Many thanks to PlayGround Chronicles reader Christy who suggested that we check out the playgrounds at École Burton Ettinger School and Park West School. 
Burton Ettinger at the corner of Sunnyside Avenue and Alex Street is our first stop (map). Nellie-Rose is my number one tester today. Big brother Noah is on a home adventure. As we turn the corner into the shallow driveway we’re welcomed by blossoming sunflowers stretching across a mural.
The playground is on the Sunnyside Avenue side of the school. It’s all curves, arcs and orbs (photos). There are three round pods, red, blue and yellow, skewered on steel swizzle sticks entering the ground at an angle just shy of perpendicular and anchored to overhead arches. They look like refugees, or quétaine remnants from an Austin Powers set – you know those groovy, mod salon chairs you always pined for but could never source.
We can’t get these chairs to do anything. They don’t seem to turn, spin, or rise and fall. Movement isn’t one of their attributes. As a focal point in the playscape, I have an expectation they will do something. If there is a key, or secret we are not able to unlock it. The orb/pod/chairs remain 
resolutely motionless. They’re tough for a small girl to hoist herself up to the entrance and roll in. Nellie needs a little help. Once inside, there isn’t much to do – sit, loll, lie down. Other than the struggle to get in, not a lot of physical activity here. Nellie is eager to try other pieces of equipment.
There’s another component of the playground that looks like an oversize birdswing, something you might pick up for Tweety on steroids. Three of these perches are lined up one behind the other. Each of them is bolted with two strands of chain links to the steel frame above and one strand to the ground. It’s a tricky proposition for Nellie. I have to pick her up and place her on the perch. Their movement is very restricted not much more than six inches forward and back. As a seat, they don’t rate high in the comfort department either. Bigger kids would have the ability to stand up on the rung and step from perch to perch adding a little spice to this particular piece of equipment.
Other play possibilities here include three strands of triangle grip monkey bars, an escher twist climber, two ‘sail’ climbers, a spinning pole with platform for two to four kids at a squeeze (there is a second spinner but the platform is broken off), a climbing rope web and anchored blue and yellow plastic floating stepping stones. It’s interesting equipment – visually appealing but not necessarily functional for Nellie’s age. I’m sure that the kids who play here all the time have plenty of fun. At just shy of three and fifty plus, we didn’t see it on this day.
Around the side of the school just beyond the mural is the old playground. Nellie is familiar with the offerings here and zips down the slides a couple of times. This is an environment where she can manage some of the equipment on her own. As she says, “je suis capable toute seule.”
The new playground is surfaced with the rubbery, spongy, springy material. The old one is the pebble gravel infill. Lots of parking available on the surrounding streets and in the parking lot when school is not in session. The only shade is what is cast by the school building itself. There is also lots of opportunity for running play in a big sports field that features a baseball diamond. Note – there are no swings.
Not too far away on Langbrae Drive is another relatively new playground installation at Park West School and (map). It is slightly older than Burton School as it appears in Google street view. There are two play pads here and although much of the equipment is unfamiliar, Nellie is more at home. She is able to get on, or in, things unassisted and experiment. She has a close call or two nearly landing on her bum when she tries the wobbly wobbler balance defiers.
In addition to the wobbly wobblers (photos), this section is full of stuff we have either never seen before or come across only infrequently. There is a functioning periscope, a two handled crank start that just gives the arms a good work out, a souped up teeter tooter with attitude, the x-wave – (a similar model can be found at Oxford St. School) and a tunnel/chamber with topside plexiglass viewing panels that can be crawled through in the blink of an eye.
After Nellie puts everything through its paces on this first pad, we mosey over to the land of large arches, rope and composite plastic. Small ones are dwarfed by the scale of this structure. Here it’s all about spinning, climbing. stepping and sliding.
The two circle climber in the foreground (above) also spins on itself. If only it could be dipped in some solution it would make a great mega bubble factory – a science experiment waiting to happen, finding the right tensile strength? Younger kids will require a steadying hand in this section as they attempt dizzying heights or lateral climbs through the minimalist tunnel.
The steps to the top of the slide can also be tricky for smaller ones. They are sturdy and offer good grips but the spacing between steps is significant. Many will need a hand on the way down too as the slide is not framed. There is nothing to hold onto. Once Nellie gets over her initial reticence at this new fangled slide, she ‘s good for several zips down with a hand to hold onto. Looking at it head on, the body of the slide is reminiscent of a slimmer, elongated version of the Rolling Stones tarted up trade mark tongue. That’s the beginning of a slippery slope.
No shade at this location at all. The wobbly play pad is surfaced with the kinder, gentler springy sproingy material. The slide area is the standard pebble gravel infill. There is limited parking adjacent to the playground. More is available on side streets and at the school when it is not in session. There are no swings here either. There are benches and a picnic bench if you want to have a sit down snack.
The school retained its previous playground. It’s located up closer to the school building proper. We don’t have the time to check it out on this visit. Baby Lila-Jeanne needs to get home to maman. It’s been a fun outing and Nellie-Rose is a tester par excellence. Thanks again to Christy who let us know about both these play spaces. We’re always looking for great places to check out ourselves and share on the blog so drop us a line.
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