Wednesday 21 May 2014

Just another Brick In the Wall - Non-Traditional Playground Reviews

There are lots of traditional playgrounds around the city where we take the minions that I review for this blog, but there are also a lot of other destinations designed to keep both big and little people entertained. 

My park/outdoor destination 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:

Parking:
 There is a decent amount of parking for $6-8 full day on weekends and holidays or $1.50 an hour.  The park has a shuttle bus that runs every half hour from Broadview station on weekends and holidays.

Theme of Park:
Brick works is a community environmental centre that inspires and equips visitors to live, work and play more sustainably.

Evergreen Brickworks Toronto

Ground Coverage:
 Mixture of hiking trails, markets, quarry and children's gardens. 

Variety of activities for different ages:
There are a lot of activities at Brick Works, all updated frequently on their event/main page.  We went on the holiday Monday to play in the Children's Garden and enjoy the Brewers Backyard offerings at Brick Works.  Every Saturday from May 1st - November 1st Brick Works hosts a farmers market with over 65 vendors from 8am-1pm.  May 18th marked the first Junction Flea - Brick Works  Market of the season.  

Best Parts of the Area:
There are a lot of different areas for kids to run and play and the beer garden hosted a variety of foods that kept Molly and Jack entertained while we enjoyed the sun and a tasty beverage each.  Sweet Pete's bike shop is on location so people looking to get a ride can shop/ get a tune up on site.   Brick Works is dog friendly with restrictions on where puppies are allowed to play.

Evergreen Brickworks Toronto

Downfalls:
There were a lot of kids ages 4-5 who were really enjoying building stick and brick sculptures in the Children's Garden, but Molly and Jack weren't really into it beyond exploring the grounds. I imagine there is a lot of novelty in getting your hands dirty for those who are raising their kids in a condo or high rise, but since we had just spent the majority of the weekend working on our own personal garden with the kids the space didn't hold their interest.  

Evergreen Brickworks Toronto

Who should visit Brick Works Any Day:
Photographers, hikers, bikers, urban/ environmental enthusiasts. 

Overall Rating:
I would  highly recommend going to Brick Works to explore a beer garden or market event, but  personally wouldn't come out on non-event days as there isn't enough to hold Molly and Jack's attention here for a few more years.   The event we attended was a wonderful blend of adult activity in an environment where both adults and children could feel welcomed. 

Evergreen Brickworks
Jackie in a failed attempt to drink some "grown up juice" from an empty cup.

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