Shannon Park School has two well equipped playgrounds to discover tucked away in Dartmouth’s north end (map). It’s a rare sunny July afternoon when nearly 6-year-old lad in company with nearly 2-year-old girl and I drop in for a play about. Nearly 4-year-old girl is at a birthday party a few blocks away and is a little chagrined that she can’t join the adventure.
Visually, it’s an area in transition with the candy striped Tufts Cove stacks rising to the south. Across Sioux Rd., on the opposite side of the playground located on the west side of the school, are boarded up former Canadian Forces housing units waiting for the wrecker’s ball, for some eventual redevelopment.
The playgrounds (photos) are well maintained and we have a barrel of fun time under the hot sun doing the climbing, sliding, jumping, stretching, swinging, laughing, try it once, try it twice, new place thing. Lila gets in plenty of tongue sticking out practice on the bouncy bridge – note, some caution is necessary with this contraption for younger ones – we had our share of kerplunks.
Noah is back and forth on the ding-dong pendulum walk. He’s got it nailed now, sailing across with the greatest of ease.
Noah is being a helpful big brother with little sis, taking her by the hand when she’ll accept and showing her the ropes on some of the equipment. He’s there for her, mother henning on occasion – it’s sweet to see. He gets a real big kick out of giving Lila her first pushes on a big swing – a big hit for all of us.
The two playgrounds are on the north and west sides of the school. They’re close together but one isn’t visible from the other. It’s a good locale to experiment with a little independence – where mom and/or dad can be out of sight but not really too far away. There is fencing that skirts the northern and western perimeters of the playground areas.
Plenty of parking here, both on school property and Sioux Rd. There isn’t much shade and on a hot day like our romp, this can be an issue. Escape from the sun is possible under the three-lane slide. On the south side of the school there are expansive playing fields, the venue for the Dartmouth United Soccer Fest for the past several years. If you’re heading to that event for the first time with other non-soccer player kids in tow – remember there is a playground for them to have some fun.
Get out, get active, explore the city and enjoy HRM’s 300 plus playgrounds.
