I mentioned last week, that my kids and I really like boundless playgrounds. Yes, it’s true, and that is the reason we visited another one this past weekend. The weather was pretty and it was a perfect activity for my two munchkins.
I definitely owed them some sort of fun after their non-exciting Friday and Saturday. Last week, my preggers status was starting to cause me problems and my husband put me on bedrest for a few days. It seems I have developed a case of sciatica which made it very challenging to walk.
Fortunately, the bedrest helped and I was mobile again by Saturday night. In reality, there was really nothing that would have kept me in bed Saturday night. We had a babysitter (which is rare) and there was no-way I would miss a Saturday night that included both the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo!
So Sunday, we played hookie from church and went to Solomon’s Path Boundless Playground to get some fresh air and enjoy the great outdoors.
The park is located at the Solomon Schechter Day School in West Hartford. The site is actually wonderful because not only does it have a boundless playground, but it also has a fully fenced-in playground just for the little ones. This sciatic-nerve-pinching pregnant mama LOVES the fenced in playground. There are actually moments when I can sit down and take a rest!
I will start with the boundless playground for this tour.
This is the sign that greets you when you enter the playground area. I love their description of Solomon’s Path:
A community playground that provides children with a social environment that is culturally and physically diverse, fostering respect and an understanding of differences.
Solomon’s Path is a commitment to promote opportunities for children to learn about differences and to respect diversity through the magic of play.
One important thing to note for this playground is that it is located on the grounds of a school. Therefore, the playground is only available to the public during non-school hours. We were heading there on a Sunday, so that wasn’t a problem at all. But it definitely isn’t a playground that can be on your itinerary for a Wednesday morning 🙂
As you can see, it is located in a pretty area on the school property and includes two main playscapes.
The smaller playscape is designed for kids ages 2-5. It included easy to climb stairs, a double sliding board (perfect for twins), a tunnel, and a few other fun features.
The larger playscape is designed for kids ages 5-12. It includes a ramp (this may not seem exciting, but apparently it was to Bruiser), several slides, a periscope, musical instruments and much more.
There were baby swings.
Big kid swings.
A see-saw.
And last, but not least, there was a sandbox and lots of monkey bars.
The ground cover for the playground is mostly bark chips and a rubberized surface. A great type of ground covering for keeping your active kids safe, but maybe not the best ground covering for a crawler (who also might like to eat the bark chips). If you have a crawler in your crew and you want to let them get out and explore, the good news is that the playground is surrounded by beautiful grassy areas where they could happily play.
Also, given that this playground is only available during non-school hours, parking was not an issue. There was plenty of parking right at the front of the school.
So, what do you think? Are you starting to become a boundless playground lover like I am?
Oh, and I told you that there is another great playground on the property of the Solomon Schechter Day School. My husband actually commented that he liked this other playground so much that he thought I shouldn’t write about it and just keep it a secret. Well, I can’t do that, right? I will tell you all about this fabulous playground in another post next week. So come back then for the scoop.
Until then, I will be thinking of all the parents out there trying to entertain their kids through the next few days of yucky weather. Might I suggest a few indoor playscapes or museums? It is just a few days and then the weather man promises the sun will come back out on Friday. They better be right . . .
THE MOMSENSE:
Solomon’s Path – Boundless Playground
Solomon Schechter Day School
26 Buena Vista Road
West Hartford, Connecticut
Get directions here:
Playground is open to the public during non-school hours, closes at dusk. During the school-year, the park is open during the week after 3:30pm and on the weekends. During the summer it is open at any time.
Admission:
FREE
Playground Features:
- Handicap Accessible
- Baby swings
- Regular swings
- Playscape for children ages 2-5
- Playscape for children ages 5-12
- Several slides
- Groundcover of sand, bark chips and rubber padding
- Sandbox
- Musical instruments
- Benches
- Monkey bars
- See-saw
Hints & Tips:
- Playground is on the grounds of a school. Check the school calendar here for details of when it is in session. The park is only open to the public during non-school hours.
- Playground is designed for children ages 2-12.
- Playground would be enjoyable for children younger than 2, but extra supervision would be required, especially on the playscape.
- The playground is not fenced in. If you have a kid that is a runner, make sure you wear your workout gear that day.
- For pre-walkers, bring a push toy for them to enjoy.
- No public restrooms are available.
- There are trees around the perimeter of the playground, but the playground itself is in full sun. This would be great on those chillier days, but in the heat of the summer, make sure you bring sunscreen, hats and plenty of water for your little ones.
Coming up: We continue our playground adventures with an additional site on Thursday. This playground has an interesting neighbor you may want to check out!
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