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Durham region
​playground reviews

Sandy Hawley Park

4/29/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Area: North Oshawa (2500 Kentucky Derby Way, Oshawa, ON)

Age Range: toddler and up

Parking:  small parking lot with 5 stalls plus 2 accessible stalls

Ground Cover: mulch

Main Equipment:
  • 3 slides
  • 1 swing
  • 1 bucket swing
  • 1 infant swing
  • 3 spinners
  • 1 teeter rocker
  • 1 giant climbing boulder
  • 1 musical station
  • 1 farm gate sales stand (ok we made that up, but it is a great pretend play barn!)

Accessibility Features: music station, bucket swing

Facilities/Other:
  • Sandy Hawley splash pad
  • half basketball court
  • soccer pitch with 2 long team benches

Surrounding Park Area: A small green space in front of the park, and a bike lock station

Seating: 3 covered picnic tables between the playground and splash pad, 2 park benches by the half basketball court, and two long metal team benches behind the playground in the soccer pitch

Shade: none over the playground

Overall assessment: A cool new themed park based on the old Windfield Farm site (neat fact; the climbing boulder was original to the old Windfield Farm and was incorporated into this playground design). The kids loved the barn 'loft' and the really steep racing slides. They look steep but don't go quite as fast as you'd expect. One of the neat features we haven't seen very often anymore is a climbing ramp with rope to pull yourself up. It uses all kinds of coordination and muscles! They've already asked to go back to the 'farm playground' so I guess the theme was a hit!
0 Comments

Frenchman's Bay Ratepayers Memorial Park

6/14/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
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
​
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! 
0 Comments

Canadian Street Parkette

6/29/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
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!
​
0 Comments

Rosebank South Park

5/13/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
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.

1 Comment

East Beach Park

7/18/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
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).
2 Comments
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Durham Region Playground Reviews

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  • Long Live Outdoor Play
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    • Playground Reviews >
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