The Whole World is Our Playground: Park Review - Lakeshore West

We went for a walk along Lakeshore west via the chain of parks that line the lake this past spring, but I never got around to posting a review of it, so I figured why not now in case anyone else wants to do some exploring on a long weekend.

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.

Park Name:

Marilyn Bell Park (Lakeshore Boardwalk west)

Parking:

 There is metered pay parking just west of Ontario Place/Exhibition Grounds.  By TTC you can take the 509 Harbourfront or 511 Bathurst Street car to the CNE grounds and walk from there. 

Chris clearly had no clue that Jack was capable of climbing this!

Theme of Park:

Long wooden boardwalk along the lake that is peppered with playgrounds, statues, snack stands and the occasional cafe. 

Coverage:

Grass, sand, wooden board walk and flat concrete bike paths. Some trees along the paths.

Variety of Equipment for different ages:

 The playgrounds here are pretty retro with some basic old school equipment (not always in the best repair) including slides, swings and climbers.  

Best Parts of the Park:

The view of the city, the lake and the boats is amazing! I should note the importance of the dinosaur statues. The boardwalk allows for toddlers to toddle without the threat of cyclists or roller blades. I recall Jack constantly trying to throw himself into the lake for most of the journey - which is likely why I hadn't posted a review until now, nearly six months later.  There is also a biking area complete with ramps for BMX biking near the paid parking.

Downfalls:

 This is more about the walk, the view and the ambiance than the playground equipment.  There is very little shade, so bring some sunblock and a hat.  This would be a great stroller walk with younger ones or biking expedition for little ones who've had some biking experience.  The water could pose a danger....we had Jack on his "tether" the entire trip to prevent a spring time polar bear dip into the lake.  I recall spending a lot of time waiting for tantrums, but that's hardly the parks fault. 

Overall Rating:

This is a really pretty walk.  I highly recommend it for spring and fall to avoid big crowds, especially if you're travelling with little ones.  I rate this park 3/5, but it will get a higher score when I'm confident that Jack isn't going to walk the plank.

To read my review of Jean Sibelius Square click here

To read about an autumn hike in High Park click here

The Whole World is Our Playground: Vine Avenue Playground Review

This weekend it was hot.  Hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, only the minions aren't old enough to really appreciate that one yet, so we'll keep that trick up our sleeves for now.*  So instead we decided to hit a local playground that features a splash pad with a little help from my brother.

 

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.

Park Name:

Vine Avenue Playground, Toronto Ontario

Location:

Vine Avenue,  just north of Dundas just west of Keele Street

 

Parking:

Some Street Parking for free (we walked over)

Theme of Park:

No real theme there, bright primary colours on the equipment.

Ground Coverage:

Small wood chips for the actual playground, grass in the outer area and cemented around the wading pool.

Variety of Equipment for different ages:

The park had great equipment for older kids with a few prime choices for the little ones (a lot of baby swings and spinners for Jack and a sandbox for Molly).  The play area separated nicely, and far from the road, so supervision becomes more about playing with your kids than preventing Jack from playing Frogger in the road.  The main draw for the younger kids is the wading pool.   The Splash Pad is open this year from June 28 - September 1st. Most of the children here while we played ranged from age one to eight.

 

Washrooms:

There were washrooms, but the doors were pad locked and there appears to be a Fry Guy guarding the place.

 

 

 

 

 

Special Features:

The splash pad has recently undergone a face lift and some maintenance thanks to the My Park is DiVine project that is selling T-shirts to help fund the beautification of the playground wading pool.  This pool is supervised with wading pool life guarding staff during designated hours (on Sunday they were there from 10am-6pm). 

 

Downfalls:

The actual play equipment is for kids a little older than ours, so for this summer and maybe next we will only really use the park for the splash pad.

Best Part of the Park:

The parents.  Everyone was so friendly and willing to encourage** their children to share and play well with other children. 

 

Tips:

Bring some buckets and beach balls so your kids have some fun items to play with while they wade.  Also, bring a pair of flip flops and prepare to get wet yourselves.  Oh, and don't forget to bring a towel!***



Overall Rating:

4/5

 

To read my review on Vermont Square Playground click here

Want Multiple Momstrosity updates on Facebook click here

 

*I'm really excited to fry an egg on the sidewalk because my mom would never let us do that growing up because it was a waste of food.  Stupid, sensible mom.

**AKA Force.

***100 bonus points for anyone who picked up on that South Park reference.