Toddler Playtime at Wolcott Park

Isn’t it beautiful this week?  Doesn’t it just make you want to get out of the house and enjoy the weather?

Well, if you have a child in the age range of 0-5, let me make a suggestion: the playground at Wolcott Park in West Hartford, Connecticut.  The park is located not far from West Farms Mall and was even rated as one of the best parks in West Hartford by www.examiner.com.

The park is located off of New Britain Avenue and the playground can be accessed by turning off of New Britain Avenue onto Wolcott Road.

There is a parking lot located right outside of the playground area which is FREE and provides for easy access to the facility.

The park is also fully fenced in.  This is a HUGE benefit especially when you are trying to keep your eyes on more than one child at a time.  You don’t have to be worried about your little one bolting out into the parking lot (unless they are old enough to open the gate themselves.  Then you are just out of luck)!

The playground is designed for kids ages 2-5, but I brought my 13 month-olds and they had a great time.  It is certainly a park for the younger crowd, though.

Besides the fact that it is fully fenced, some of the benefits for the younger crowd include baby swings and a sandbox.  Note that there are only two baby swings available, so it may get a little crowded on busy days.

The ground cover is sand, bark and rubber padded areas.  This means the crawlers may still be able to enjoy themselves without getting too terribly dirty.  My son is still a crawler, so I am always happy when we are at a playground where he can get some energy out without turning into a mud covered toddler.  The last time we went to Wolcott, though, I brought one of his push toys.  He really enjoyed being able to walk around the park using this toy, so that might be another options for moms with pre-walkers.

The park also contains some regular swings which the older kids or even the adults can enjoy.

The park has a fun see-saw.

And plenty of benches where the parents can take a break.

Then there is the main attraction, the Wolcott “castle”.  Here are a few shots so that you can get an idea of what it has to offer.

One of the other great features of this playground is that it is connected to a splash pad.  The facility obviously wasn’t open in March, but it will be opening May 26th.  This fun, FREE, amenity will be sure to keep toddlers very happy this summer!  We will certainly be checking it out.  More details on the splash pad schedule can be found here.

So, if you are looking for somewhere fun to go with your toddler this week, I highly recommend Wolcott Park.

If that doesn’t suite your fancy or you are still looking for more playground ideas, I might also suggest Rotary Park in Simsbury or Jonathan’s Dream in West Hartford.

What playgrounds do you love to visit?  Share your thoughts!  Leave a comment below and share with other readers what you think are some great CT playgrounds.

THE MOMSENSE:

Wolcott Playground

4 Wolcott Road, West Hartford, Connecticut

Hours:

Sunrise to Sunset

Admission:

FREE

Playground Features:

• Fully fenced in playground area
• Baby swings (2)
• Regular swings (2)
• Playscape for ages 2 – 5
• Slide
• Groundcover of sand, bark chips and rubber padding
• Sandbox
• Picnic table
• Seesaw
• Splash pad (seasonal)
• Restrooms (seasonal when the splash pad is open)

Hints & Tips:

• Playground is designed for children ages 2-5
• Playground would be enjoyable for children younger than 2, but extra supervision would be required, especially on the playscape
• For pre-walkers, bring a push toy for them to enjoy
• Check the outdoor pool schedule for operating hours for the splash pad.  The schedule for the 2012 season is available here.

Coming up:  With temps as high as 80 forecast for Thursday, Shawna will show you another new place where you can get outdoors and play.