The Best Splash Pad South of Boston - Braintree Watson Park!

Going to the Braintree Watson Park splash pad is like a day at the beach, without the sand. Parking can also be like beach parking, with a long death walk in the sun. But persevere, you're kids will worshsip you when you get there and it makes for great leverage. Unfortunately for Mom, Dad, or whoever, it's not going to be much fun on a sunny, hot day. You will fry and become completely annoyed as there is no shade. Hey, life's a beach and stop complaining. You're just the driver and snack lady. Also, needs twice as many seats and trash cans. How about some picnic tables under the shady tree. At many splash pads closer to Boston, I've seen purgolas and canopies for shade...and few little trees can have huge potential later on. 

Just go. It's a blast.


 

Beacon Hill - Phillips Street Park

Do children live in Beacon Hill? When I lived in Beacon Hill, well before becoming a Playground Hopper, it seemed young, single professionals carrying coffee cups and older couples with pretty gardens ruled Charles Street. The steep hills, brick cobbles and narrow sidewalks gave the Hill charm, not little ones with cute booties sticking out of carriages. What mother in her right mind would want to stroll those hills? Well, turns out, behind those heavy Georgian red painted doorways up and down the hill are lots of little Bostonians, and I found two spots where they play; the Myrtle Street playground and the Phillips Street Park. 

 

Both are a good stretch of the legs, but once at the top, you will feel fully immersed in the Beacon Hill experience. Having made the climb pass all the beautiful homes with their pretty window boxes and iron-laced front steps, you deserve a nice rest at the Phillips Street Park, a beautifully terraced park perfect for breathing in the atmosphere.

 

 

The play structure looks like a giant, twisted, metal spider and wasn't a big hit with the Hoppers. Now that I think about it, the exhausting hike up the hill may have contributed to their lack of enthusiasm. A fabricated hill with a slide or a climbing structure with a gold dome at the top would have been perfect. Where is the context here? For toddlers, your best bet is Myrtle Street.