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!

Victor School Playground- Victoria

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

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

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

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

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

Ecole Quadra School Playground- Victoria

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


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


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

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

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

Ecole Victor-Brodeur Playground- Esquimalt

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

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


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

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

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

Doncaster School Playground- Saanich

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

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



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

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



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

Sooke Elementary School Playground

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

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




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