Bodie’s Place Playground

 

Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.

One of my favorite types of outings is to scope out new playgrounds. It’s easy, it’s cheap, and it’s a great excuse to go for a drive to a new (to me) corner of our state. For this excursion, we decided to check out Bodie’s Place in Milford, Connecticut.

I had heard great things about this playground from some of our readers, but I also had an ulterior motive: hubby and I had a Living Social deal to our favorite place to grab a sandwich (Romeo and Cesare’s in New Haven), and it was about to expire. Since Milford is just a quick trip down 95 from the New Haven area, we thought we’d stop for our sandwiches and take a picnic to Bodie’s Place.

Bodie’s Place is an Accessible Playground (read about the inspiration for this playground here). Sometimes these types of playgrounds are also referred to as “Boundless Playgrounds.” Either way, they are specially designed to accommodate children of all abilities, with sensory activities, oversized structures, and plenty of ramps and open spaces (which also makes them very stroller-friendly; bonus!).

This playground is located in Eisenhower Park, and it’s a bit tricky to find if you’re not familiar with the area. We drove right past it! Fortunately, there is a blinking light right at the entrance to the park, so just keep an eye out for that. It’s also across the street from a golf course, so look for that landmark too.

Once you turn in, the parking lot for the playground will be to your left. It’s huge. You can’t miss it.

And the playground is right beside the parking lot. Super convenient! You know what else is super? Bodie’s Place is 100% fenced-in! With a locking gate! That was a nice surprise 🙂

This place really is amazing. We have been to a lot of playgrounds here at OAAM, so when we find one that really takes our breath away, you know it’s a good one.

For starters, there is a lovely covered picnic area (we even saw someone setting up a birthday party here–great idea!).

The restrooms are located here too.

There are also two playscapes, one for the younger crowd and one for the older crowd. What’s really impressive is that the smaller playscape is just as unique and interesting as the larger one. Sometimes I find that the toddler/preschooler playscapes are not nearly as nice as the big kid ones, but that’s certainly not the case here!

The smaller playscape is near the front of the playground, and it is very separate from the larger playscape, which is also a plus. I know I am always more comfortable letting Boo explore on his own when I’m not worried about him getting accidentally trampled by an exuberant 8-year-old 🙂

Even though the signage indicates that the larger playscape is for older kids, Boo still found plenty of the activities well within his ability level. We just had to stick closer by him to make sure he didn’t try anything too advanced.

I love riddles!

Another nice feature is the array of benches and picnic tables strategically spaced around the playground so that you can get a good view of your little one from just about anywhere.

Oh, and did I mention the swings? They’ve got ’em all…baby, big kid, the chairs with a harness, and even a tire swing. And all of them are conveniently located quite far from the playscapes, thereby minimizing the potential for an air-ground collision, if you know what I mean 🙂

Bodie’s Place also has a great sandbox (complete with sand toys and trucks), which was a big hit with Boo.

There’s also a pretty sensory garden, which reminded me of the (much bigger) one we explored at Wickham Park in Manchester, CT earlier this summer. It has lovely flora, benches for quiet reflection (well, as quiet as you can get at a children’s playground!), and a couple musical installations.

This playground is so packed with fun odds and ends, I probably missed a bunch of them. Like this fun springy thingy. How cute does my Boo look riding this bouncy bug?

We really enjoyed this playground (as if you couldn’t tell). It is well-planned, well-constructed, clean, and enjoyable for the whole family. We probably could have spent all afternoon here.

Eventually though, I had to stop running around taking pictures. It was HOT. I was sweating. And my feet were so big, they looked like they belonged to a Hobbit. At one point, hubby threatened to confiscate my camera if I didn’t sit down. (Okay, so maybe scouting a large playground in 90-degree heat wasn’t the smartest thing to do at 8-months pregnant.)

After that, I knew it was time to hang up my camera for a bit. But I’ll look forward to getting back out there and exploring in the near future–with two kiddos in tow!

I know Mandy has some fun things planned in the coming weeks, and I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful, supportive partner in blogging who has not only made it possible for me to go into baby hibernation, she’s practically ordered me to! 🙂

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer.

Cheers!

THE MOMSENSE:

Bodie’s Place Playground

725 North Street, Milford, Connecticut

Get directions here:

Enter your starting address:

Playground Features:

• Accessible Playground designed to be enjoyed by children of all abilities (and very stroller-friendly!)
• Fully fenced-in including a latching gate
• Two playscapes (one for toddlers/preschoolers and one for older kids)
• Slides, steps, ladders, ramps, tunnels, bridges, climbing structures, sensory activities
• Swings and baby swings
• Sandbox with toys
• Combination of mulch and synthetic padded footing
• Benches and picnic tables located throughout the playground
• Covered picnic area
• Large, convenient parking lot
• Restrooms (no changing station) and porta-potties
• Please note: no animals allowed in the playground
• Food and shopping available nearby on Route 1 (Boston Post Road), including Dunkin Donuts (playgrounds and coffee just go together, don’t they?!), Plan B Burger (read my post about the Glastonbury location of this local chain here), and Whole Foods.