bunch of things that spray. The sign reads 'June to Sept- 10am to dusk'. Just over the grass, right on the edge of the beach there is a metal boat for kids to play in, which rests on and is covered in sand.

We had enough time to have a go on everything here but we didn't have long enough and will definitely be back for a full day sometime this summer.

George Jay School Playground- Fernwood

2009-06-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

George Jay School on Cook Street has a playground on either side but it's only the small one on Princess Street that actually belongs to the school. It's a run-down rusty affair and I was going to give it a pretty poor review but then I found out that they are desperately trying to raise funds to replace it.

They have currently raised about $10,000 of the $50,000 that they need to replace the playground and they are launching some initiatives to help raise the funds. On Saturday June 13th from 9am to 1.30pm they are holding a garage sale at the school.
George Jay can be found at Cook Street and Princess Street which is one block South of Bay Street on the edge of Fernwood. If you would like to contact them about a fundraising initiative you can call them on 250 385 8623 or email the PAC which is leading the fundraising campaign at georgejay.pac@vcpac.ca

Beacon Hill Park Playground- Victoria

2009-06-09T21:43:00.001-07:00

Beacon Hill Park offers a fabulous collection of things to do and see including beautiful gardens, fountains, a performance stage, a petting zoo and about one million ducks. Right in the middle of the park, where Chestnut Row and Bridge Way meet there is a great playground. Now, it's worth mentioning here that I have avoided this playground until now because like Beckwith and Tulista and the Juan de Fuca Rotary, it is one of the city's favourites and I like to think that I'm on side with the underdogs- hence visiting Beacon Hill's other playground on Cook Street frequently. Well, our trip to Beacon Hill's central playground the other day proved that old theory that favourites are favourites for a good reason.

There are two main structures here- big kid and little kid, all on woodchips. The big kid side has a good assortment of things to climb up and down and a couple of towers linked by bridges. There are two slides; a short curved metal slide and a higher metal curly slide- both of which were almost too hot to ride when we were there- but we can only hope that that stays- right? There is a plastic fake rock wall at one end which 'A' loved climbing up.

The smaller kid side was really hard to photograph because of all the children, but it has two small linked towers and again two metal slides a short double one and a medium height metal one- both straight. There are a bunch of good bouncy things- a metal climbing frame car and two big kid swings/ two toddler swings. Plus.....there is a cement circle that has a water feature- this wasn't on when we were there but I will try to find out the times.

There are fabulous facilities there too: Picnic tables and a covered picnic table, washrooms, drinking fountain, parking nearby and there is even a creepy building behind the playground that might once have been the washrooms but is not all locked up.

Just to show that it is human- this playground is subject to the usual graffiti tags- but in true West Coast style, the tag scrawled on the back on the climbing frame car reads 'Honk for Hemp'.

Playground of the Week!!!

2009-06-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Tulista Park Playground in Sidney is our newest playground of the week as voted by you! Hollywood park Playground in Oak Bay gave it a serious run for it's money but the final tally was in favour of Tulista.

The results were:

Tulista Park Playground 52%
Hollywood Park Playground 35%
Windsor Park Playground 5%
Lafayette Park Playground 5%

New playgrounds up now so cast your vote...........

Bright Angel Park Playground- Cowichan Vally

2009-06-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

You can find Bright Angel Provincial Park on the Koksilah Road between Cobble Hill and Duncan. Drive as far as you can get into the park and you'll reach a parking area where there are picnic facilities, washrooms, a suspension bridge and oddly enough, a playground. It's a far cry from the playgrounds that we normally review......well.....for a start it's a far cry from anywhere. But there is a lovely quality about a forest clearing, shafts of sun leaking through the leafy ceiling, soft pad of packed dirt and woodchips under feet and the primal screaming of thirty teenagers playing on the equipment.

Sadly enough, I couldn't get good pictures of anything here except for the climbing frame above. The equipment is pretty old but I wouldn't expect anything else somewhere like here. There is a crazy set of old-school wooden and metal seesaws- four of them in a row joined together. There are six swings, two toddler and the rest big kid and a funny thing about the toddler swings is that they are hung so low that 'A' might of climbed in himself if he hadn't been clinging to us in fear of the teenagers. Because they are so low, they actually have the capacity to swing really high- that's if you don't mind bending down to push them.

There is also....drum roll...a roundabout- which I just found out is called a merry-go-round in Canada (I'm British originally) which sort of negates my entire naming of this site- but I guess it's far too late to change that now. The roundabout is an old metal thing and kept us entertained for a while watching the teenagers spin each other round faster and faster until someone flew off and limped off.

There is a lot to explore in Bright Angel Park and though the playground will never be famed for it's innovative and shiny equipment, I am sure any child would have a lot of fun here.

The watering Can at Beacon Hill- Victoria

2009-06-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

We've been past the Watering Can at Beacon Hill Park, officially known as the 'Watering Garden' many many times and until about a week ago I thought it was just a large piece of outdoor art. All I can say is "If only all large pieces of outdoor art had buttons on that when pressed, produced water!"

At this point before residents or visitors who know Victoria's climate burst out laughing, it's worth noting that at the time of writing we are in the middle of a super, super heat wave and frankly if there could be a fountain of cool water squirting through my kitchen as I write this I'd be pretty happy. Plus the insurance would probably cover my dream kitchen makeover instead of me having to pray that Debbie Travis will pay me a visit any time that I leave the house....which likely isn't going to happen....but back to business anyway.....

So, the watering Place is an enormous watering can that doubles as a water playground for the little (and big) ones. It wasn't actually on at the time I was there with my camera but if you want to see it wet, google it and choose 'images' and you'll see a slew of photos. We will definitely be coming back soon.

You can find the Watering can at the entrance to the park at Simcoe and Douglas. Just in case you're interested, there is some pretty cool info about the Watering Garden here

I couldn't find the hours that the water is turned on but will post them as soon as I find them. Oh, yea...the usual blurb....washrooms located nearby next to the playground and Beacon Hill Park has a TON of activities, picnic tables, grass, ducks and of course our favourite, the Children's Farm aka the Petting Zoo.

lambrick Park Playground- Gordon Head, Saanich

2009-06-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've heard a fair bit about Lambrick Park in Gordon Head and how much people enjoy it so it was on our must-see list. I was a bit surprised when I drove up and this was it.

The Playground basically consists of a tall metal slide, a 'climbing car' and four swings- one toddler and three big kid. This is all on sand and underneath nice shady trees. Lambrick Park itself has a lot to offer, playing fields, courts, the Gordon Head Rec centre and of course the kind of facilities that go with it all.

I am of the philosophy that any playground is better than no playground but there are better ones around Victoria, even around Gordon Head, (such as Blair though no facilities and not a lot of shade and Sierra- again no facilities). The phrase 'fun is what you make it' pops into my mind when I see a playground like this because it may not be big and flashy but to some kids and probably some mums and dads, it's probably the best playground in the world.

Saseenos Elementary School Playground- Sooke

2009-06-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Saseenos Elementary School is on the Sooke Road just east of Sooke and the mere sight of their playground sent our preschooler 'A' into a tizzy. "Stop!" he shouted from the car as we drove past "I NEED to play". Never ones to cave to orders from the back seat, we drove on and had to listen to whining for the subsequent couple of hours until we drove back on our way home.

This playground is probably a toddlers dream set-up with it's sprawling landscape of ramps, low-level climbing features and activity walls. I just tried to list an inventory of all the features on this wonderful structure but honestly, there is too much to describe. There is a double plastic slide, a higher metal slide from a tower that has several climbing options for the kids to get up.

When we were there it was completely deserted but I could picture it in action with fifty kids running around happily. There are six big kid swings- no toddler swings and the base is woodchips. There is a playing field next to it and the backside of the playground has thick trees behind it's fence. There is a picnic bench but because it's a school and out of bounds for the public during school time, there are no additional facilities to use on weekends. Of course, there is no fighting for parking when school is out and the only thing that I could fault about this playground would be the proximity to a busy road, but it's well fenced off.

Rainbow Park Playground- Swan lake, Saanich

2009-06-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

You can find Rainbow Park Playground on Rainbow Street just south of McKenzie. The park itself is mostly a green field with some trees dotted around and considering it's close proximity to both McKenzie and the Pat Bay Highway, it's surprisingly nice. And it's neighbour park, Swan Lake Park is fabulous, though more like trails, ducks and wooden trestles than swings and roundabouts.

So, speaking of playgrounds, this one is pretty good. You can park on Rainbow Street and if you get there early enough you can claim a spot of shade under one of the trees that is close to the playground. There are two climbing structures, a large one for bigger kids and a tiny little one-slide tower for the smaller kids. The big kid climbing frame has good climbing options including a wooden ramp with chain/wood supports to climb up, other climbing options and a separate 'thing' a sort of wooden platform with bars that one can climb on, linked to the main structure by one of those ladders in the air to hang from. The words aren't flowing today so forgive my vagueness.

There are two toddler swings and two big kid swings and the toddler swings are nice and high so that 'A' actually believed it when I told him that he'd be fired off to the moon if I pushed him any harder, which was just my way of getting out of pushing any more because my swing-induced repetitive strain was playing up.

There are no facilities here except for picnic tables and the whole thing is on a bed of sand. Oh! And there is another of those cool seesaws like the one in Sierra Park Playground except it doesn't seat four and it doesn't like my weight quite as much

Sooke Elementary School Playground

2009-06-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Sooke Elementary School Playground is located on the Sooke Road between Charters and Church, and as with all school playgrounds is off-limits to the public during school hours.

So...during off hours there is no competition for parking, but there are also no facilities open. The playground itself has four big kid swings set slightly away from the main climbing structure. The structure itself is big and offers many climbing up, climbing down and hanging off options. There is a high metal slide and a lower double metal slide and it's all on a bed of woodchips. There is a bench but no shade for those hot days.

This playground has some nice details on it but apart from that there is nothing extraordinary about it- saying that, it's pretty good, and if, like us you're on your way home from a day out in Sooke, it's a good place to stop and play to ensure your little ones sleep all the way home!

Sierra Park Playground- Saanich

2009-06-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

We went to Sierra Park today after receiving a hot tip and we will definitely go back again. It's a lovely park- surprisingly big with a tennis court, lots of grassy areas, picnic tables and a great little playground.

The playground is in two parts for big kids and smaller kids, both on sand. The smaller side has two swings; a toddler and a therapeutic. There is a climbing structure with a ramp, a double metal slide, a few bouncy animals and a digger machine. The big kids side has two swings, a plastic curly slide, a good range of climbing options including a sort of balance beam built into the middle of the climbing frame and a separate set of climbing bars. It also has a fabulous seesaw. We haven't seen a seesaw like this yet and it's the first one that I have come across that doesn't threaten to catapult 'A' into space the second I put any weight on it. PLUS, it actually sits four!

There are no frills in this park. When we were there it was the hottest time of the day and although there are trees around there is very little shade and the bits that there are would fill up pretty fast on a weekend. 'A' found a new thing to bother him today- hot sand. At least it wasn't beetles, ants, dogs, wind or loud noises. Sigh.

Centennial Park Playground- Central Saanich

2009-05-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

A while back we got a hot tip to review Centennial Municipal Park Playground in Central Saanich and the top-tipper said "The ghost town of playgrounds because there is never anyone there". Well, the top tipper was right. My photos are lousy because it was deserted and spooky and I was running to get away. Okay, so that's not strictly true.....there was no one there and then when we were leaving and about to take photos a bunch of children came screeching towards the equipment and I had to take a fast shot before they were all over it.

Anyway, it's one of the few playgrounds that we have visited that is completely surrounded by forest- which in hotter weather is great because it provides tons of shade. The playground is a small part of a large park just south of Saanichton which features lots to do including walking trails.

There are two main structures, on a bed of woodchips with a separate swing set that has two toddler and two big kid swings. The smaller climbing structure has a tallish tower with a metal slide which links to a smaller tower via a bridge (always a hit with 'A')with double metal slides and there are a reasonable number of climbing options. the bigger structure seems older and has a few things to climb up and a higher tube plastic tunnel (think static!). There are also some bouncy animals for those that like them.

This playground isn't overly impressive but the shady location and other facilities makes it a pretty attractive destination. There are lots of playing fields and courts around and the facilities right by the playground: drinking fountain, washrooms and a great covered picnic area are ideal.

Memorial Park Playground- Esquimalt

2009-05-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Memorial Park is a well-kept, leafy little park situated on the Esquimalt Road. There are lots of trees, so lots of shade, benches, picnic benches, grassy areas to play on and a surprisingly large playground area. There are two main play areas the first with a larger climbing structure aimed at bigger kids. This has a high curly plastic slide and a double metal lower slide and there a small range of options for things to climb up and hang off. There are some old-school balance beams which 'A' is really into right now and the whole lot is on a sandy base.

The other main play area is aimed at smaller kids and as well as the small climbing structure with wide metal slide there are 6 bouncy or twirly things and a digger machine, all also on sand. Now here's the sign that we are getting blase about this whole playground thing.......I stopped writing down details and now I can't remember exactly the swing set up but I think that there were two big kid and 4 toddler but I may be wrong. There are swings there at any rate and 'A's little sister had her first swing in one which resulted in her letting loose her maniacal baby laugh which drew a small crowd.

The thing that differentiates this playground from others is that it has a boat in it. A real, metal life size boat, the MV Centennial, which the kids were loving. There is also some old artillery equipment around the park that adds to the military feel and hopefully those don't work otherwise expect to see overzealous ten year olds engaging in cannon fire on the news any day.

You can park on Park Terrace or we used the car park over the road at the mall but you're probably not meant to do that. I also didn't see washrooms but I am sure I'll be corrected on that one if there are some there. Overall this was a decent playground in a nice setting and we'd definitely go there again.

Ryan Street Playground- Victoria

2009-05-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sandwiched between two parts of Ryan Street that don't meet (between Mt Stephen Ave and Cedar Hill Rd), there is a lovely little green space with one of those playgrounds lost in time. Actually, the bits of apparatus that are there are most likely just lost in grass rather than time.
There are rocky outcrops to climb on, trees and bluebells scattered around and hidden in the long grass there is a high metal old-school slide on sand, a seesaw on grass and then on the other side of the path there are two toddler and two big kid swings on sand. I have to admit that I relish finding oddball little parks like this one. I am not convinced that 'A' felt the same way though and he stood deliberating the long grass that he was going to have to wade through in order to get to the slide for some time before yelling "Pick me up".

Tulista Park Playground -Sidney

2009-05-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to have moved to the new rating system (where you rate it using the 5 star system on the top of each posting) because I would be terrified to give Tulista Park Playground in Sidney anything less than...hummm....20/10. I have received over TWENTY top tips to go review this one and they have all been extremely enthusiastic and if I dared to give it less than top scores those tip emails might turn to hate mail!

So when we packed up the car and drove to Tulista Park I was filled with hype, expecting to see some towering sparkly construction that would make Beckwith Playground seem inadequate and I have to be frank here, I was disappointed. What I saw was a hodge-podge of climbing structures and playthings surrounded by a wire fence and plonked down in a stunning location right by the water. For some odd reason, I couldn't find a way in. We circled most of the way around the playground before entering through an awkward gate that required some creative moves with the stroller. After we were inside, I saw that there were at least three more gates in including one that was right by where we parked. So that was my first embarrassing mistake. The second was getting the stroller stuck in the pebble base and needing help to get it to some shade (thanks to my helper!). I'll tell you about the third later.

So whatever Tulista Park Playground lacks in wow factor, it makes up in for function. There are three climbing structures. The first is a large wooden, construction that includes lots of climbing options, a metal curly slide and two plastic tunnels, a full tube and a half tube. 'A' went on this one briefly but said it was for big boys. The second structure was a big hit with 'A' who spent the most time on there. It features little-kid-friendly climbing options, a curved plastic slide, a double bumpy plastic slide and a huge yellow tunnel. The third structure is actually an enormous Little Tikes plastic castle with slides. 'A' seemed to like this one at first but grew bored quickly so it's definitely a great toddler option. There is also a thing with no name, three tunnels to crawl in that meet in the middle- the sort of thing that the Tombliboos from the Night Garden might live in- but I couldn't get a photo as it was always occupied when we were there.

There are swings scattered around, two big kid and four toddler and there is a covered area with picnic tables adjoined to the playground. There are washrooms, somewhere to buy snacks and of course there is a lovely expanse of grass leading to the seawall, and the views are beautiful.

As we left I saw possibly the cutest car in the world parked next to mine and as I was checking it out I managed to crash the stroller over the car park curb which sent my purse flying and two mothers had to run to my help (thanks ladies!). After all my blunders I should have sworn never to return but as we drove off 'A' dictated that that wouldn't be the case in one simple statement. "That's my favourite park mummy".

Sit down before you read this!!!

2009-05-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Swings and Roundabouts crew does not want to be responsible for anyone fainting but.....this was the sky outside today. Finally it's playground weather. Say no more.

Windsor Park- Oak Bay

2009-05-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

Windsor Park Playground in Oak Bay is at the backside of the playing field next to the tennis courts and you can park on most roads around it. On it's bed of gravelly sand, it features a climbing structure with triple plastic bumpy slides, and a small selection of things to climb on and down. There are a couple of bouncy animals , two toddler swings, two big kid swings and there is a picnic area between the courts and the playground that is covered by a shelter.

There is an digger machine and a rather peculiar set of wooden beams, one I presume for somersaults and one for balancing. Although I will reinforce my theory that any playground is better than no playground, this one seems a little uninspired. However, it's in a great location, is in good shape, has lots of grass around to play on and I am sure any kids would have lots of fun on it. There were probably washrooms that you can use at the building on the playing field but I can't confirm that.

Wesley Park Playground

2009-05-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

About two years ago I passed through a small park tucked between Bay St and Wesley Place where i was surprised to see a run-down, outdated little playground and to be honest, I've been saving it for a poor review. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I stumbled through the alley that leads from Bay St, pre-schooler in one hand, camera in the other and found this! It's new........a hidden little gem.

Wesley Park Playground is not a huge playground so there isn't a lot to say, but on the other hand, I've seen a lot smaller. On a woodchip base, this playground features two structures one big kid, one smaller kid linked by climbing apparatus. Both sides feature appropriate things to climb up and down and metal slides. There are four swings, two toddler, two big kid and benches for parents and grass for your pet goat to graze on. I have no idea why I just wrote that but I am going to leave it in because it livens up an otherwise unnecessarily dull review of a perfectly good playground. You could park on Wesley Place but there's not tons of room there and I get the feeling that this is a walking destination playground. There are no other facilities but in case you work up a healthy appetite playing, there's one of the best fish and chip shops in the city just round the corner on Haultain. This playground was a pleasant surprise and we will definitely be back again soon.

Lafayette Park Playground

2009-05-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

The people who live around the tiny little Lafayette Park are lucky. It's a nice quiet area with well-kept houses and the sea is near. There is a country village green feeling to the park which makes me think that if you added a cricket match, cucumber sandwiches and a country pub, everything would be complete. Instead of that dream scenario, there is a sweet little playground.

On a circular bed of woodchips, this playground features one climbing structure that has an assortment of things to climb up and down. It has a fun triple bumpy plastic slide, one bouncy animal and a pudding basin. There are no swings and it's hard to rate a playground like this because it's a bonus to have the playground, which is in great shape, there at all. When rating, I try to look at overall facilities and condition and who it caters to and this little gem is really one of those that everything is right with, nothing should be any different but it just isn't going to score that highly because there's not a lot of it.

There is parking on Hampshire Road, lots of grass to play on, picnic tables and there are even nice details on the underside of the slides. For those that like a good old fashioned explore, there is a hole in the hedge that 'A' was somewhat preoccupied with.....and considering his current fear of beetles, ants, loud noises, quiet noises, tiny little gusts of wind and anything that looks like a worm, I didn't encourage him to go in there so can't comment on what's inside.

Hollywood Park Playground

2009-05-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hollywood Park is between Earle St and Fairfield Road and it's a nice little playground definitely worth a visit.

There are two parts to the playground which is on a sand base: big kid and smaller kid sides and there are grassy areas, picnic tables, washrooms and parking. The big kid side has a slightly older wood/metal & plastic structure with a choice of things to climb up and down though not tons compared to some of the newer playgrounds around Victoria. The curly plastic slide is a fast one and 'A's hair stood up on end when he got off it. I'd like to think that it was in sheer excitement but it was probably the static. There's a similarly static-inducing bumpy slide too, which 'A' refused a second trip down- take that as you will but perhaps it was something to do with the beetle languishing on the sand at the bottom.

The toddler side, which is built in the same wood/metal/plastic combination has a ramp, a platform area with some activities and a tower with a wide metal slide. 'A' stood lookout on the tower until a pre-school group barreled over and despite him frantically saying "Hi" to all the girls, he didn't succeed in making any new friends and was stubbed when one of the girls asked to hold my hand on the way down the slide. He informed me it was time to leave at that point and in my rush to obey I completely forgot to note how many swings there were. Oh the shame.

Playground of the Week!

2009-05-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Beckwith Playground is our second Playground of the Week, with a massive 52%
Congratulations Beckwith!

The new voting will be up in a couple of days, delayed slightly by my roadtrip. Don't forget to check back in and vote.

Here are the full results from last week:

Beckwith Park 52%
Rotary Park 17%
Rotary Water Park 11%
Playfair Park 11%
Montreal & Niagara 5%

Seattle Roadtrip - Volunteer park Playground

2009-05-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

I am sure some Seattle residents would throttle me for not giving this popular playground higher dues, so I guess it's a good things that I am a good arms length away (on a map).

Volunteer park is pretty much a Seattle institution and rightly so. It's a huge park sprawled across a hill with some lovely views, lots of grassy areas, wooden areas, picnic areas, a botanical gardens and an Asian Art Museum. And of course, there is the very popular playground too.

It's a weird one. For a start, the first thing I noticed about the climbing structure was that there was something oddly familiar about it and then I realized that the stairs were actually a spiral staircase. There are stone steps leading down into both the big kid area and the toddler area and in the middle of each set of steps there is a slide. It gave me an idea about implementing the same sort of slide system into office buildings for saving precious seconds at lunch time. The third unusual thing is a giant statue placed at the far end of the playground- the end that overlooks the enormous cemetery- which presumably is for climbing on.

Both the big kid structures and the toddler structures, which are on sand, have lots to do, but I didn't really feel that it was inspired. Then again, the sunlight coming down through the leafy trees was beautiful and the whole playground merges sympathetically with the surroundings. There are a total of five slides, a tunnel, lots to climb on, four swings (two big kid, one toddler, one therapeutic) and a couple of bouncy animals.

Seattle Roadtrip - W Queen Anne Playfield Playground - 10/10

2009-05-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

The third of the four Seattle playgrounds that we visited is located in the corner of the W Queen Anne Playfield and is yet another gorgeous playground.

There are two main structures linked by a rope bridge which 'A' actually conquered fear to climb across, Man on Wire style (well, if holding your mum's hand counts). The whole playground is well thought out, well kept and the kids there loved it. There are four slides, a double plastic curved, a straight metal and a high bumpy curved plastic one too (big-time static!). There are tons of ways to climb up and lots of things to hang from and there is even a sort of built in bike that doesn't really do much. believe me I tried it with the brief hope that it might help take off the pizza from the night before but I don't think the two awkward turns that I managed will have done much good for me. Sigh.

The playground is on woodchips and has that large bouncy surface between the main climbing structure and the swings. There are lovely sculptured rocky walls to sit on under the shady tree and even a sandpit filled with good quality toys. There are the usual double double swing combinations (two toddler, two big kid) and lots of places to sit and play for those not wishing, or being too old to play on the apparatus. I didn't see washrooms but there are probably some at the bottom of the hill and even if there are not, I don't really see how they could improve this playground.

Seattle Roadtrip - Miller Playground

2009-05-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

This is the second out of four 'guest' playgrounds to be featured from our trip to Seattle and if you draw lines between all four you can more or less pinpoint where we stayed.

The Miller Community Center is located on 19th Ave E and seems to be a hub of activity. It was a hot day when we visited and the water feature, a fabulous fountain-like design that shoots up blasts of water high into the air was far more popular than the playground next to it.

The playground itself is on a woodchip base and has a large climbing structure with lots to climb up, down, hang off and an assortment of slides: a short plastic curly slide, double metal slides and a higher plastic curly slide. There are several bouncy things, a short fixed zip slide and a tire swing. There are also six swings, two toddler, three big kid and one therapeutic.

There are good facilities there, washrooms, drinking fountain and lots of grass to play on. Then of course there is the water fountain feature which I was tempted to go in to cool down, but 'A' was a bit intimidated by the sheer bulk of the water flying around. Mind you, he is intimidated by a bit of drizzle too so that might not be a good measuring stick. This is a well-appointment, well kept playground that any child could enjoy.

Seattle Roadtrip - Bobby Morris Playground

2009-05-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

We have been away from Victoria for a few days and we just can't stop the whole playground thing. Now we know that lots of Victoriaites?...Victorians?....residents of Victoria go to Seattle from time to time so here is the first of a few playgrounds that you might want to check out next time you're down there.

Bobby Morris Park Playground- 10/10

Bobby Morris Playfield is situated between Capital Hill and downtown. It's a lovely city playing field, with landscaping, fountains, playing courts, lots of grass and, a fantastic playground.

One of the interesting things about this playground is that the whole thing, including the separate swing sets, is set on a sprung spongy surface, like the spongy mats you've seen on this site, but all one large piece and bouncy. I LOVE this surface. It's definitely my new favourite surface and seeing as we live in a world that has moved a long way from the concrete and gravel surface that the playgrounds of my youth stood on, guilt free, I feel fantastic about my kids playing on flooring as cool as this.

The Bobby Morris Playground has two separate structures that stand in a specially designed, sculpted area that overlooks playing fields and is stroller and wheelchair accessible. The larger of the structures features lots of climbing options, wheels to turn, a curly slide, a double metal slide, lots of things to hang from and a wooden bridge. The smaller structure has a second curly slide, lots of climbing options and a really cool feature, a xylophone built into the bars.

There are six swings, two toddler, two big kid and two therapeutic swings. There is a very modern, aesthetically pleasing seesaw that promises excitement but does little else but bounce slightly. Being the US, there are also clear instructions for how to use the equipment correctly, which doubles as protection against potential parents suing after their firstborn scrapes a knee.

I didn't notice if there were washrooms, didn't notice if there was a drinking fountain and have no clue how easy it is to park there but this playground can do no wrong and I stand by my 10/10 score. If all big cities had lovely parks like this so near the city centre the world would be better place. And no, I haven't been drinking.

BC ferries Playground

2009-05-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

I dare not rate this for fear of some horrid retribution from BC Ferries. However, as residents of Vancouver Island, and as parents, most of us have used and will again use the sweet little playground on the BC Ferries.

The one pictured here can be found on the two Spirit boats, the newer Coastal Celebrations boats have different play areas. It's really just aimed at the very little kids, but in lieu of there being a separate area for bigger kids, you often see larger bodies hurtling down the plastic slide towards a helpless toddler and you draw in sharply, hoping that neither one is your child. There are also several car or boat playthings which can be sat on and 'steered'. The walls are painted nicely and the whole playground is on a nice bed of carpet.

These playgrounds are very popular and I like the added touch of the hand sanitizer for when for when you leave. Hey! That's a thought, if all playgrounds had mandatory hand sanitizing BEFORE kids could use the apparatus.....just think how many less days off work you would have to have every year!

Queens Ave Playground

2009-05-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

There are two playgrounds alongside of George Jay School on Cook Street. One belongs to them and is in serious need of an overhaul. The other is in the grassy park at the dead end of Queens just East of Cook St. and contrary to what most people think, this bigger playground doesn't belong to George Jay.

The playground on Queens has the usual double big kid, double toddler swing combination and then it has two climbing structures, a sprawling one with ramps ('A's favourite) and a small sort of slide tower with double plastic slides, all over a woodchip base. The larger structure has lots of things to climb up, run down and it spans several platforms all joined in one way or other- and a plastic slide.

And, stop the clocks.......this playground has a roundabout too! It's a bit beaten up and it looks really old-school, but it goes around and around and I get that feeling that I'm about to throw up. The roundabout is about the most interesting thing here, though this playground is near to our house and we actually quite like it. It's worn and although it is almost never empty it never seems to have many people using it either, though during school breaks it is probably covered in school-kids and the poor school first-aid room must get regular casualties who received rope burns from their first and last attempt at using the rope as a fireman pole.

Centennial Park Playground - Langford

2009-05-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I think that this playground is called Centennial Park but I'm open to negotiation about that! It's situated just off Goldstream Ave on Carlow Road and has plenty of parking right in front of the little park.

Spilt into three sections, there is a small side for toddlers, a bigger kid side and smack in the middle is a small water park. All three areas are on pebble beds.

The toddler side has a newer metal climbing structure with double plastic slides, lots of things to climb on, a couple of bouncy animals and a pudding basin. There is also one of the old school digger machines. This area is set down slightly from the nicely kept grass and is circled by a low wall, which 'A' took great delight in running around, ignoring the flashy climbing frame proving my theory that kids can see ways to have fun regardless of where they are or what's available.

The big kid side has a wooden structure with a variety of ways to climb up and a spiral slide down. 'A' tried very hard to keep up with his 4 year old friend on this side but in the end it was too big for him and when he did get to the top it required a bit if deft climbing from me to help him down the slide on my knee. Which I enjoyed of course. There is a beam on this side where there must have been a tire swing at some point but sadly it's gone now. Over the grass just past this side there are washroom blocks. There are also picnic tables dotted around and some trees if you need some shade.

The middle water playground part looks like the oldest part of the park and features a metal and wood fire truck climbing structure, a high metal slide that comes down the side of a hill and water spray nozzles dotted around. The water wasn't on when we were there but it looked like it would be fun.

Unless I am completely losing it....which is entirely possible seeing as I spend my days reviewing playgrounds, I don't think there are swings in this playground. Despite parts of the park being a bit old, everything looks like it's been well-kept and loved.

Beacon Hill Park (Cook St) Playground

2009-05-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Beacon Hill Park has two playgrounds, one near the beloved petting zoo and the other on Cook Street just south of Cook St Village.

The Cook Street playground is a prime example of a playground that is much loved, much used but that isn't going to score too highly because frankly, it's worn out. Before I start to get hate mail I should say that Beacon Hill Park is a lovely park and a fabulous resource to have in the middle of a city so I feel bad knocking it.

The playground is split into two parts for big and little kids. The side for smaller children is on a bed of sand and features a double set of swings- toddler and big kid, a climbing structure with two metal slides, a tunnel and a bouncy horse. When it was built, there is no doubt that this was an excellent structure but it's past its best and the slides are worn, the plastic sidings are faded and tatty and the metal has rusty parts. 'A' seems to prefer the big kid side in this playground but he is right on the edge between wanting things his size and the thrill-seeking of a climb on something that is a little too big for him.

The big kid side, which is on woodchips, is an older wooden structure in about the same condition. It features a ramp with rope to climb up, various other climbing places, a bridge, some things to hang from and, believe me here, the most static-y slide you will ever come across. Heed my warning, when you pick up your excited toddler from this rather fast yellow plastic slide, you will hear a loud crack, your child's hair will stand on end and your fingers will go numb for a brief moment.

On the big kid side there are also swings, a frail-looking seesaw and along with the picnic tables, water fountain and grassy areas, this playground, although in need of a face lift is almost never empty.

First EVER Playground of the week!!!

2009-05-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

(Fanfare)......and the winner with 35% of the votes is......Franklin Green Playground.

Congratulations to Franklin Green!

UPDATE: I emailed The North Park Neighbourhood Association to inform them about their Playground of the week win and this is the reply email I received:

"Thank you for your e-mail.
We are proud of our little park and are glad that others like it as well.
We hope that it continues to entertain the whole family.
Cheers
Alex"

The next playground of the week voting has now opened. Don't forget to cast your vote!

Here are the full results:

Franklin Green Playground 35%
Cadboro-Gyro Playground 23%
Topaz Park Playground 23%
Willows Beach Playground 17%
Central Park Playground 11%

Blair park Playground - Gordon Head

2009-05-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Blair Park Playground is located at Blair Street & Carnegie Crescent in Gordon Head, Saanich. It's an unassuming little park, no facilities but nicely kept and the playground is surprisingly good for the size and unassuming-ness of the park.

On a sandy gravel (or gravelly sand base- depending on how you look at it) base, this playground is reasonably new and features a climbing structure with an assortment of things to climb and hang from, and with two metal slides, one quite high and one low and wide. There are four swings, two toddler, two big kid, though the big kid ones seemed wonky when I tried them out. There are another four swings set slightly away, like they've been shunned by the rest of the playground for being a bit too old or something.

There is a metal car feature which 'A' climbed into excitedly and out of pretty quickly when he realized that it really wasn't any more than a posh bench. Finally, da da daaa (that was a fanfare) there are two quite interesting and surprising features to this playground. The obvious one is the tall rope-strung roundabout thing. I'm going to call it a cone-rope roundabout. All I can think when I see it are unfortunate school kids being tied to it by more fortunate school kids and being spun around until their faces contort like they are on the wall of death rides at travelling funfairs. Mind you, I just re-read what I wrote and it didn't make it sound very nice but it is a pretty cool feature- and I do like roundabouts as you know. The second unusual feature is a balance beam. Never seen one of these in a playground before and I would like to make some witty comment about it but I can't think of any. I'm far too balanced today.......uggg.....

Playfair Park Playground

2009-05-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

If you have never been to Playfair Park you should swing by (there you go dad...a pun just for you!) sometime because it's really pretty. I stumbled across this park about three years ago and although I don't go there very often it seems to pop into my mind frequently.

You can get to this small park from a number of directions but the official entrance and car park are accessible from Rock Street which runs off Quadra. It's one of the local places where they are running a Garry Oaks restoration project- if you had an older child who was into nature it could be fun to visit all of these. 'A' didn't care about the beautiful Oaks with shafts of sun seeping through onto the thousands on bluebells; oh no.....he was too busy tiptoeing through the grass on the lookout for evil beetles.

The playground is nestled into a corner where, surprisingly (small park)there is also a washroom block and a picnic table. On a bed of sand (you know how I feel about sand) the climbing structure is wooden and provides a number of ways for children to get up, and down, on one of the two plastic slides. There is a bright blue tunnel to scramble through which 'A' loved, and good old-fashioned tires to climb up, where he experienced his first accident since we started this project- a slip of the foot and he momentarily disappeared between the tires and the climbing frame. Thankfully, the SAND broke his fall (thanks sand!). Riding the bouncy deer ,which incidentally looks like it ran aground in the sand, consoled him and we quickly moved on to the swings- the usual double big kid, double toddler combination.

This is a lovely little park with a well-kept old school playground.

Rotary Water Park AKA Peter Pan - Oak Bay

2009-05-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

Rotary Water Park is situated in Carnarvon Park, on Henderson Road in Oak Bay. We went there this morning after receiving a top tip from a Swings and Roundabouts contributor and according to 'A' it was a good time to go because there were no other people there.

It's a weird little playground in a busy park. Surrounded by playing fields and tennis courts, the water park is enclosed by wire fences and has an assortment of 'flooring' types; painted pool concrete (where the water flows), spongy floor mats, woodchips and grass. There are benches and picnic tables around for those not running through watery arches, over little wooden bridges or frolicking around one of the numerous jet sprays. The taps weren't turned on when we were there (Mid-May through June 11am-4pm, July through Sept 10am-6pm - weather permitting)which is good considering that we were fully clothed. With the taps off and the lack of people, the gaily coloured playground featured were almost spooky. However, 'A' was excited from the moment we stepped inside as he let out a little squeal as he rushed over to the train and started frantically trying to steer it away from the 'river' it was about to drive through!

The water park/playground is a bit dated and worn, and it obviously gets a lot of traffic through during sunny times. There are two little wooden bridges, a climbing frame structure and afore mentioned train. There is a little wooden house with metal stairs up and a metal slide down and 'A' was delighted to go up and down this several times before he noticed the zip-slide hiding in the back. The zip-slide is the longest I've seen in a play park this side of the Eighties! It's a bit rickety and I wouldn't advice adults to use it as you can see from the video. Sigh.

The park is a funny combination of separate little areas with separate features, none of which seemed to be constructed in the same era. There are three bouncy things in a woodchiped area, the house with the slides, a tire swing, the zip-slide and the usual double/double swing combination with two very worn toddler swings and two big kid swings. There are washrooms, picnic tables and parking and there are trees and shady areas.

As far as a challenging and exciting playground goes, I wouldn't score it too highly, but as far as an interesting and engaging water park, it's pretty good. 'A' liked it a lot and I had fun; fell off the zip-slide and got a plastic burn from the tunnel slide....however I can't help but think that the whole place could be improved by a bit of TLC.

How to ride a bouncy deer

2009-05-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head

2009-05-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

Or, "Weendops keep falling on me 'ed" as 'A' says.

Pulling on muddy buddies and wellies and jumping in puddles at the playground can be a lot of fun, but sometimes it's a stretch to think of new things to do when we can't go outside. Our mission today is to get together 101 things to do when it's wet outside (or as many as we can get) and then I can put it all together and post it permanently on this site so that when any of us run out of fresh ideas, we can take a look at the list and stop the 'bored' from setting in. This could be indoor things, outdoor rainy things or places to visit. If you have a photo of your rainy day idea, I can post it for you if you email it to me at victoriablog@yahoo.com
Thanks!

We will start things off:

1- We like to position animals on the map where they are from and talk about the animals. We make noises, talk about what food they eat, where they live etc....