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.

Cordova Bay Road Playground- Saanich

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!

Fisherman's Wharf Park- Victoria

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.

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.

Cecelia Park Playground- Victoria

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

Luxton Fairgrounds Playground- Metchosin

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.

Banfield Park Playground- Vic West, Esquimalt

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

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.

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'.

lambrick Park Playground- Gordon Head, Saanich

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

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.