Adams Playground Park

We may have found our new summer home at Adams Playground Park!  This little park has everything you need for a relaxing day at the park.

Adams Playground Park is hidden away from the hustle and bustle that is Armitage Avenue (Clybourn and Sheffield too).  We went late in the afternoon today and there was plenty of street parking.  However, I can imagine this gets tough on the weekends and after 6 p.m. when it becomes permit only.

At first I was thinking that Adams looked a little small.  But, once we got inside I realized that it was the absolute perfect size!  I very easily chased around my youngest while keeping an eye on my oldest.  The swings are nicely arranged so that you can push a baby swing and a big kid swing at the same time.

The reason this place is so great comes down to two major reasons: a water playground and a sandbox. Unfortunately for us it is still COLD so we were not able to use the water playground, but the kids had a blast in the giant sandbox (which is under a huge umbrella, score!).  The sandbox had plenty of shovels, pails, sifters and castle molds for everyone.  There is also a water fountain nearby for creating lagoons, lakes and streams.

Another great option at this park is the mini basketball court complete with a fun hoop to shoot at and plenty of balls to throw.  This sits right next to a shaded picnic area with tons of tables and a toddler play area.  There is not much that this park does not have.  Although small in size there is tons to do!  I haven't even mentioned the cool slide and climbing wall.

I cannot wait to come back when it is hot out to play in the water park!

Love:  perfectly small, water playground, sandbox, benches, picnic area, field house (with bathrooms and what looked like two party rooms), multiple swings (two handicapped), nicely landscaped, clean, shady areas.

Hate:  I love rocks at parks, but I do not know if I love them right at the beginning ramp of the equipment.  Pretty tough to keep the little guy off of them and he is not the most stable, I have a feeling parking can be rough on weekends (speculation, I know), rumors that the water playground is often "reserved" for camps or groups, lots of moms on cell phones.

Special Feature:  1) The water playground, duh.  2) The sandbox with umbrella (and benches overlooking the area)  

* A quick walk to Tom and Wendee's Italian Ice - perfect summer day.

* Super Stolie will be here on June 16th at 6:30 p.m.  As far as kid friendly musicians go, she is one of my favorites!

The Water Playground

Hoop

Sandbox

Field House, Sandbox on right

Margate Park

Margate Park is fantastic!  Located at 4921 N. Marine Dr. it is just a hop, skip and jump from Lake Shore Drive and the beach (and the dog beach and the dog park!).  The playground area of this park is pretty big with tons to do.  This is both wonderful and a little tricky.  Depending on the age of your kids it can be tough to keep an eye on everyone and I found myself doing a lot of chasing.  Big bonus here is that it is gated.

Margate Park playground has a great toddler area with four slides, a tunnel to climb through, a bridge to wobble across and block like stairs to climb over.  The big kid area has three or four bridges, slides, numerous things to climb and monkey bars among other things.  There was a huge game of tag going on the day we were there and it looked like the older kids were having a blast.

My only problem with the playground is one bridge on the big kid side that does not have much to keep a child from falling off of it.  One of the moms that I talked to said it was inevitable that every kid falls off that bridge at least once in their lifetime.  Well, that's reassuring!  

Love: parking lot (can be full, especially on Saturdays), picnic tables, grassy areas, bathrooms in the field house, rocks to climb on, lakefront breezes, huge space for running/jumping/chasing, tons of swings (2 handicapped), rubber surface, gated, drinking fountain, great decor (mosaic tiles, really cool stone animals, metal insects).

Hate:  hard to see all kids at once, flimsy bridge, hot slides in the summer, hard to get to all areas.

Special Feature:  1) Fire truck for the kids to play on. 2) An area that is intended to look like a pier in water with stone frog, turtle and snail, cute!

Big Kid side

Toddler side

Chase Park

Chase Park is at the intersection of Ashland and Leland, it is somewhat on the border of both Uptown and Lincoln Square.  

This park was just renovated last summer and the changes were well worth the wait.  In place of wood chips you will now find the rubber material that I so love.  There are tons of swings and big open spaces.  There are some unique equipment pieces that I haven't seen very often like a "spider web" for climbing and a balance beam for, well, balancing!

Chase Park playground is a good size, big enough to feel roomy and small enough to chase the little ones around.  The benches are perfectly placed to keep an eye on the kids and there are enough trees to hide out in the shade on a hot day.  Chase Park in it's entirety is huge!  There is a field house with a gym, toddler room, bathrooms, workout equipment and locker rooms.  There is also a pool, tennis courts, an outdoor track, two baseball diamonds and tons of green grass for blowing bubbles and flying kites.

Chase Park hosts numerous plays throughout the years, The Midnight Circus, and the Raven Festival (a great fest for families and adults).

Love:  fenced in play area keeps kids from going too far, toddler play sections, tons of swings, drinking fountain, bathrooms, tables, grassy areas.

Hate:  Play equipment in the sun can be hot, there are times when the park district camps take over the whole park.

Special Feature:  Love the climbing wall and spinning thing (who knows what this is called!?)

Berger Park

What better way to start my blog than by reviewing one of my favorite parks.  Berger Park is located at 6205 N. Sheridan, the intersection of Sheridan and Granville.

One of my favorite things about Berger Park is the location, it is nestled right on Lake Michigan with spectacular views of downtown.  Unfortunately, an amazing location also means that parking can be pretty tough.  With no street parking on Sheridan I often find myself looking for a metered spot on Granville.  Note: bring a stroller, you might be walking!

Love:  Rubber surfaces, tables for picnics, benches, updated equipment, drinking fountain, lots of space, grassy areas, amazing views, lakefront breeze, bathrooms.

Hate:  Equipment is directly in the sun and can be hot, there is no fence around this park (which borders rocks that border the water!), parking stinks.

Special Feature(s):  A pirate boat play area, cultural center (yet to be explored), The Waterfront Cafe

The Pirate Ship

                             

Amazing Views!