Ocean View Elementary School Playground

Ocean View Elementary School Playground (map) is perched close to the top of a hill that slopes gently from the Eastern Passage shore. It’s a sea lover’s view with wild, wooly combers dancing in the harbour entrance. On a bright, clear day visibility extends for miles and miles to the harbour’s western headland and beyond. In the foreground to the south and west foaming licks of ocean break around Devils, McNabs and Lawlor Islands.

This playground has two wings (photos). Closest to the road and sheltered from northerly winds but wide open to prevailing westerlies is the sliding, climbing, monkey barring equipment ensemble. Just north of this on a patch of open flat unsheltered from winds are swings, raised balancing beams and yes more of those hard to find – except apparently in Eastern Passage – teeter-totters.

This is the playground where Noah loves to drop from the sky. He releases his grip on the blue triangles and plummets nearly one metre to the ground in the company of his shining smile. This is a do once and repeat multiple times thrill as he hurtles to earth at the speed of gravity. There are also red triangles that are positioned another 15 centimetres higher. They’ll wait for another day, perhaps even a new playground season.

For the older school age kids there is plenty of opportunity here for climbing, swinging like a monkey and skinning the cat on a variety of bars. We watched spellbound one evening as a couple of elementary school girls went through an impressive, impromptu gymnastic routine. There was whirling, twirling and upside downing. Fortunately there was no falling.

There is climbing potential for the pre-schoolers too. It requires close supervision as well as a steadying hand here and there. Big smiles and a sense of accomplishment are the result when the wee ones manoeuvre successfully through a new challenge. There are a number of choices, all leading to the slides, that include a curving climbing wall with hand and foot hold, an alternating sideways ‘u’ ladder and a stationary spring climber.

Once the climbing is done the kids can whoosh down a double slide or choose the corkscrew and slalom around the corner before touching ground. Note one of the final approaches to the slide ensemble may be tough for some pre-schoolers. There’s an oval cut out foot hold in a vertical plane to use as a step, push off. It took Nellie-Rose a few tries over two or three outings before she was able to insert her foot, push and pull herself up onto the platform. Now that she has mastered it, there is no stopping her.

There is equipment for the smaller children too. The banana slide is accessed by four wide steps with handrails on both sides. Next to it is a red curving tunnel – a wonderful echo chamber for exuberant hooting and hollering. It is designed with peek-a-boo holes so parents can monitor progress or wiggle fingers to elicit laughs. At one end of the tunnel is a gazebo complete with a counter for playing shop. The pebble infill makes for the perfect pretend money and can also double as merchandise, food, beverages and toys. These pebbles are really quite versatile.

It’s swinging and teetering with a view on the north wing. Because there is no shelter it’s a little cooler here when the winds blow especially if they’re from the north. There are four swings (none for babies) and two teeter-totters. All the equipment here and in the modular area are in good condition.

Ocean View is one of our regulars as it’s close to home. There are numerous playgrounds in the area. Tallahassee Sisters II is just over the bank within eyesight and Tallahassee Sisters I is a five minute walk. There are also several playing fields for soccer and baseball. There is also a skate park a couple of minutes walk away on the same street as the playground. Plenty of fun for active bodies. It’s a great spot to spend part of a day exploring Eastern Passage. Watch the ships steaming in and let the wind wash your hair.

Lots of parking available on the street and in the school parking lot. Recess and dismissal times are posted here if you’re looking for a daytime window.

If you’re coming by bus, take the 60 and get off at the intersection of Caldwell and Cow Bay roads. Walk south on Caldwell and turn right just past Number 16 Fire Station. Down the hill on the right is the playground, less than five minutes from the bus stop.

There are a number of attractions here in Eastern Passage and the surrounding area. Just down the hill is the Community Garden with its chess board. This is the venue for the Annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic held during the Eastern Passage Cow Bay Summer Carnival. Down the road toward the city, is MacCormack’s Beach and Fisherman’s Cove. About five kilometres in the opposite direction is Rainbow Haven Beach.

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Submit your favourite playground here.

Tallahassee Sisters II

Teeter-totter, teeter-totter find me a way
To bump my chin, to make me bray
See-saw, see-saw what do you say
Get together with a friend, come and play.

It takes two to teeter-totter. You see, then you saw. It helps if the teeterer and totterer are of more or less similar weight. The teeter-totter can be an early lesson in building trust, or not. You trust that your chum will not leave you up in the air legs dangling with your groin being pulled by gravitational force into the metal hand rest. There are worse fates in the trust betrayed sweepstakes. That dangling feeling can turn on a dime. You could come plummeting to the earth, butt smacking the ground, knees around your ear lobes, teeth rattling inside your head. This is not the desired gentle let down from highest heights. It’s abrupt, brutish and can be painful.

Fulcrum fun seems to be an endangered species in Greater Halifax. Tallahassee Sisters II (map) is the first, though not the only, playground we’ve found with a small coterie of teeter-totters (photos). Noah-David is a great big brother with Nellie-Rose pumping her up and down with his little arms. He tries some solo work too and quickly realizes that there’s not a lot of excitement in that approach.

I seem to recollect a greater prevalence of teeter-totters across the land but this is purely a hunch. I’ll have to query the municipal administration and ask if there is a concerted effort to reduce, or remove teeter-totters from our playgrounds. Is the see-saw a vanishing breed? I wonder, what happens to decommissioned teeter-totters?

I pump the two kids up and down for awhile with my arms. It’s fun enough but doesn’t have the same appeal for them as the swings. They do like to run around and pull down the highest seat clatter banging into the small pebbles. The teeter-tooters are at the far end of Tallahassee II and we’re getting ready to cycle our way back through the swings and the modular equipment.

Swings are everlasting. The appeal never seems to diminish at 50, or at 5. Nellie is now a pro at the big kid’s swings. She’ll still take a spin on the baby ones but she’s no longer limited in her choice. So quickly she’s getting to be a big girl and she’s not quite two-years-old. She’s bold enough now to do the helicopter – belly flat on the swing seat, turning herself around in circles and then letting go, legs and arms akimbo as she spins.

Noah is right at home on the modular equipment and Nellie is right behind him. There’s a double chute straight slide at one one and a banana curve single slide at the other. Joining the two components is an articulated, vulcanized rubber bridge. Exercise caution for the young ones on the bridge. It can be challenging for them to maintain their balance particularly if there are other kids running across it.

There are climbing adventures for the 3+ set – a corkscrew bar and a three-step curved ladder. There’s a little area too that can serve as a house, a shop, a school depending on the child’s inspiration and imagination. The entire playground is fenced in, has pebble infill and there are a couple of benches for parents and caregivers.

There is loads of parking in the school lot. If you’re considering public transit, the closet stop for the 60 is at the corner of Ocean Lea and and Cow Bay Road. The walk from the stop is just under ten minutes.

There are a number of attractions here in Eastern Passage and the surrounding area. Right next to the playground is the Community Garden with its chess board. This is the venue for the Annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic held during the Eastern Passage Cow Bay Summer Carnival. Down the road toward the city, is MacCormack’s Beach and Fisherman’s Cove. About five kilometres in the opposite direction is Rainbow Haven Beach.

Stay tuned for an update on the fate of Greater Halifax teeter-totters in a future post.

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A digital walk in the playground

The new Google Street View switched on in a number of Canadian cities including Halifax earlier this week. Most major newspapers including The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The Vancouver Sun and Le Soleil devoted several column inches to the story. A couple of papers have asked readers to submit the funniest, strangest, or oddest views that people come across when strolling the digital streets.

Prior to its arrival in Canada I enjoyed using Google Street View to visit neighbourhoods in US cities where I planned to stay. I also had a lot of fun finding the places I used to live as a child in Europe. Now that the service is available here I couldn’t resist looking up a few playgrounds.

Westmount Inclusive Playground

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Ardmore Park Playground

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Isleville Park Playground

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Cornwallis Park Playground

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École John W MacLeod Fleming School Playground (the former playground)

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DJ Butler Park Playground

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Not everyone is as excited about the arrival of Google Street View as I am. There are also privacy concerns at issue as outlined in this blog from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and this article from The Ottawa Citizen.

These street views do not allow for getting right up close and personal with the playgrounds. There are also numerous playgrounds that are not accessible at all for this visual mapping. These views do allow us to wander about the neighbourhoods, look for likely parking and identify other attractions.

Apologies, I’ve got to grab this next neighbourhood tour………

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All together now – École John W. MacLeod Fleming Tower School Playground

There is a Seussian aura here. Bright, bold blues, reds and yellows breathe life into the surrounding landscape. Curlicues, spirals and undulating curves are the order of the day. Even the font of the welcoming sign is whimsical and light. This is the École John W. MacLeod Fleming Tower School Playground (map). It’s all new and driven by the community with support from a variety of partners (photos).

It must have been like Whoville that day in June when over 200 volunteers came together to build the playground. I can hear the echo of the bezangers and kisplitzers, their brizzling and fesklanking down the Purcells Cove Road. After the dust settled and the sweat subsided – behold a beautiful play area that will fuel laughter, discovery and friendships for years to come.

A boy of 10 or 11 is the sole occupant when we arrive. He’s climbing to a high point and sliding down a pole – repeat – climbing, sliding down pole. I lift and place Nellie into an accessible swing. After a couple of attempts trying to lock the clasp, the boy shouts over, “That part’s broken”. I ask if this is his local playground. It’s not. He likes it though because of the pole sliding. It’s his favourite activity.

Noah and Nellie haven’t advanced to pole sliding yet but there’s plenty to keep them busy here. A favourite for both of them is accessing the bridge by the spiralling platter steps. Noah is able to manage this on his own. He has the necessary motor skills, depth of vision and balance. With no guardrails there is a sense of derring-do and accomplishment for him. Though not yet two, Nellie already has a well developed sense of adventure. She sees Noah one time on the spiral ascent and she’s next. She requires close supervision climbing up to ensure that she stays on the platforms and there are no tumbles off into space. I help her manoeuvre from the last step onto the safety of the bridge. It’s whoosh down the slide and back to the spiral climb – again and again and again.

The main access point onto the modular equipment is a wide-based metal staircase with four steps. At the top on the right is a slide for wee ones. The incline is gentle and the positioning is well designed to allow for hand holding or providing back support for babies from either side of the slide.

The platform at the top of this staircase leads directly into the yawning galoomph. The interior of this upward sloping and narrowing tunnel leads to the bridge. The ridged floor presents a challenge for Nellie and try as she might, she’s not able to get the hang of it. She just can’t navigate the galoomph tunnel. The close quarters make it impractical for me to try and give her a hand. It’s too bad because there are five portholes on either side of the tunnel for little faces to peek out. At the top, a plexiglass bubble hangs into nothing – a great venue for public clowning which Noah discovers much to his delight. It’s a little Seuss-like, see-through nest to cozy, goof, or wide-eye in.

There are multiple climbing and swinging opportunities here. Some are linked to accessing the bridge and slides. There is also a climbing wall – composite plastic with metal frames – that can accommodate two kids at a time. There’s a zipper and corkscrew monkey bars for skin the cats, or hand over hand with the greatest of ease swinging.

Underneath the elevated components, there is a storefront counter, a scavenger hunt (we didn’t try it this time out) and a couple of plastic drums that would be a perfect fit in any Whoville marching band. We take a break and set up our snacks on one of the benches. The kids are red-cheeked, out of breath, thirsty and in need of some healthy food to keep them going. They’re not still for long. Now it’s off into the schoolyard buzzing around the hopscotch and other sidewalk games. The snack is burned off is less than a quarter of an hour.

It’s time for a last pass before we pack up for home. It’s the swings then a last scoosh down the big slide with the bend at the top. There are more swings at the back of the school set off a piece from the playground. Up in the woods there seems to be ‘play’ outdoor classroom – some benches and an old blackboard. Something to explore our next visit.

It’s been an enjoyable morning. Both Noah and Nellie say they want to come back. So do I.

Other places of interest in the area include The Dingle Playground and Sir Sandford Fleming Park.

There is ample parking at the school on weekends. Check the school website for recess schedules during the school year.

If you’re taking public transit, the number 15 bus, in either direction, will drop you very close to the playground.

Note – the playground abuts Purcell’s Cove Road. There is only a small copse of trees separating the two. It’s a very busy road – exercise caution.

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The Tallahassee Sisters I

Noah-David’s eyes are bright. He’s introducing me to a playground for the first time. “Papa, I have a new playground where you’ve never gone,” he tells me. He is very proud of this news. Usually it’s the other way around – me taking Noah and Nellie-Rose on a mission far, far away to swings, slides and climbing bars not yet discovered.

This day we are close to home, just a few blocks down the street at the Tallahassee Community School in Eastern Passage (map). We’re at the playground just along the hall and outside the doors of Noah’s pre-school class (photos). This is where he hangs out and plays with his new buddies three mornings a week.

As he gets out of the car and looks both ways before venturing across the empty parking a lot, he sweeps his arm with a flourish as if to say, ‘not bad, eh!’. He calls out, “Papa, do you like the playground?” as he clambers up on a piece of equipment. Bringing up the rear with Nellie in tow, I reply enthusiastically in the affirmative.

Nestled in the ‘L’ of two wings of the school, the playground finds some shelter from the winds that on this afternoon are scuffing clouds across an overcast sky. My guide is eager to show me around and the first stop is the rare, blue twin whales joined at the tongue and plonked close to borderlands where playground meets asphalt. These are the first head banging springy animals that we’ve come across. Nellie and Noah are on the whales in a flash riding them like this is a Bay of Fundy rodeo.

There’s a lot more to see at this very compact activity centre. Green stepping stairs with circular tops, a ‘pont, un pont, papa‘ Nellie calls out running across a bridge, a bending blue banana slide and a tunnel from which to rest and look out on the world round about. Up top, an effort for Nellie to reach, is the tall, high slide – a swooshing, whooshing rocket ride.

Two tamagotchi girls are under the blue roof on the high slide platform talking about the state of the world from their seven-year-old eyes. There’s a lot of, “Make me, you can’t make me” talk between the two of them. One is a French immersion student, the other is not. The immersion student indicates Nellie with a nod of her head and says, “She’s the smallest person I ever saw speaking French.” Her friend, unasked, lets me know that English is her favourite language. The two have a spat on the relative merits of French and English. Non-immersion girl stalks off. The other, who I now think of as the friendly, sensible one, jumps on the pole, does a controlled spin to the bottom and chases after her friend.

We’re alone again. The guys look for a change of pace and make their way over the playground borders onto the asphalt. It’s time for racing and chasing and a little hopscotch. Noah shows me his technique. I had no idea he knew what to do. He has become quite adept in a short period of time. He’s having a ball throwing his stone as a marker and hopping off to pick it up.

There are no swings at Tallahassee I. Just a quick scoot around the back of the school and there’s Tallahassee II in all its glory. Read more in the next post – The Tallahassee Sisters II.

There is loads of parking in the school lot. If you’re considering public transit, the closet stop for the 60 is at the corner of Ocean Lea and and Cow Bay Road. The walk from the stop is just under ten minutes.

There are a number of attractions here in Eastern Passage and the surrounding area. Right next to the playground is the Community Garden with its chess board. This is the venue for the Annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic held during the Eastern Passage Cow Bay Summer Carnival. Down the road toward the city, is MacCormack’s Beach and Fisherman’s Cove. About five kilometres in the opposite direction is Rainbow Haven Beach.

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Playgrounds in Pop Culture

You just don’t know where playgrounds will make an appearance in popular culture. I’ve been doing a bit of poking about in googleville just to see what’s out there. There is a gem about a traumatic swing accident in an episode of Friends – Ross and Rachel at their best.

In Monterey, California Hank Ketcham created a playground for the city in honour of his comic book mischief maker, Dennis the Menace. The playground has a loyal following and has spawned a Facebook Group – I played at Dennis the Menace Park and lived!. The photos and comments are priceless. They make me wish that I’d had the chance to visit this playground in its heyday. Some of the treacherous equipment has been removed and the original Dennis statue which was stolen has been replaced. The playground continues to get rave reviews. Now for this upper east side Canadian, Monterey is associated with more than John Steinbeck. If I have the opportunity to return to California, our family will be sure to visit this landmark.

Calvin was another wild child of the comic strips high on my favourites list. I always used to think he was a riot with his incredible imagination and smart ass attitude.

Now that we have our little love Nellie-Rose not yet two-years-old and already exhibiting some of these Calvinesque leanings and tendencies, I’m not sure just how hilariously it will all turn out. I think we’re in for a ride. Although Calvin didn’t seem to need a playground to get his fertile imagination bubbling, he certainly didn’t mind it as a backdrop for his fantastical adventures.

As imaginative as Calvin but in a wholly different manner, Sesame Street has been a kids’ cultural icon for more than 35 years. I remember slipping into the house to watch it on hot summer days during its first season. I was a teenager at the time and the show was simply marvelous. There had never been anything quite like it on television. Neighbourhoods and playgrounds were featured frequently.

If you’ve got a little snippet about a pop culture reference to playgrounds, I’d love to hear about it.

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Caudle Park Elementary School Playground

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then Nellie-Rose is taking it all in at a very young age. Today I catch myself giving her the gears with the raised voice and consternated face combo. We are on our first outing at the Caudle Park Elementary School Playground (map) and our girl of the insatiable curiosity will not stop picking up nastiness from the ground – hardened abc (already been chewed) gum, nicotine soaked cigarette butt filters, stray pieces of foil paper and other unsavoury wisps of garbage.

I’m talking until I’m blue in the face. I finally knock a piece of blue gum out of her hand and let loose with a dressing down. A few minutes later it is imitation time with mimicry bordering on mockery. Nellie animates her face, purses her lips, makes a tight ‘o’ out of her mouth and lowers her voice an octave as she gesticulates in my general direction with a leisurely stream of unintelligible utterances reminiscent of the off stage, woh-woh-woh sounds attributed to adults in Charlie Brown TV specials. All the while she is having a hard time from breaking out laughing. I just woh-woh-woh right back at her while laughing riotously inside.

The primary structure at Caudle Park (photos) was installed earlier this summer. Here is another example of a community effort engaging with municipal and provincial governments and other supporters to help promote healthy play. About 50 metres away, there is a second structure which is in the process of being installed. Many thanks to Scott for suggesting a trip to Lower Sackville to check this playground out.

Noah and Nellie are a great tag team during our nearly 90 minute play visit. They are climbing, sliding, spinning, rolling, zipping and jumping onto, or off of every component of this spanking brand new equipment. We arrive early in the morning before the sun can do its magic and have to wipe down the slides. Otherwise it will be soggy butt time and from experience I know this can have a significant impact on reducing enjoyment – both parents and kids.

The triple side-by-side slides with wide base bottoms are a big hit with both kids. Noah moves a bit faster so he gets more up and down trips in. Nellie is loving it too – she needs no help and launches herself from the top with abandon. The triple slalom deluxe is accessible via a wide ramp that ends at the base of a final step that gives directly onto the slides. There is also a second shorter double side-by-side slide with a gentler slope making for five sliding lanes in total – plenty of opportunity for squeals of delight. As there’s no congestion or line up for the big triple side-by-side, Nellie and Noah show no interest at all in the smaller double lane model.

The egg beater is a piece of equipment that we’ve never seen before. Nellie is too small to work this self-propelled ride but Noah cottons on after a couple of attempts. The egg beater is a cylindrical chamber inclined at approximately an 80 degree angle that rotates on a spindle. A circular platform on the bottom provides footing and three twisting steel pipes form the chamber, connecting top and bottom, and provide hand grips. To note – adults can fit into this piece of equipment and take it for a test spin. A word of warning though, it has the potential of causing a queasy stomach and dizziness. Noah is constantly on and off of the egg beater. He’ll be a fluffy omelette before we leave. On subsequent visits, I’m sure he will straightaway run and hop onto this.

There are a variety of climbing apparatus ranging from ladders to poles with plate-like platforms for sturdy footholds that give access onto the larger structure of slides, steps, raised platforms, ramps and walkways. There is also a zipper that Noah enjoys gripping onto as he silently slides with the greatest of ease along the guided track a full body length and more above the ground.

There is something here for everyone – toddlers, pre-schoolers and the primary school crowd. The new structure is shaded in the mornings and equipment will be damp with dew. The entire structure is surrounded with rubberized surfaces.

A very quick (and silent) visit to the playground:

Around the back of the school is a large playing field with a baseball diamond. Next to it is a fenced in basketball court. There is also a climbing, balance, monkey bar structure around the back in a pebble infill pit. This is more suitable to the elementary school set.

After school and weekends, parking is available on the school grounds. Bus numbers 84, 85, 87 and 88 stop on Glendale in the vicinity of the school.

This is a great playground to visit if you’ve had to make a visit to the Cobequid Community Health Centre which is quite close by on Cobequid Road.

Please note:
the slope which begins close to the bottom of the three lane slide is quite steep and could easily result in tumbles for toddlers;
currently the industrial size garbage containers are positioned quite close to the play area and there is more garbage on the ground than I’ve seen at most playgrounds;
at present there are no swings at this playground;
children three and under should be closely supervised with the egg beater – beware of sore tummies.

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Cornwallis Park Playground

Cornwallis Park, directly across from the Westin Hotel in the city’s south end, is home to another urban playground (map). Fencing around the perimeter is an important safety asset as traffic in the surrounding streets can be quite steady.

The equipment is targeted more at the pre-school crowd even though the Little Tikes information panel indicates that it’s designed for ages 5 to 12. There are a couple of exceptions. The corkscrew slide and monkey bars have what it takes to get an older bunch swinging but there is really nothing else to engage and challenge more physically capable and adventurous kids. As a sidebar, the railings on the corkscrew slide are in bad need of upkeep. Cleaning up the flaking paint and covering the rust will go a long way to improving the aesthetics (photos).

The modular Little Tikes piece for the smaller ones has a curving banana slide and a side-by-side, we can whoosh down together model. There is nothing cuter than seeing two little ones cosying themselves up at the top of the slides, moving toward the precipice and then holding hands as they push off giggling toward the bottom. Noah and Nellie do this on occasion and when they do it never fails to make me smile all over. There are four access points to climb up to the slide levels ranging from a set of steps with railings to approaches that require greater strength, dexterity, balance and perhaps a grown up’s helping hand.

There is a springy frog and whale here too ready to be bronco bucked, dipped to the ground forward and back. On occasion the riders lose their grip, are shaken off and drop onto the dusty, pebble infill. Just add a dash of clowns and it’s like an instant pre-school rodeo.

There is a peculiar part of this playground. In the southwest corner there is a raised plateau that is about four feet above the rest of the playing area. The hard packed earth plateau is accessed by a series of steps. There are two wooden structures made of railway ties on the plateau that could serve as benches, or maybe little table tops for the kids – I’m not really clear on their purpose. What is important to note is that there are no protective railings around the plateau perimeter. Younger children need to be accompanied or they could risk a tumble off the edge and a four foot drop. One of the pluses in this area is shade trees.

In the immediate area there are several restaurants and cafés and right across the street is an Atlantic Superstore if you need to pick up a few groceries. Other places of interest within a 10 minute, or less, walk are Pier 21, Discovery Centre and at some not too distant future point, the Halifax Farmers Market in its new location. In season you can take a stroll down to the boardwalk and see if any cruise liners are tied up at Pier 22.

There is metered parking on Hollis Street and free parking at the Superstore if you’re purchasing groceries. If you’re thinking about the bus, you can get the number 9 on Barrington, the 35 on Hollis, or in season FRED – Free Rides Everywhere Downtown.

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D.J. Butler Playground – Rockingham

It’s the day before a big blow. From origins deep in the Caribbean basin, Bill’s punching his way north creating surging swells in Bermuda, surfing badboys in New Jersey and New York. In Eastern Passage, Bill is making sure we’re getting out to a playground in case the next day’s storming forces us to remain indoors.

Thanks to a tip from Taralee, we are looping along Flamingo Drive in search of the D.J. Butler Playground (map). Actually it would be hard to miss as Taralee did provide us the Google Map coordinates. The Rockingham Residents’ Association dedicated five years to transforming the former baseball field with three aging pieces of playground equipment into the little treasure it is today (photos). On the journey they had some help from the municipality, the province, Kinsmen, Saturn/Saab/Isuzu, Chebucto West Community Health Board and Ocean Contractors Limited.

D.J. Butler has a number of unique touches mostly in the form of equipment we haven’t come across anywhere else. For instance there is the double seater bumblebee all striped up and ready for buzzing. The rainbowed geodesic dome with its six triangled hexagons is inviting brave, hearty climbers on scaling height adventures. It’s not small feat to climb almost to the top and then have to back your way down.

It’s the toddler set that’s in for a real treat here. Their play area is not the standard fare that we’ve become used to in most Greater Halifax playgrounds. There is less composite plastic material and more wood. Nellie loves the climbing challenges which mirror those for the older kids just across the way. These ones are scaled for her. She is right at it – testing herself, trying new things, pulling her body up and over. How cute can it get – there is one climbing board that has an assortment of fruits as the hand and footholds. She isn’t quite strong enough for this one yet but that doesn’t stop her from giving it a good couple of attempts. In addition to the climbing fun, there is a rope bridge and a wooden bridge that lead to roofed areas and slides. The entire toddler activity centre has a rubberized ground covering that’s springy to the step and a great cushion for those unexpected but inevitable tumbles.

Nellie can’t be contained in toddlerville. She races after Noah into big kids’ land. It’s not long before she discovers where the steps are to take her up on the platforms that give access to two slides. It’s no surprise that Nellie homes in on the higher of two platforms choosing the slide with the double flying hump. This all seems way too elevated for our girl who’s not yet two. There she is on the precipice looking out nonchalantly. She launches herself and with a whizz and a wheeeeee she clears the two humps but not without my heart skipping a beat. I velcro myself to slideside for ensuing Nellie extreme playground activity. This time there are no unfortunate mishaps. There have been mild head bonks and tears though on more than one previous occasion.

Noah is vertical boy today. It’s up, up, up and away. He’s a billy goat testing every ladder, every climbing board and of course the geodesic dome. He looks for chances to pull away from gravity and is more sure-footed with each outing. Now he also wants to grab onto whatever monkey bar apparatus he can hang down from and for added measure flies through the air on the ball bearinged handle that zips between two posts along a beam seven feet off the ground.

Fortunately Nellie is back over in toddlerville. She goes about her play very independently. There are no, “Papa, regarde ça” calls. It’s up the steps, over the bridge and down the slide. Repeat once, twice, multiple times. This allows me to focus almost my full attention on the dangling acrobat while I steal the occasional glance over my shoulder to ensure that Nellie is not engineering the great escape.

At the five minutes, time to go warning, they zoom down their respective slides. It’s a rush and a run back to the swings for a toes brushing sky finale. Alternating pushes propel Noah and Nellie higher and higher. They giggle. laugh and glance at each other while calling out for still bigger pushes. We log more time on swings than any other piece of playground equipment. They are guaranteed exhilaration, a sure thing that never tires.

We will be back to D.J. Butler. There is a varied assortment of well maintained equipment that presents fun and challenges for different age sets. The grounds are well maintained with numerous picnic benches and shade trees around the perimeter. For the older kids, or parents, there are basketball and tennis courts.

Limited unmetered parking is available on Flamingo Drive and surrounding streets. If you’re travelling by bus, the numbers 18 and 35 stop in both directions right beside the park. If you want to prolong your outing and get for a good walk far from the madding crowds, try the Hemlock Ravine Park which is just a little further north along the Bedford Highway.

I cannot find any googleprint for D.J. Butler and am curious who the park is named after. Also, try as I might with my best observation powers – not one flamingo sighting.

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North of North – Hydrostone Playgrounds

Halifax’s Hydrostone neighbourhood has two fine playgrounds within ten minutes walking distance of each other – Isleville and Needham. I continue to hear very positive comments on the Isleville Park Playground from a number of parents. After seeing the facility first hand, it’s easy to understand why parents are enthusiastic (photos).

Isleville Park Playground is located in a spacious, fenced setting contained within the block bordered by Isleville, Sebastian, Agricola and Duffus streets (map). Park entrances are located on Isleville and Sebastian streets where there is also some unmetered parking available. This playground was completely made over in 2002 -2003 with leadership from the Novalea Community Association and with the assistance of municipal and provincial governments, the North End Dance Committee, the Edwards Family Charitable Foundation, Kinsmen/Kinettes and the Optimist Club of Halifax.

If you and your kids are overheating and need a refreshing cool off on a sticky, summer sunbright day then Isleville’s pièce de résistance is its spray me, spray me water park. Rainbow coloured arches, a fire hydrant and a whale’s tail pump out water jets in sequenced intervals to the absolute delight of the little ones running through this sprinkler heaven. I was here with my 19-year-old Alexa one afternoon while the little ones were napping across the harbour. We barely managed to maintain our decorum. It was touch and go as to whether we would stream through the spray ourselves squealing in abandon like the little ones. In the end, we did keep ourselves in check. I’ll make sure I’m decked out in let’s get wet clothes when I bring Nellie and Noah to this spot.

Isleville is teeming with equipment over and above the water park. At the west end there are two modular components for the older kids. The largest of the two includes a series of balancing pendulums, a two tower platform with connecting tunnel plus a standard, a corkscrew and a tunnel slide. A second modular unit features two towers with one slide each and a connecting tunnel. Both units have multiple access points of varying levels of difficulty to climb up onto the platforms. They are also raised high enough off the ground that there is room for children to play underneath and find a little cool shade on the hot, hot days. Lastly in this section of the playground, along its western boundary, are six swings. The day we are there four girls are pumping energetically, reaching for the sky, toes pointed to the clouds, long hair streaming to the ground.

There is a playground for the smaller kids on the park’s eastern boundary just beyond the water fun. There are two swings, a springy whale and frog. In addition, there is a mini twin tower complex connected by a crawl through tunnel. Each of the towers sports a double slide. Attached to the rear of the towers structure is a table top play area with two circular depressions that could easily be make believe sinks, or fine receptacles for the pebble infill that is available in great abundance.

This is a well cared for playground, freshly mowed grass, garbage free, no broken glass. There is a covered area with a picnic table, lots of room for running games and three beautiful murals that decorate the exterior walls of the one building on the grounds. If you are travelling by bus, take the number 7 which will take you to within a four to five minute walk from either Novalea Dr. or Robie St.

From Isleville Park Playground

Fort Needham Memorial Park Playground is in the southeast corner of a small, elevated tableland overlooking the approach to The Narrows about 1.5 kilometres distant (map). This is part of the area that was devastated by the Halifax Explosion nearly 100 years ago. A permanent memorial to commemorate the explosion is located in the north end of the park.

This is a modest playground in comparison with its companion on Isleville St. It is similar to Seaview Memorial Park Playground in scale and equipment offering. A green plastic dragon stands sentinel next to the slide. It’s our second dragon sighting in Greater Halifax playgrounds. This one is undoubtedly related to a blue dragon down at Seaview. With the exception of the swings, the equipment has been totally replaced within the last four years.

Needham Playground is a climbing, swinging, sliding venue (photos). In the compact single equipment module there are six different climbing challenges including a spider web and a three circle ladder. The highest of the two platforms gives access to a double slide. The under three crowd will require close supervision here and perhaps a little assistance climbing the stairs to the slides. For the younger set there are also five ‘baby’ swings, the largest complement I’ve seen to date in any of the playgrounds we’ve visited. With ample climbing, sliding and swinging there is lots of opportunity for fun and a good playground workout for ages four through nine. If you get a chance to swing yourself and you crane your neck just a little, you’ll get an aerial glimpse of the harbour.

This is a nice walking park that also includes a baseball diamond and tennis courts. There is lots of room for running, catch, frisbee and similar activites. Unmetered parking available on Needham and Young streets. There is also a small parking lot at the Needham Community Centre. If you’re coming by bus, the number 7 travels north and southbound on Novalea, the 9 on Duffus and Lady Hammond.

Not too far from either Isleville or Needham playgrounds is the Hydrostone Market retail – resto complex. Good eats and interesting curios. More run of the mill shopping is available relatively close at hand on the Young Street strip between Robie and Windsor streets. Finally if you have the time and it’s to your taste you can double up your playground fun by taking a dip in the pool at the Needham Community Centre.

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