Bradley M. Lessa Memorial Playground - Stoughton

To get to the Bradley M. Lessa Memorial playground in Stoughton, you take a turn off a country road down what seems to be someone's private driveway. It's a perfect gateway for what's to follow. After a short drive down a gravel road and past a little pasture with a couple of cows, you can just make out the red, yellow and green of the playground beyond some trees. This is a nice retreat for nature lovers not interested in Main Street or schoolyard playgrounds. Similar to Endicott Park in Danvers, there are pretty pastures to wander around and pick flowers. Plenty to do for big and small kids, with lots of seating, tables and an ample amount of shade. Located on 1258 West Street in Stoughton.

Endicott Park - Danvers - North of Boston

A double whammy for Playground Hoppers at Endicott Park in Danvers. It has both a playground and a beautiful farm with acres of pastures, trails and a pond. The playground is tucked away and surrounded by a picture perfect pasture, framed by a pretty white fence.

 

The plastic equipment doesn't exactly blend with the scenery, which is a thorn in the side of some naturalists. As Hoppers, we agree as we've been through the rabbit hole, and we know about natural playgrounds on the other side. We've done our research. Check these out! On the hot, sunny day we visited, it was more of a somersault-in-the-shade kind of day, as the playground equipment was too hot to touch. Oh, and bring $3 for parking. 

 

Winthrop Square and Minot Rose Garden in Brookline - A Slice of Heaven

This slice of heaven is a cozy shelter from the hustle and bustle of Beacon Street, with lots of two hour parking available along the perimeter on St. Paul Street. A canopy of massive trees shelter this wonderful park from the sun. Perfect for babies. If you time it right, you can find shade in every corner of the playground. A water fountain works as a splash pad with four big sprayers. The entrance to the park is a rose garden. Does it get any better than that?  Brookline has many other parks we'd like to check out. Here is a list we will chip away at this summer. They have a great map that will help us navigate the twisted layout of this very cool neighborhood.

 

 

Revere - Costa Park - KaBoom Playground

Costa Park in Revere is a wonderful neighborhood playground inside a vibrant, diverse community and was funded by Kaboom, "a national all-profit that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every neighborhood kid" and Jetblue. It is a nice place to take a deep breathe and unwind with your baby, or for the older kids, to find out who likes who. There is lots of tree cover and a nice pergola. Located on Shirley Avenue in Revere.