Kids and parents look for different things in a playground.
The most important thing I look for is safety. It’s a good habit to walk around the playground first and check for any hazards. Next, I look for a place to sit where I can see most of the playground with an unobstructed view. The third item on my checklist is a nice view of an ocean, lake or mountain.
However, we aren’t making the trek to a playground for me, we are there for them, so I recently asked my children and their friends (who are between the ages of nine and 13) what they look for in a playground. The most popular items included:
1. Spinners
2. Swings
3. Ziplines
4. A long slide
5. Abstract art
For spinners (aka merry-go-rounds), they liked both the ones that can fit lots of children and the individual spinners such as the teacup-type seat. They were also fans of the tall palm-tree-looking spinner that you jump and hang on for it to spin.
Armed with this information, we set out to find some playgrounds that have everything both the kids and I were looking for.
In Victoria, the Gorge Waterfront Playground meets their criteria with four spinning pieces of equipment. It also has a double-accessible swing. They highly rated the merry-go-round at Quadra Elementary School. You can sit inside or climb the ropes on the inside or outside of the structure. The spinner at Lone Oak Park is also a favourite.
Swings ranked number two in importance and good ones have us returning to certain parks. Disc swings that can fit multiple children are a must. If the swing has an ocean view, it received a 100 percent rating from our entire family. The disc swing at the Beachlands playground in Royal Bay fits these criteria.
Near the Beachlands is Meadow Park Green, which is a nice community park with amazing double ziplines that you can race your siblings or friends on. You can stand or sit on these ziplines. We are known to frequent Beachlands and the Meadow Park Green on the same day. Other amazing ziplines to note include Maffeo Sutton Park in Nanaimo, Cadboro-Gyro Park in Saanich and the Parksville Community Park.
I remember going down slides in our rain pants during my children’s toddler years. We flew at record speed off long, straight slides. We all enjoyed the thrill of out-of-control sliding. I recommend having someone at the bottom of the slide to catch younger kids.
Speaking of younger kids, I appreciate all the fenced-in playgrounds that we visited when my kids were toddlers. Sidney Playground and Sarah Beckett Playground both have sturdy fences and other toddler-friendly features.
My children will often describe a park to me that we haven’t been to for years. They will list neat artwork or a sculpture or design they liked or a certain piece of equipment. Sometimes I can figure out the park or look back in my journal or notes. However, often I find myself giving them a blank look.
The free Playground Buddy app is an amazing assistant in these situations. You can search the map by equipment type, accessibility, age, amenities and surfaces. This app can find the perfect playground to match the whole family’s mood and equipment requests. It is also handy for road trips or any city in the world you are travelling in. We’ve enjoyed discovering parks in Hawaii, Mexico and throughout BC during road trips.
As a parent, safety is always first and foremost in your mind. Thankfully as my children grow up, we have had fewer playground incidents and injuries. They often go to the park in small groups (with siblings and friends). I always pack a mini first aid kit in my purse or my child’s bag. If we don’t use the kit, there is often someone else at the park who needs to.
When choosing a playground that both you and your kids can enjoy, there are several factors to consider. Perhaps the most important is that you all have fun and can’t wait to go back.
