Area:   Southeast Pickering

Age Range: best for 5 to 10 years

Parking:  limited street parking on Commerce Street (East of Liverpool)

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

• 3 slides (1 twirly)
• 1 teeter rocker shark
• 1 monkey bars climber
• 1 standing spinner
• 1 low hammock (like a swing)
• 1 periscope and 1 ship's wheel

Accessibility Features: low hammock, bow of the 'ship', and small store on the backside

Facilities/Other:

• basketball court

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Surrounding Park Area: a nice small field behind the playground with a path that will eventually wind between the new development

Seating: 2 park benches in the shaded pavilion, 1 park bench facing the basketball court (first time we have ever seen this!), and 2 park benches at the back of the small field behind the playground

Shade: no shade on the playground, some shade provided by the shade pavilion in front of the park


Overall assessment: A cute ship themed playground for Pickering close to the waterfront (walking distance). With an accessible ship bow, ship store (on the backside), upper wheel and periscope, this playground is meant for imaginative exploration. Perhaps there may be a geocache to discover in the adjacent park space one day! 

Area: North Pickering

Age Range: 18months and up

Parking:  some street parking off of Canadian Street

Ground Cover:  wood chips

Main Equipment:

• 1 saucer swing (was not up when we visited)
• 1 slide
• 1 beaver rocker
• 1 climbing tree structure

Accessibility Features:  one saucer swing (was not up when we visited)

Facilities/Other:

• none

Surrounding Park Area: small green space and some small surrounding trees

Seating: two benches facing the playground, additional rock seating around the park

Shade: none over the playground itself, small shade pavilion over two benches at the one entrance to the parkette

Overall assessment: This is a fun small Canadian themed parkette with a unique tree climber good for a little entertainment at this new playground. It's nice to see small parkettes being added to brand new neighbourhoods!
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Area: Pickering South

Age Range: 5 to 12 years old

Parking:  limited street parking along Rosebank Road

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:

• 2 slides
• 2 spinners 
• 1 rope web 
• climbing apparatus 
• train noise button (behind the slides)

Accessibility Features: ramp to the top of the slides, play stations beneath the slides

Facilities/Other:

• train viewing platform

Surrounding Park Area: small green space and nice garden path through the park

Seating: 2 park benches, rock seating wall along the back edges of the playground, and rock seats by the pergola at the top of the slides

Shade: early morning shade provided by the park retaining wall, no shade through the rest of the day on the playground, pergola offers shade for top park bench


Overall assessment: One of Pickering's newer playgrounds that has a fabulous accessible slide!  This is a fabulous park to go if your child likes to watch the trains go past along the train tracks.  The raised seating area provides a fantastic front row seat to the trains passing by. A neat feature (I am told) is the train sound button behind the slides. Sadly the batteries were not yet replaced when I visited in the Spring, but they are checked every year.

Area:   Central Bowmanville

Age Range: 2 to 12 years

Parking:  parking lot on East Beach Rd in front of the park

Ground Cover: wood chips

Main Equipment:

• 2 swings
• 2 infant swings
• 6 slides
• 1 adventure rocking raft
• 1 rock climbing wall
• 1 play pirate ship structure

Accessibility Features: 3 accessibility stations (along the edge of the park with paved path access)

Facilities/Other:

• Splash Pad
• washrooms
• waterfront trail

Surrounding Park Area: some small green fields around the park between the washroom facilities and the lakeshore, but this park is also right on the beautiful waterfront trail!

Seating: multiple park benches and picnic tables

Shade: some shade from surrounding trees, pavilion with shade for a few park benches

Overall assessment: Plan on spending a few hours or half a day at this park!  With a boat theme and lakeside location, these two playground structures offer plenty to keep kids big and small busy for hours!  And don't forget swimsuits for the splash pad too!  If you do forget to pack a picnic lunch there is a nearby restaurant to grab some grub (Bobby C's Marina Restaurant).

Area: East Whitby

Age Range: 2 to 10 years

Parking:  parking lot off of Canadian Oaks Drive, and larger parking lot for the sports fields off of Willow Park Drive and Hazelwood Drive

Ground Cover: artificial surface under playground and one set of infant swings, wood chips under other two swing set locations

Main Equipment:

• 6 swings
• 6 infant swings
• 3 slides
• 1 spiral slide
• 1 fireman pole
• climbing apparatus
• 1 rocker

Accessibility Features: ramps up both the large and the small structures, activity centre, talking tubes, parallel bars, and two boat bow structures

Facilities/Other:

• Splash Pad
• washrooms (first week of May to first week of October: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
• 2 soccer fields
• 2 tennis courts
• 1 baseball diamond
• 1 basketball court

Surrounding Park Area: sports fields and some open green space

Seating: 12 park benches

Shade: no shade on the playground and very little shade offered by a few surrounding trees

Overall assessment: This park has a fun pirate ship theme!