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.

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.

Peaceful Playgrounds - Playing Nice At Recess

At recess, some kids roam around aimlessly while others hover in groups, conspiring. Some kids pretend they are eagles flying around. Inevitably, someone gets hurt by a bruised knee or ego. The underdeveloped brain needs law and order. Here is a great alternative. Peaceful Playgrounds.

The playground includes over 50 games like Four Square, Jolly ball, Pickle, Around the World, Sideline Basketball and many more.
 

View great pictures on their blog

Here are cool examples of an asphalt transformation by the Boston Schoolyard Initiative.

Before

After

The Charlestown Navy Yard Playground and Fountain

The Charlestown Navy Yard Park has a unique, massive, mind-blowing feature. No. Not Old Ironsides. Beyond the cute tot spot and perfectly maintained trees and green lawns is this concrete hole with steps and platforms. It has all the features of a swimming pool, kitchen sink, Egyptian pyramid, Roman fountain and a water treatment plant. I thought I knew a thing or two about Boston parks, so why wasn't this on my radar? Maybe because from the satellite view on Google maps, it looks like a concrete crop circle. Turns out it's a fountain with an identity crisis as it's many things to many people...a wading pool, water park and a skateboarder's paradise. We'll be returning this summer to see what it was intended for and how people are using it. 

Apparently, there is a debate about it's use and safety. Hopefully, this fountain can define it's purpose and significance along the HarborWalk and Freedom Trail.

 

The playground gets it done. It has a nice canopy over the sandbox. There is visitor parking available along the street next to the park. This beautiful and peaceful spot is just a quick walk from Old Ironsides. There are great views of the city just beyond the paved, tree-lined paths. 

 

  

Another unique feature of this park is the interactive Korean War Memorial. When you approach the Memorial, motion sensors cue up a narrative about the war and the Massachusetts Veterans. The statue is magnificent. On a windy day, the soldier's sweeping jacket brings him to life as he braces against the wind.
 

 

The North End Loop - A Hopper's Dream

The North End Loop is just a dream. Imagine being able to walk from the North End to the newly designed family hang-out called City Hall Plaza. Like the elevated 93, the concrete slab of City Hall Plaza will crumble and be replaced by little water fountains for toddlers, big benches, shade, playful elements like a massive hammock, swings that make music and little sculptures to climb, just like in the Greenway. Fun worth taking your toddler out of the carriage for. There will be concerts, food festivals and farmer's markets. Cool stuff for everyone, all year round.

Can't you just picture these swings along the loop! Well, until then, the hopping continues.

Inhabit.com

Natural Shade

Can't stress enough how landscape architecture is your baby's best friend. The search continues. The bending, twisting and grooming of trees and scrubs is just pure fun for older kids. We found something similar at Weezie's Garden in Wellesley pictured below. Another spot to consider is Houghton's Pond in Milton. Next to the new bathhouse is a grouping of evergreens that hangs over a perfect little picnic spot and baby swings. Better pictures on the way. Promise.

And what Mom doesn't want to feel the love of a tree protecting her baby from the sun. 

Faux natural works for me. 
 

Somerville - Two Neighborhood Gems

Somerville's Albion Park and Dickerson Playground are two great gems wrapped up real nice and pretty. They have great equipment, one with an open court, thoughtful shading, new plantings, spray pads, lots of seating, large light posts, iron fencing and proudly displayed welcome signs. There is one problem. At both parks, there is no parking for non-residents. Now Somerville is great, but I won't be moving there soon as my monster parking ticket on Albion street cuts into the monster funds needed to live there. 

The Albion Park (how to get there) is a neighborhood gem with lots of trees, shade and a grassy knoll for picnicking. It's extremely inviting. New and cool for us was the wacky seasaw. There's a spray pad with tons of benches under a pergola. A large open court good for basketball or beginner rollerskating. Every corner of the place says "stay a while." Unfortunately, I stayed too long and got a parking ticket that made my head spin as fast as the merry-go-round. 

Albion Park 

Albion Park

The Dickerman Playground (find here) is brand new! Covered in soft padding, surrounded by lovely landscaping and a spectacular stone wall, this nice little spot offers lots of seating, new trees, a perfectly sized spray pad and a mural wall. Even with the boulders scattered around like giant stepping stones, the park is a soft place to land for busy parents. 

Official headgear for Playground Hoppers

Spring has sprung on their heads. Made of duct tape, a bouquet of flowers and some evergreens, the official Hopper headgear is perfect for saving treasures picked along our hopping trails. The flowers, twigs and leaves look much prettier wrapped around their heads or wrists than stuffed in my pockets. Helps to use a headband or visor.

 

South of Boston

Hop along to these playgrounds and parks on the south shore and south west of Boston. Share with us any other parks you enjoy along these paths.   

Marshfield
Braintree
Randolph 
Milton 
Plymouth 
Quincy 
South Boston 
Stoughton
Canton
Sharon
Sandwich 
North Attleboro 
Walpole 
 

Swings - Push Me Higher

These amazing swings are for anyone who can remember pushing so high you were lifted off the seat, or swinging double with your sister, or twisting your rope to give youself a hugh spin in the air. Notice only plank swings. No painful hip huggers.

Constructed out of a 100 foot tree. Sits at the 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park. Indianapolis.

An interactive display at the Park Avenue Armory in New York designed by Ann Hamilton.

At the International Centre for the Arts in Guimaraes, Portugal. A light under each swing is powered by the motion of the swings themselves!

Urban Swing installation by Jeff Waldman.

While not technically a swing, this big hammock swayed along the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Funded by the Awesome Foundation, this beauty only stayed for two weeks in 2010.