Category: Clarington Playgrounds

Garnet B. Rickard Rec Complex Park

5/13/2022

Area: Bowmanville (2440 Highway 2, Bowmanville, ON)

Age Range: recommended ages 5 and up

Parking: large parking lot at the recreation complex

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

4 slides
1 spinner
1 rock and rope climbing wall

Accessibility Features: none

Facilities/Other:

2 fully lit baseball diamonds
Carson Elliott Skatepark behind one of the ball diamonds

Surrounding Park Area: A large green space between the two ball diamonds

Seating: none at the playground, some picnic tables in the trees beside the park

Shade: none over the playground

Overall assessment: A park that is great to play tag at because there is enough space to run and enough things to climb on. Perfect to burn off energy while waiting for siblings or parents playing at the local ball diamond.

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Avondale Park

8/31/2017

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Area: East Courtice

Age Range: 18 months and up

Parking: some street parking on Avondale Drive

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

5 slides
2 swings
2 infant swings
1 rock climbing wall
2 fireman poles (1 is toddler sized!)
1 standing spinner
1 sitting spinner

Accessibility Features: sitting spinner, talking tubes

Facilities/Other:

Splash Pad
2 Tennis Courts

Surrounding Park Area: A green space with a circle of sitting boulders between the playground and tennis courts

Seating: 1 park bench facing the playground by the larger play structure, 4 park benches under the shade structure, rounded hills of interlock bricks along the playground fence, and sitting boulder area beside the playground

Shade: none over the playground itself, but some over the interlock hill from the surrounding trees, shade structure over 4 park benches, and surrounding tree shade behind the playground

Overall assessment: We like that there is a fence along the back of the playground that runs along Avondale Drive so it's easier to watch running toddlers at this park. When we visited the smaller play structure tube connecting both halves was not there (we assumed damaged and was removed for safety) but each half still had climbers or stairs and a slide so it was fun to explore and use. The best part about the toddler play structure was the miniature firepole! Our preschooler knew exactly what to do and dared to approach and reach out all on her own to slide down it (see video below). The interlock hill along the fence of the playground reminded us of parks we visited in Japan because it had many toddlers crawling up and exploring balance on the bumpy surface. This is a great park to spend a picnic at because of the adjacent soft surfaced splash pad.

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West Side Park

7/9/2017

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Area: Southwest Bowmanville

Age Range: infant to 5 yrs

Parking:
Weekdays: some street parking on West Side Drive (opposite side of the street from the park)
Weekends: large parking lot at Dr. Ross Tilley public school on West Side Drive

Ground Cover: sand

Main Equipment:

2 infant swings
3 slides

Accessibility Features: none

Facilities/Other:

see West Side Park Splash Pad post
1 Soccer Pitch

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

Seating: 2 park benches between the park and splash pad

Shade: shade structure over both park benches, some shade in surrounding trees

Overall assessment: A little toddler park next to a small splash pad post.

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Walbridge Park

6/28/2017

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Area: Newcastle

Age Range: 18months and up

Parking:
Weekdays: very limited street parking during school hours
Weekends: plenty of parking at the Newcastle Public School lot

Ground Cover: mixed sand

Main Equipment:

1 swing
1 infant swing
3 slides

Accessibility Features: none

Facilities/Other:

see Walbridge Park Splash Pad post
1 soccer field
1 basketball court

Surrounding Park Area: open green space and some surrounding trees

Seating: four benches facing the playground, additional benches around splash pad area

Shade: none over the playground itself, small shade pavilion over one bench facing the playground, surrounding trees providing some shade

Overall assessment: A great park for a day trip because there is a splash pad and plenty of weekend parking with the school lot right next to it. Invite friends to meet you at this park!