There’s a fine playground hopping trail that begins at the junction of Pleasant and Newcastle streets in Dartmouth and winds up in Shearwater. Over the course of the five kilometre stretch, four playgrounds offer distinct and varied play opportunities.
Pleasant and Newcastle streets Playground
At the northern end of the trail (map), hidden from the view of Pleasant St. traffic by a small copse of trees, is a postage stamp playground nestled into the small green space between Newcastle and Pleasant streets. Note that access by car is along Newcastle St. which runs one way in a southerly direction.
This playspace will appeal to toddlers and the pre-school crowd. The module sports three low slung slides with gentle inclines. There are several access points onto the structure including steps and a variety of climbing stations. There is a fireman’s pole for quick getaways from the slide level. A small bridge connects the two slide towers. There is also a swing set (2 babies, 2 older kids). Parking is available on Newcastle St.
North Woodside Community Park Playground
The North Woodside Community Park Playground (photos) is situated just north of the NSCC Waterfront Campus and the Dartmouth General Hospital (map). It’s a great location bordering a small section of the Dartmouth Harbourfront Trail that extends from Alderney Landing to the Woodside Ferry Terminal. At the park’s east end entrance, complete with parking lot, is the North Woodside Community Centre.
Thanks to one of the centre’s tenants, Kinderville Day Care and Pre-School, there is an excellent toddler’s playground that is open to the public after hours. The wee ones will have a blast on a four seater octopus springer, a couple of music stations, a double lane and a banana slide and a hollow Little Tikes tree. This is the only playground where we’ve found a palindrome incorporated into the equipment. The area is fenced.
Kinderville Day Care and Pre-School Equipment – North Woodside
Bigger kids can play on the slides and monkey bar installations. The low, wide body slide can fit three to four kids across in a squeeze. The red corkscrew is a one kid at a time double twist down 
enterprise. The two slides are joined by an arched, wooden planked bridge with guardrails to ensure no accidental falling off.
There are a number of access points to the slides including two arced ladders, the larger with straight bar rungs, the smaller one with stirrup rungs. There is also a straight ladder with a gentle angle and two climbing poles, one zig-zag, one helix. Toddlers may require a little boosting help to get around this equipment which is recommended for 5 to 12 year olds by the manufacturer.
There are two options to practice those Tarzan or Jane swinging skills. One is a straight ahead, no nonsense set of monkey bars. The other consists of oval hand grips suspended from chain links. Either way, hand over hand simian like fun is there to be had. For those who like to sit while swinging there is a swing set with 2 baby and 2 older kid swings.
West of the playground, just past the eight giant boulders and beyond the basketball court is an ideal, clear day vantage point to track the dipping sun as it slips behind the Halifax skyline. If the kids still need some exercise after their running, sliding and swinging, a little quick step on the waterfront hiking trail should do the trick. To the north there’s a wonderful grassy hill just right for smaller kid rolling and tumbling. A little further on are the Coast Guard docks. To the south are the NSCC campus, the Woodside ferry and fine, unimpeded views of the middle harbour.
All playground areas have pebble gravel infilll. With mature trees lining both the north and south sides of the park, there is ample shade. Lots of grass for blanket picnics and parking is usually available at the Community Centre. Good fish and chips just down the street at John’s Lunch.
South Woodside School Playground
It’s a spectacular, teeming kids in motion play-a-thon every time I pass by South Woodside School at recess (map). Even the benches located outside the school screams out, ‘this is a place to have 
fun’. There are two large play zones (photos) both surfaced with pebble infill gravel. One is a slider’s paradise with a double and triple laner and a corkscrew. The other is like a boot camp obstacle course requiring developed climbing, swinging and balancing skills.
The day we visited, dark clouds were rolling in and the sky was about to open with buckets of rain. We managed to give just about everything a try before we started to play dodge the drops. The slide ensemble was our favourite and the most likely to appeal to pre-schoolers for ease of access and the wheeeee factor fun as they zip down. Kids have lots of choices to practice their climbing skills to reach the elevated level including a climbing board, a ‘u’ stirrup ladder, a sideways ‘u’ climbing pole, a spiral climbing pole and a chain link wooden rung ladder. Up top there is plenty of space to move around. The two slide areas are joined by a shallow dip wooden suspension bridge.
It was the bumper slide that attracted Noah to the obstacle course play zone. He was able to work up some speed and rocket off at the out end with forward motion stumbling and lots of laughter. This was hands down his favourite single piece of equipment.
Older kids will be able to get much fuller use of this area. They have the size, strength and motor skills to handle the equipment. The slide is great for the toddler and pre-school set along with some balancing steps and the climbing web.
Parking is available in the school lot, accessed off of Everette St., during summer, weekends and after hours. Parking is also available off of Osborne. The playground is fenced on three sides with no direct access onto Pleasant St. There is no shade to speak of other than in the shadow of the school before the sun rises too high in the morning. Note – there are no swings at South Woodside. The playground is kitty corner to the refinery (The Imperial Oil Foundation donated $15,000 to its construction) and sensitive noses may detect a sour odour in the air.
Avenger Place Playground – Opposite Shearwater
Noah had been clamouring for the past few weeks to stop at the playground opposite the main entrance to Shearwater (map). We’ve passed it hundreds of times scooting back and forth to the city. I hadn’t paid it much attention but Noah has an eagle eye and was able to make out from his passenger seat that it was a ship playground because of the plastic flag he spied flying off its stern.
Last week, we finally pulled over to for a quick play (photos). He was happy to satisfy his curiosity and swagger up the ramp onto the main deck for a little make believe pirate time. This is a fine playground for toddlers right through primary school kids. There are two slides – one standard and one elephant trunk, two spring riders – a bright green frog and a blue whale, four swings – two for babies and two for the older kids. There are several access points to the ship including a ramp, wooden steps, chain link ladder with wooden rungs and for those wanting to hoist themselves aboard, a rope.
The play areas are surfaced with pebble gravel infill. There is no shade to be had here. There are a couple of benches to take the load off and a picnic bench for a lunch or snacks. There is lots of parking along Avenger Place and Harvard Drive.
Happy hopping.
A silent, keystone kids ride on the North Woodside spring octopus.
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