Author: Dale Dietrich

We love this place. Been there 3 times now. The kids always want to go. There is a ground level ‘obstacle course’ for the smallest ones, a hobbit-like set of tunnels and a bunch of tree houses with rope bridges beteeen them. 

A ton of fun. The shade is wonderful on hot days. No sunscreen needed! The brush is removed and the three times we visited we had no issues with mosquitoes. 

It’s expensive ($20 per kid – $7 per supervising adult for two hours) and quite a trek (a 35 min drive from downtown Toronto in ideal driving conditions) but worth it for the occasional treat. 

Aside from traffic, plan at least 15 extra minutes for all the form/liability waiver filling in. Thankfully the forms are much shorter than they were in prior years. But when it’s busy there can be quite a wait at the checkin due to all the paperwork. 
Continue reading “Treewalk Village Stouffville”

[Updated August 2017 to add summertime pics.]

High Park’s Jamie Bell Adventure Playground is (to my knowledge) the biggest playground structure in the city and certainly one of the best (lots more pics here). Insanely busy in the summer but completely empty (except for us) on this warm November Day. As very young children our kids hated his place when it was swarming with kids in the summer. But they loved it today. They particularly love bouncing up and down on the rubber Bruges (see pic below) especially when dad makes it bounce.

[August 2017 Update: At 5 and 3.5 years old they loved it on a busy summer day.]

Continue reading “Jamie Bell Adventure Playground (High Park)”

While admittedly pretty and new, in my opinion, Corktown Common is the most overrated park in the city. It gets almost universal acclaim yet it has very few play structures for kids. A big slide, a smaller slide, a teeter totter, some swings, a water faucet to get them dirty  (Ugh!) and a cool splash pad (open only from end of June till Labour Day). That’s pretty much it. It’s stroller unfriendly.  There is ZERO shade for hot days – hence we go on cloudy days.

One thing I do like, however is there is a large public raspberry bush that you can pick raspberries from in June and July. It also has terrific bathrooms when open (was open at lunch time on Oct 20 but drinking fountains were shut off).

Continue reading “Corktown Common”

The playground at Rosedale Park is one of the nicer outdoor community playgrounds in terms of facilities. It’s located in a swanky neighborhood, a half mile north east of Bloor and Sherburne – a 10 minute drive in no traffic from downtown. There are no free floating toys. There are public bathrooms immediately beside but they were closed at 6pm on Oct 13. I’ve never seem a train like they have here in a Toronto park nor such a large interactive wall with as many options (see pics below). It also has the highest slide I’ve found yet in a public Toronto park. Like many Toronto parks, it has a splash pad (that’s only open from end of June to Labour Day). Unlike most parks, it has a nice gazebo that was handy when it started raining and would be nice to eat your lunch under.

Continue reading “Rosedale Park Playground”

The playground at Hideaway Park is one of my personal favorite outdoor playgrounds in the city. It has a nice play structure, sandbox, wading pool, nice treed green space, toys strewn around including riding toys. It’s tranquil and never very busy. It’s a tad south and east from Pape & Dundas and only accessible from a laneway on one end and a fenced in dog park on the other.

Ask Siri or Google Maps for directions to Hideaway Park and they will both lead you to it. There is normally a porta potty in the park, but as of today it’s not there. I guess they remove it after the summer is over.

Continue reading “Playground at Hideaway Park”

Beaches East Playground – where Silver Birch Ave meets the lake. As far as I know this playground doesn’t have a formal name. We call it the “Purple Park” for obvious reasons.

It’s a nice little park. Best things about it are that its almost completely shaded and there is a nice cool breeze off the lake. It has a sandbox full of toys and a smattering of abandoned toys around though far fewer than a lot of other parks. The climbing equipment is new and almost identical to that found at Stanley Park. There’s not a lot here, but equipment is new and almost identical to that found at Stanley Park. There’s not a lot here, but I really like it. Seems more tranquil than most other playgrounds.

And there is a nice, clean public toilet with change tables in both the men’s and women’s washrooms just down the hill from the playground – about 100 feet away.

Continue reading “Beaches East Playground”

The pirate ship playground beside the soccer fields at Cherry Beach is terrific. Nice soft floor under the ship and play structures. Lots to explore. Swings, teeter totter and the usual play things. Our kids love this place.

The best outdoor public toilet in the city that I’ve see is 100 feet away. Change tables in men and women’s bathroom. Water thermos refill station. Sadly, zero shade which is why I left it to a cool day before I ventured here.

Set Google maps to 115 Unwin Ave (see map below) and it takes you to the otherwise obscure entrance. Drive in and you will see it immediately on the left. Or bicycle from downtown. My wide pushed the kids here in the jogging stroller. There is feee parking immediately beside. At mid-day on a September weekday there was nobody here but us.

Updare Note: As of April 2017, parking which used to be paid parking is now free.

Continue reading “Pirate Ship Playground at Cherry Beach”

Alan Gardens playground, at Jarvis and Carlton, is another nice new park. Nice new structures and sand box. No toilet though. It, too, has one of those new rubbery fake wood chip floors that I love. Safe but not messy. It’s right beside the free botanical gardens in the Alan Gardens Conservatory – shown in the background. WARNING: bring a change of clothes for the littlest ones because this park has one of those mud park fountains like at Dufferin Grove Park. The kids WILL get wet and muddy and have a lot of fun doing it.

  
Neshama Playground, in the north/east corner of Oriole Park, is a couple minute walk from the Davisville subway. It’s a wonderful new park. Little fountains that start at the push of a button. A splash pad. A water thermos refill station. Bouncy rubber floor. Everything is new. A terrific new toilet. Lots of play structures. Easily now one of my favorite parks. So easy to get to. The subway stop has elevators for strollers. Strangely no change table. Right beside the beltway if one parent wants to run while the other hangs with the kids. And plenty of shade!