Browning Park Playground- Saanich

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

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

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.

Majestic Park Playground- Saanich

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.

Willows School Playground #1- Victoria

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

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.

Howryod and Onyx Park Playground- Saanich

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!

Craigflower Park Playground- Victoria

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!

Oaklands Community Centre Playground- Victoria

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

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

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.

Allenby Park Playground- Victoria

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.

Montague Park Playground- Gordon Head- Saanich

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

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.

Fireman's Park Playground- Oak Bay- Victoria

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?

Leighton Park Playground- Victoria

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 ;)

Horner Park Playground- Saanich

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

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!

Linden and Chapman Park Playground- Fairfield, Victoria

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

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?