Blog Archives

Ernie L. Stroud Park

7/22/2018

Area: Southwest Pickering

Age Range: toddler and up

Parking: some street parking on Steeple Hill

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

5 slides
1 swing
1 infant swing
2 vehicle stations
1 bus stop play area (under the toddler play structure)

Accessibility Features: vehicle stations, talking tubes

Facilities/Other:

water efficient native perennial garden (with sign)
carved ash bench installation

Surrounding Park Area: A small green space behind the playground, a small water efficient native perennial garden in front of the playground and a walking trail

Seating: 2 benches right beside the small play structure, large carved ash tree bench behind the big playground structure, and a few park benches throughout the rest of the park around the walking trail

Shade: none over the playground, lots of shade in the surrounding trees throughout the park

Overall assessment: A great park for toddlers and older siblings as there is enough to do for everyone. With the walking trail behind the park, it can make for quite an outing if you are looking for more to explore. The carved ash tree bench was almost more popular for my two little ones than the playground was itself, so make sure to take a moment to climb over there too! If you are looking for an example of native perennial plants, there is a perfect water efficient example here with an informative sign (I will be sure to make note of changes I can make to my own garden during these hot summers in the future).

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Portage Park

7/22/2018

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Area: South Whitby

Age Range: infant and up

Parking: small parking lot off of Portage Trail (intersecting with Channel Drive)

Ground Cover: mulch on the larger playground, rubber surface for the toddler playground -NEW as of 2018! (previously they were both sand)

Main Equipment:

5 slides
5 swings (1 saucer swing)
2 infant swings
4 teeter rockers
2 sitting spinners
1 inclusive spinner
2 accessible stations (1 arm bike, 1 vehicle station)

Accessibility Features: saucer swing, inclusive spinner, sitting spinner, accessible stations - NEW as of 2018! (previously there were no accessible features)

Facilities/Other:

see Portage Park Splash Pad post
1 Baseball Diamond (lit)
1 Soccer Pitch
1 Basketball half court
seasonal washrooms (portable - from May to first week of October, 9am to 9 pm) in the parking lot

Surrounding Park Area: green spaces, fields, and large shady trees

Seating: three benches facing the playgrounds and splash pad in the shade pavilion, two benches at half court basketball, bleachers at ball diamond

Shade: none over the playground, shade pavilion over the three benches, some shade in the surrounding trees

Overall assessment: Enjoy a day trip to this park complete with splash pad, plenty of picnic spots (bring your own blanket), and seasonal washrooms. There is more than enough parking to meet up with friends, play tag through the trees, half court basketball, or baseball. 2018 UPDATE: this is now one of our favourite toddler parks because the smaller playground is all on a rubber ground covering! I am also excited with the new accessible features that have been added to the playground. The kids love spinning themselves on the inclusive spinner (the big green 'thing' that you will see a video of below). We hope you enjoy this newly renovated park as much as we do now!

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Lakeside Neighborhood Park

7/19/2018

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Area: Southeast Ajax

Age Range: 5yrs and up (it's a bit more intermediate)

Parking: some street parking on Audley Rd S / Hoile Drive (they merge around the curve right in front of this park)

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

1 slide
3 swings (1 bucket style, 1 saucer style)
2 hammocks
1 climbing rope structure
2 blue rock climbing walls
2 standing spinners
music station

Accessibility Features: music station, hammocks, bucket and saucer swings

Facilities/Other:

close to Carruthers Marsh Splash Pad and Ashbury Park (5-8min walk away)
also almost beside the Waterfront Trail Parkette swings

Surrounding Park Area: A small green space around the playground, right on the Ajax Waterfront Trail

Seating: 2 benches right beside the park, large rock retaining wall structure around the playground, and several benches in the area along the Ajax Waterfront Trail

Shade: none over the playground, some shade in the surrounding trees along the waterfront

Overall assessment: This park was built for obstacle course racing! It has two standing spinners that act as great starting points for a team race through the playground. The saucer swing is amazing as it has a beautiful view of the lake off in the distance to the West. Maybe you can catch a sunset here? The best part is that there are more swings across the field behind the park at the Waterfront Trail Parkette, and it's just a few minutes walk away from Ashbury Park and the Carruthers Marsh Splash Pad!

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Horne Park

7/12/2018

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Area: Northwest Ajax

Age Range: infant and up

Parking: some street parking on Horne Ave

Ground Cover: sand

Main Equipment:

5 slides (2 metal ones on the larger play structure)
4 swings
2 infant swings
2 teeter rockers (one whale, one atv)
1 climbing rope
1 rock climbing wall
1 fireman pole
1 playhouse mansion (that's two small houses put together)

Accessibility Features: talking tubes in the sand of the larger play structure area (so not very wheelchair accessible with the sand)

Facilities/Other:

Horne Park Splash Pad

Surrounding Park Area: A small green space around the playground, and a small field behind the splash pad

Seating: 1 picnic bench in the shade pavilion behind the toddler playhouses, three curved benches facing the playgrounds closest to the infant swings

Shade: none over the larger playground, some late afternoon shade over the smaller playground playhouses, and a lot of shade in the surrounding trees

Overall assessment: A great park for multiple ages. The playground mansion (because it is the largest park playhouse we have ever seen) is perfect for toddlers and younger kids. The sand in the toddler playground area is finer and has less rocks than the larger playground side (we suspect it had a fresh dump of new sand this year) and with the new splash pad right next to it, makes the perfect combination for sandcastle building when the kids are tired of sliding, swinging or climbing. It's a great local park and has amazing grassy shaded areas in the trees for picnics too! I just wish there was a seasonal washroom here when we visited....maybe next year?

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Telford Park

7/9/2018

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Area: North Ajax

Age Range: infant to about age 5

Parking: some street parking on Telford Street
weekends: Vimy Ridge public school parking lot across the street

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

2 metal slides (1 is a wider toddler one)
2 infant swings
climbing ramp

Accessibility Features: none

Facilities/Other:

close to seasonal portable washroom at Vimy Ridge park (5min walk North)

Surrounding Park Area: A small green space around the playground

Seating: 4 park benches facing the playground

Shade: none over the playground itself, but some in the surrounding small trees

Overall assessment: A toddler friendly park with a wide toddler friendly slide is the best when teaching young kids playground safety (like sliding feet first). And we can't believe there are four park benches here, which is perfect for meeting up with other young families for park play and snacks! Our 13 month old had no problem climbing the stairs and once we taught her how to go feet first down the slide, this circuit entertained her for a good fifteen minutes (see video below, although we don't recommend siblings catching at the bottom usually). It's also a great toddler park because there is a seasonal portable washroom only a 5 minute walk North to Vimy Ridge park.