Harborview Park

The sun came out for a few hours today so E and I threw on our jackets and ran outside to play.

Location:

Harborview Park is F1 on the parks map. It's right off the Bayshore Trail which E and I have walked MANY times. I've seen this park from a distance, but had never stopped to check it out. It wasn't hard to find at all (although I suggest getting directions from the internet. You have to wind through a few neighborhoods to get there.)

Parking: There are 11 parking spots (two handicap) and plenty of street parking. We got there right when the preschool across the street was getting started for the day. Even with the mass of parents dropping off their kids, I still saw a lot of street parking.

Little Playground: Let me start by saying that the joint playground area of this park is HUGE! There was so much room for E to toddle around exploring! The surface is seamless rubber (super soft and bouncy).There are two playstructures in the little kids section alone. The first one is all about climbing (no slides, just levels and ropes).

The second one is more like a playhouse. It has a round "lookout" at the top of the stairs, complete with captains wheel,flag pole, binoculars, and bullhorn.On the other side of the structure are two slides (gentle slopes and close to the ground) and a climbing wall. E was not really interested in the slides. He wanted to climb the wall (which he's definitely not big enough for yet) and play with the wheel, holes, binoculars, and other fun things in the lookout.
I loved how new and creative this structure was.

The walls were too high for me to reach over and grab E if he was in need of help. Once he was in, he was there to stay which made me a little nervous. But, since all of the sides were enclosed (except for the slides) I wasn't too worried about him playing in there alone.

There is also a sand box in the little kids area with three froggy statues and a play table.
The biggest frog has a fountain that comes out of his head. When the weather gets warmer I think E will love playing in the water and sandy mud (bring a change of clothes)!There are two toddler swings at this park! YAY! It also has free-standing features like a little tea-cup that spins and a climbing pole (the yellow pole behind the red cup).
E loved running from one thing to another. He had SOOO much to do! Slide, climb, swing, play in sand, spin in a cup, play underneath the big structure....wow!

Big Playground: This is definitely ONLY for the use of bigger kids. The structure is too high to climb to the top with a baby and the slides would be a bit scary. However, when E gets bigger I have a feeling that this will be one of his favorite parks because it also has MANY elements and swings.
Coverage: N-O-N-E! Wear sunscreen and hats FOR SURE! This is a great park of mornings and evenings...but a lunch time play date could ROAST in the summer at this completely uncovered park.

Animals: There are no animals allowed in this park. We saw 3 leashed dogs being walked to the Bayshore Trail, but all of the owners stayed respectfully on the outside of the park gates.

Crowds: I have seen this park get fairly crowded. However, the size of the playground area alone would allow for LOTS of kids to be playing. It's next to a boys and girls club, and it looks like a popular afternoon hang out. If you want your park adventure to be just you and your child I would not choose this park.

What we liked: We both loved the space of this park! E felt free to run and run and I had no concerns about him falling down on the rubbery surface. I love that the park is gated. E could wander and I didn't have to follow three steps behind him. We also really liked the many different elements that were included in the playground (swings, a spinning cup, sand area, etc.) leaving no room for boredom. The concrete benches on the edge of the playground were a nice touch. It was great to have a close place to sit down and put a loose shoe back on.

What we didn't like: Being a fair, red-head...and the mother of a VERY fair child, I didn't like how exposed this park was. In the future we'll come prepared for sun, sun and more sun! I also felt like this park was very industrial. If you're looking for a peaceful, woodland, retreat, this park is not for you.

Pause

E's down with Roseola (poor little spotty boy) and the weather has decided to cycle back into monsoon season. Once these two snags have cleared up, we'll be back out there again!

Indian Springs Park

The sun decided to come out yesterday, so we picked a park on the map and went exploring!
Location:Indian Springs Park is C4 on the parks map. We turned up 39th avenue off El Camino and drove and drove and drove ...I thought we missed it. Then it appeared out of no where on the left hand side. It's nestled on a hillside in a quiet little neighborhood (The map makes it look closer to El Camino then it really is).

Parking:There's a small lot at the base of a huge flight of concrete stairs. At first I was surprised that the only way to get into the park was to haul baby (and stroller, if I was using one) up a set of stairs, but there is a ramp a short walk above the parking lot.
There are two playgrounds at the park, one for big kids and one for little kids. Both have wood chip surfaces.

Little Playground: This playground features a playhouse with one flat slide and two openings (one at the back and one at the front) Unlike most of the parks we've been to, the structure is made out of wood (I worried about slivers but E came away sliver free). It has more of a "backyard tree house" feel to it instead of a city playground. I LOVED that there were only two openings! I could easily move from one to the other to prevent falls. Once E climbed up into the little fort he giggled and squealed while peaking through the thin windows at me. You can tell from the pic that the structure is not very high(E is just over 2 feet tall) or big (it could only fit about two or three toddlers comfortably).

Another thing I loved, was how low to the ground the end of the slide was. I had no problem letting E go down on his own, and he had no trouble pulling himself up at the bottom. One time he slid down a bit fast and shot out into the wood chips. He giggled and pulled himself right up.
The slide itself is short and slopes gently. E had a blast crawling up the stairs and going down all by himself without much more then a bit of supervision from me. Also, the stair rail next to the slide is not too high so if I needed to grab his hand for a bit of help, or snag his little body to keep him from falling it wasn't difficult at all.

There's a great view from the playground. If you look close you can see SFO in the distance. We saw lots of planes taking off and a few little ones flying overhead. E would shout "THAT" really loud and point to the planes. We both liked the added entertainment.

Big Playground: (Keep in mind that this review is for a younger child and this playground was definitely NOT built for them to be playing on alone) Unlike the little playground. This one is mostly metal and rope. The slide is WAAAAY to big for a toddler to go down alone. It has a huge drop off so an adult definitely needs to be at the bottom to catch a toddler that has been guided to the top by another adult (we went down it 3 times together and E begged for more each time). I love that there are only a few stairs on this structure. The two pieces are connected with bridges. It made it a little more difficult for me to climb up to the slide with E on my hip, but I have a feeling that he will love how imaginative this play structure is when he gets older.

Coverage: Things can get pretty hot on the peninsula in the summer, so I'm keeping an eye on what kind of sun protection each park has. This small park was built in a grove of giant eucalyptus trees. The smell alone was worth the trip! I have a feeling that in July the dappled light coming down through these beauties makes for a pretty cool playground. That being said. I would still have E playing in a hat and sunblock.

Bonus Feature: Indian Springs Park really does have springs! I spotted two natural springs bubbling up from the ground.
The city has made rock-lined riverbeds for the resulting creeks to flow down. There is a tiny waterfall that we passed over on a bridge on our way into the park. E stopped to look through the handrail at it gurgling on it's way.

Animals: There was a sign coming into the park requesting that all dogs be leashed. We only met one pair of beautiful dogs (one of whom was off leash but very well behaved).

Crowds: There were two older kids and one younger toddler. For a 4:00 visit on a school day, I would expect to see more kids out playing. I have a feeling that this park is a hidden gem that remains fairly uncrowded.

What we liked: E and I both loved the independence that the little playground gave him. I didn't worry about him toppling out of the structure (too much). He loved that I gave him free reign to climb, explore, slide, etc. I loved the peaceful feeling of the park. I felt like I was in a garden...or visiting a wealthy friend's backyard. (I also loved that Yummy Yogurt was right across the street when we drove back down to El Camino...that would make a fun ending to a play date.)

What we didn't like: No swings!!! One of our favorite activities was totally missing from this park. Also, it's a little far from our house so we probably won't venture down too much. However, If you live close by, it is well worth the visit.

The Map

This picture is soo tiny! Anyway, here is a visual of the parks that we plan to visit this year. Some of them are HUGE and some are just small neighborhood playgrounds. Today is cold and overcast....looks like we'll have to wait for a better day to get started.

Introducing

Most of the people who will come to this site already know me. For those of you who don't, I'm Jen, a stay-at-home, apartment-dwelling, mother of a wiggly one year old boy (E). I'm constantly looking for a new place for him to run around and play with friends. My goal for 2010 is to visit all of the 30+ parks on the San Mateo Parks and Recreation map (we'll venture up into Burlingame and Millbrae too) and provide a review of our experience.