Buckle up, we’re about to blast off for a third season of fun with PlayGround Chronicles. We would have started the countdown a long time ago but the weather has just not been cooperative. Welcome back if you’ve dropped in before and a big hello if this is your first visit to PlayGround Chronicles.
I did see the sun briefly last Saturday while on a Beaver expedition with 150 kids and adult volunteers out in Mineville. I saw it again in a passing haze on Tuesday afternoon buffing up the sky to a fine blue sheen. It may even have appeared sporadically for guest appearances on a couple of other occasions. One thing is sure, there hasn’t been enough of the old fire ball. Our sorties this spring have been limited to quick visits to playgrounds located close enough to home that we can make a scramble dash for it whenever rain threatens. Sun dance anyone?
St. Catherine’s Elementary School Playground
Mike and family sent me a note a couple of days ago letting me know they had played at 15 or so of the playgrounds covered by the blog. They were looking for the location of these ess-shaped 
monkey bars. They’re in the interior courtyard of St. Catherine’s Elementary School (map – purple marker and photos) in Halifax’s west end. There are rings, swings, climbers and, last year when we visited, chunky sized plastic kids’ furnishings were scattered around the play area. Sunflowers in the small school garden, heads bowed to the ground, were beginning to lose their lustre but were still a wonderful touch of caring green.
This is a climbing and swinging space with a couple of monkey bars thrown in for good measure. No slides here, no baby swings either. It’s a budding gymnast’s paradise.
Climb an acute angled plank with or without the aid of a rope, a chain link ladder, a pole, a scaling board, or one of the three towered bird cages.
A small strip of trees runs the length of the playground providing shade. At one end there are a couple of picnic tables. Pebble infill is de rigueur around the equipment but there are also 
some grassy spots notably a mini soccer pitch. An impromptu game of hop scotch started us on our way out of St. Catherine’s, over across Connolly Street and back through the squeak in the fence to a double header at the Halifax Independent School.
Halifax Independent School Playground
Halifax Independent School (map – blue markers and photos) has two distinct playspaces within the fenced grounds. Parking is available at the school’s Connaught Ave. entrance in a lot which is usually empty after hours. As there are no barriers restricting access to the playground, I’m working on the assumption that it is open to the general public outside of school hours as a community service. Thank you Halifax Independent School.
As you enter the school courtyard there is a piece of equipment we haven’t seen elsewhere in Halifax. It’s a gentle, three tiered climbing sculpture that’s great for sitting, standing and jumping – a good spot to take a breather if there’s been a lot of running and chasing play.
Beyond the climber, there’s a sleek, narrow bodied two level ship. There is plenty of room here for a large crew of kids to set sail for nautical adventures. If there is any danger of capsizing, or going under, a double slide from the monkey’s island high point to the pebbly sea is the quickest getaway.
The ship is solid and well constructed. Just a word of caution for the smaller ones using the stairs between the two levels. They are a little steep and may be a bit difficult to manage if there is a lot of traffic up and down.
Off the ship’s stern is a four seater (six in a squeeze) sproingy teeter-totter with red silhouette birds that bear some resemblance to an iteration of the Twitter icon. It’s one of those up and down rides that kids never seem to tire of. Our guys are still sitting for this self-propelled ride but I’m sure it won’t be too long before one of them gets the bright idea of standing up and trying it out daredevil style.
Our guys could have stayed in this area for younger children for a good long while but beyond the fence, across the pavement and up a small hill is the bigger kids’ play emporium. A deep metal red and plastic green quadrangle offers slides, bouncy bridges, climbing walls and sliding poles, a zip line, tic-toc pendulum stepping stones and monkey bars.
Slides are the big attraction for our guys in this section. They were up and down countless times – alone, racing side by side, hugged up one against the other in a train of two. Many of the other activities in this area are difficult for pre-school, or early primary school kids although they do try. The attitude seems to be if it’s there, why not give it a whirl. They certainly can get quite a bounce on the bridges, enough to knock them off their feet.
There are swings (no baby swings though) and a play house between the two playgrounds and great designs on the pavement. Of note – old tires have been used as an added safety feature on a few pieces of equipment here – at the foot of the ship’s double slide and around the base of the swing’s poles.
Click image for slideshow
Lots of shade in the ship playground and benches to sit on. Less shade up above in the metal and plastic. Fenced in, green grass, plenty of activities to keep young ones on the move. This triple header is a great outing that can easily last 60 to 90 minutes with a visit to each of the play areas. If you’re not tuckered out after this, nip over to Westmount Inclusive Playground. It’s just a hop skip and a jump away.
I’m looking out my window on Victoria Day Monday morning. Behold – the sun is shining. Quick, get out and play.
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