Category: Accessible Station

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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Terry Fox Park

9/21/2017

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Area: Central Ajax

Age Range: infant to 10 years

Parking:
Weekends - plenty in the Terry Fox Public School parking lot on Kerrison Dr & Fletcher Ave
Weekdays - limited street parking off View Street or Monk Cres (closest to the playground)

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

7 slides
2 swings
2 infant swings
2 firepoles
talking tubes
2 ground level activity stations
multiple monkey bars

Accessibility features: 2 activity stations. talking tubes

Facilities/Other:

soccer field

Surrounding Park Area: A paved walking path weaving through the school's field and access to side streets

Seating: 1 park bench facing the smaller play structure, 3 park benches facing the green space behind the park (north of theschool)

Shade: no shade over the playground, plenty in the surrounding trees

Overall assessment: This is a great park to go to for the green space behind it! Since it's neither a soccer pitch or softball field, you can use it for pretty much any games or activities (think kite flying). There are two good sized play structures at this park too to make for a great game of tag or hide and go seek. Do you think seven slides are enough to keep your kids happy? That's right 7 slides!!

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Iroquois Park Sports Centre

9/15/2017

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Area: South Whitby

Age Range: infant and up

Parking: plenty of parking at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre lot off of Gordon Street

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

4 slides
2 swings
2 infant swings
2 music stations
1 standing spinner
1 spider web rope climber
1 double teeter rocker
1 single rocker
braile station
multiple climbing apparatus

Accessibility features: ramp access to the smaller play structure (but not to the slide), music stations, braile station, driving station

Facilities/Other:

6 illuminated tennis courts (read more from the Whitby Tennis Club)
3 illuminated tournament quality baseball diamonds
two unlit ball diamonds
fully lit tournament quality soccer pitch
washrooms (only during hours the Iroquois Park Sports Centre is open)
Iroquois Skatepark

Surrounding Park Area: A paved walking path weaving through the Athletic fields to the East parking lot where you will find the Iroquois Park Skatepark

Seating: 2 park benches

Shade: no shade over the playground, some shade in the surrounding trees

Overall assessment: I almost thought I would find Spiderman at this playground! Seriously though it is definitely the place to go for rope climbers! The intricate larger play structure is a circle of climbing apparatus that has a tall slide attached to one side. There is a ramp on the smaller play structure, but it sadly doesn't lead up to the small slides (there are a few steps in between), but it does lead to two music stations, a driving station, and a couple other stations along the way. I think when my preschooler is older I will definitely be bringing her here to climb all day long!