Area: Whitby South

Age Range: 2 to 5 yrs

Parking: limited street parking off of Watson Street E

Ground Cover: gravely sand

Main Equipment (updated in 2018):

• 2 swings
• 2 infant swings
• 1 accessible bucket swing
• 1 slide
• 1 teeter rocker

Accessibility Features: bucket swing

Facilities/Other:

• Splash Pad

Surrounding Park Area: a small suburban park for tots that also has some grassy areas and a small concrete pad for bouncing balls

Seating: 2 park benches and 1 picnic table at the main play structure, and 2 park benches by the swings and tire swing

Shade: morning shade and some afternoon shade throughout the park from the surrounding trees

Overall assessment: A quaint neighbourhood tot lot with small Splash Pad. This is definitely going to be a quieter park than nearby Kiwanis Heydenshore, especially if you are looking for something for younger kids close to the waterfront. The infant swings are conveniently located in the main playground area but the other swings are across the park and will require either friends or additional supervisors if visiting this little play space.

Archival photos from before the 2018 park renovation are below;

Area: Whitby Waterfront

Age Range: 12 years old and up

Installed: 2012 - Durham's 1st ever outdoor Fitness park!

Parking:  plenty in the parking lot off of Water St

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

• 4 elliptical machines (*NOTE 2 elliptical machines state 15yrs+)
• 2 hand bikes
• 2 chin up bars
• 1 rowing machine
• 1 leg press machine
• 1 ab crunch machine
• 1 lat pull down machine/ 1 push up machine
• 1 parallel bars

Accessibility Features: one piece is stated to accommodate a wheelchair

Facilities/Other:

• see Kiwanis Heydenshore Park post
• washrooms 9am to 9pm (seasonal)

Surrounding Park Area: located on the beautiful waterfront trail with equipment facing directly towards a serene lake view

Seating: none in the immediate area

Shade: a lot of morning shade offered by the surrounding trees

Overall assessment: This is a great addition to the Whitby waterfront as it provides an additional fitness element to your daily run on the beach; or if you're like me you can check it out once in a while when you feel guilty about those extra donuts with your double double.  This park is meant for those 12 years old and up, however, two elliptical machines state 15 years old and up.  The fitness equipment is arranged in a circuit pattern but is not necessarily meant as one since there are 4 elliptical machines side by side. A neat feature is that some of the equipment have a QR barcode to scan with your smartphone for further instructions.  (*NOTE it is recommended not to use the equipment when it is wet.)

Area: Whitby Waterfront

Age Range: 5 to 12 years

Parking: plenty in the parking lot off of Water St

Ground Cover: mulch, and recycled rubber materials under the spinning apparatus

Main Equipment:

• 4 swings
• 2 infant swings
• 1 saucer swing
• 4 slides
• 1 doughnut spinner
• rock climbing apparatus

Accessibility Features: ramp (but limited access to the play structure as it does not reach either slide at all), music station, saucer swing

Facilities/Other:

• Splash Pad
• FIT gym
• washrooms (seasonal from 9am to 9pm)

Surrounding Park Area: located on the beautiful waterfront trail and right next to a small park with green space

Seating: 5 park benches around the playground, multiple park benches and picnic tables are scattered throughout the surrounding park
NOTE: BBQs are only permitted when you reserve one of the two large picnic shelters through the Town of Whitby office

Shade: morning shade on the playground and some shade provided by the surrounding park trees in the afternoon, and picnic tables within the trees offer all day shade as well as those within a picnic table weather shelter (which also have small outdoor BBQs; bring your own fuel)

Overall assessment: A great climbing playground for bigger kids!  There are multiple rock climbing surfaces and a rope course for creative climbing.  The smaller slides require some agility to get over the spaced ladder bridge (off of the ramp which doesn't make it a very accessible slide).  This is also a great park for swinging with so many swing options.  (*NOTE the swings are a bit further away from the main play structure so if you have kidlets that will play separately it's a good idea to bring extra friends or supervisors along.)

Area: Ajax North

Age Range: 5 to 12 years

Installed: 2013

Parking:  plenty of parking in the adjacent Audley Recreation Centre lot off of Audley Rd and Williamson Dr

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

• 2 saucer swings
• 2 pedal racers
• 2 zip lines
• 1 slide
• 1 teeter rocker
• 1 body roller
• 1 rope web
• 1 four seat spinner
• 1 Dinosaur Dig

Accessibility Features: zip line bucket seat, ramp, body roller, saucer swings, four seat spinner, arm pedal racer, music stations

Facilities/Other:

• Splash Pad
• 1 basketball court
• 1 tennis court
• Audley Sportsplex playground
• Audley Recreation Centre skatepark

Surrounding Park Area: located on the south side of the Audley Recreation Centre (not visible from the parking lot off of Audley Rd & Williamson Dr) and adjacent to a Splash Pad; there is also the Audley Sportsplex playground on the north side of the Recreation Centre

Seating: many long concrete benches surrounding the playground and beside the Splash Pad (under a canopy)

Shade: no shade on the playground, some shade under a canopy beside the Splash Pad

Overall assessment: One of the best Accessible playgrounds in Durham!  A challenging all inclusive play area with many different pieces of equipment to interact with including a special climbing rock and four seat spinner.  This is definitely a playground for the older kids (although our three year old loved it) as little ones would find it difficult climbing the step ladder to reach the slide (but they can always help out at the Dinosaur Dig!).