The Whole World Is Our Playground: Christie Pitts Playground

The summer continues to be a scorcher, and I have to be honest, I'm one of those people who loves this kind of heat.  Especially when I can take some time with Molly and Jack to explore a local playground.  And at the end of the day we have air conditioning, time our outings for minimal heat exhaustion, and then there's always ice cream!

Approaching the park

My park review disclaimer: If you don't live in the area I hope you enjoy the pics and can use some of the ideas to inspire and explore in your own city. If you have any recommendations for great playgrounds (or new criteria I haven't thought of) please post a comment on this post or email me at multiplemomstrosity @ gmail.com .

Park Name:

Christie Pitts

Christie and Bloor

Parking:

There is cheap pay parking most of the week on Bloor, or it's also a very short walk from Christie Subway Station.

Theme of Park:

Classic playground sunken in the park, with ample green space for non-playground activities. 

Ground Coverage:

The playground is surrounded by grass and has sand around the majority of the equipment, with some of the newer equipment having wood chip ground coverage.

Variety of Equipment for different ages:

This playground is great for kids of all ages with a variety of climbers, swings and slides.  The playground also has an old school spinner which the kids played on for a little while.  From July to September there is a wading pool with lifeguards for those who really want to get wet.  Older kids can enjoy the "maze" painted into the floor of the wading pool and see if they can "find" their way out.

Best Parts of the Park:

There is some great shade cover here, particularly on hotter days.  A rare gem is how this park also has a clean (for a public washroom) available for day use.  Molly and Jack fell in love with the tall towered spider webbed climber here and spent a lot of time here.  When Jack climbed too high for his own comfort level an older (9ish year old) boy helped direct him down, which really helped build his confidence.  Kids playing here were happy to include each other, which was nice.

Climbing the green web at Christie Pitts 

Downfalls:

This park is busy and downtown.  We saw a toddler get trampled by someone playing Pokemon in the park and not paying attention to his surroundings, and there was some broken glass around the playground we needed to avoid.

Overall Rating:

I would rate this playground a 4 out of 5.  The kids had so much fun and were thrilled when I told them that we'd be stopping at the Baskin Robbins right beside Christie Station on the way home.  An overall win with both kids playing really, really well, particularly when I was one parent watching two minions.  We'd go back again.

Splashing around Christie Pitts

To find 10 more free splash pads around the city to beat the heat click here

To read my review of High Park's new splash pad click here.


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Cruel Summer - 10 Free Splash Pad and Wading Pool Options in the GTA

There have been a number of heat warnings issued in the city of Toronto over the past few weeks and the toasty weather is going to stick around for at least a few more days. While we can retreat into the air conditioning to keep us cool in the evenings or night, summer is still summer and we want to make sure that we enjoy the great outdoors while the sun is still shining.  There is plenty of time in the winter to hibernate.

Why not slather on some sun screen and take the family to a splash pad or wading pool!  Below are 10 great free parks that feature splash pads and wading pools, organized by area.  The links will take you to more detailed reviews of each.  Splash pads in Toronto are open from 9AM-8:30PM daily until September 20th.

Jack enjoying the splash pad at Marie Curtis Playground.

Uptown

Yonge and Davisville - Neshama Playground - Innovative park and splash pad that is completely accessible.

Yonge and Eglinton - Sherwood Park - Great park with small splash pad.

Downtown Toronto

Bathurst Street South - Little Norway Playground - cool lion slide and splash pad (aka "hot mom park")

Dupont and Bathurst - Vermont Square Playground - playground features a splash pad and a sandbox with a tap to make mud pies.

Etobicoke/Mississauga

South West Toronto/ Mississauga Border - Marie Curtis Park  - Extensive Splash Pad with Muskoka Chairs for caregivers to watch and giant sun umbrellas for some shady coverage.

Central/West Toronto

Dufferin and Bloor - Dufferin Grove - Well shaded park that includes a splash pad.

Junction - Vine Avenue Playground - Basic but functional wading pool to cool off, although often busy.

Junction Triangle - Perth Square Park - Hidden Gem, with a splash pad. 

West of the City 

Mississauga/Oakville border splash pad that includes rainbows and giant sun umbrellas visit Lakefront Promenade Playground. 

Brampton - For a splash pad, trains and so much more visit Chinguacousy Park.

Stay Cool...

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