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.

Fern Street Secret Playground- Victoria

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.

Gorge Waterway Park Playground- Victoria

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.

Transfer Beach Playground- Ladysmith, Vancouver Island

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.

Beacon Hill Park Playground- Victoria

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'.

Centennial Park Playground- Central Saanich

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

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.

Tulista Park Playground -Sidney

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".

Beacon Hill Park (Cook St) Playground

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.

Willows Beach Park - Oak Bay- Victoria

Willows Beach Park is a strange mix of the fabulous and the outdated. You don't get much better as far as views go. Check out the sea view from the swing! There are good facilities too- washrooms and picnic tables and a snack bar that was probably serving the same snacks to Victoria residents back in the 80's. There is a water fountain by the washrooms but it wasn't working when we went there.

There are three structures here and also the usual double double swing set- two for big kids and two for toddlers. The toddler climbing structure is wooden and set away from the rest of the playground. It has things to climb on, ply with and a wooden swing bridge that freaked A out a little- it's really not scary but then again A is 2.5 so who am I to say what's scary? There are twin plastic slides.

The big kid structures have lots to do. One is new and has the things for which I have no name- check them out in the glossary. It seemed pretty popular while I was there. The older structure needs updating- it's metal with a curly slide, lots to climb on but it's rusty and peeling and loses points to the playground overall- though the children playing on it really didn't seem to notice. The playground has a pebble base which I quite like.

There is a lovely grassy area behind the playground and you could throw a stone to the beach/sea, which is what we did on the way back to the car. Speaking of which, there is parking all along Willows Beach on Esplanade Street and more parking on the other side of the beach in the carpark but on nice days you might want to walk or ride a bike because it gets very busy.

Despite needing a bit of work, this is a good place to come with kids- Victoria at it's best.

Topaz Park- Victoria

Okay so today we began 'Project Playground' and BOY is it hard getting decent snap shots of playgrounds without getting anyone in the picture!

Anyway, Topaz Park playground is located on Glasgow Avenue which runs off Topaz between Quadra and Blanchard. I've been eyeing this plaground for a while and A and I tried it out today and I have to give it a 9/10. That might start off giving the impression that I give out high scores easily- I don't! However, this playground is a peach.

It is spilt roughly into two sides, big kids and little kids, and it has a woodchip surface- which I happen to like. Located in the corner of Topaz Park means that it is relatively quiet, has nice views and there is a ton of space where you could kick a ball around or have a picnic. There are public washrooms in the park a minute's walk away and there is a water fountain right there at the playground.

The little kid's side- which is where A plays has two baby/toddler swings and a really good climbing frame with a choice of options for how to climb up that include steps, chain steps and even some weird mushroom type pedestals. There are two metal slides down. The big kids side has a lot of climbing options including a climbing wall and it has a high metal slide and two swings.

The playground is relatively new, in great shape and was clean and filled with friendly people when we were there. In my opinion this is a fabulous playground and we will definitely go back again and the only place it loses points is that for some odd reason, the baby/toddler swings are really really high. I am tall but someone had to help me get A into it and I can't help but think that some people would not be able to get their kids into it.