Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Learning
Things have been pretty slow here! I'm working on learning how to make my posts more "reader friendly", check back soon for a new, improved, parks review. =)
Thursday, March 11, 2010
West Hillsdale Park
Location:
West Hillsdale Park is C4 on the parks map. It is NOT easy to find! The park is set back from the road down a little path, so it is not visible from the street.
If you aren't careful, you'll drive right by the sign which is nestled between two suburban houses. The path is on 31st Ave and just a few blocks behind the Hillsdale Mall on the right hand side of the road. If you reach Hillsdale High school, you've gone too far. We had to turn around and come back to it.
West Hillsdale Park is C4 on the parks map. It is NOT easy to find! The park is set back from the road down a little path, so it is not visible from the street.
If you aren't careful, you'll drive right by the sign which is nestled between two suburban houses. The path is on 31st Ave and just a few blocks behind the Hillsdale Mall on the right hand side of the road. If you reach Hillsdale High school, you've gone too far. We had to turn around and come back to it.Parking:
Only street parking here, but the neighborhood streets were pretty empty so we had no trouble finding a spot.
Only street parking here, but the neighborhood streets were pretty empty so we had no trouble finding a spot.Surface:
The surface under the play structure is wood chips but there is LOTS of lawn in this park! E loved the wide expanse of open grass, even though it was pretty marshy.
Playground:
There is one play structure, which is a strange combination of rubber coated metal, with two slides. There is not much imagination to this structure, just bars and steps. The little slide is double wide, which is nice if friends are going down at the same time. But, it has a pretty high drop off at the end so I would suggest having someone at the bottom to catch a little one.
The big kids section of the structure has climbing bars and a twisty slide. It also has a pair of "slide bars" (those big green poles) for kids to hang onto and slide down.
There is a set of four swings behind the structure, two toddler, and two regular.
There are two spring toys that were looking a little worse for the wear.
Behind the spring toys is a tiny sand box to dig around in. I'm pretty sure I saw dog poo in this little box though, so I steered E back to the slides. BLECH!
Coverage: Huge trees line the park so there is shade around the edges. The play area and lawn are exposed. 
Bonus Feature:
There is a basketball court right next to the playground. It might be a nice place for a group of friends to meet after work or on some lazy Saturday for a picnic.
The surface under the play structure is wood chips but there is LOTS of lawn in this park! E loved the wide expanse of open grass, even though it was pretty marshy.
Playground:
There is one play structure, which is a strange combination of rubber coated metal, with two slides. There is not much imagination to this structure, just bars and steps. The little slide is double wide, which is nice if friends are going down at the same time. But, it has a pretty high drop off at the end so I would suggest having someone at the bottom to catch a little one.
The big kids section of the structure has climbing bars and a twisty slide. It also has a pair of "slide bars" (those big green poles) for kids to hang onto and slide down.
There is a set of four swings behind the structure, two toddler, and two regular.
There are two spring toys that were looking a little worse for the wear.
Behind the spring toys is a tiny sand box to dig around in. I'm pretty sure I saw dog poo in this little box though, so I steered E back to the slides. BLECH!
Coverage: Huge trees line the park so there is shade around the edges. The play area and lawn are exposed. 
Bonus Feature:
There is a basketball court right next to the playground. It might be a nice place for a group of friends to meet after work or on some lazy Saturday for a picnic. Animals: Although there was a sign out front requesting dogs to be leashed we were met by a friendly, unleashed, chihuahua sitting on the steps to the slide. The owner and her grandson made a hasty retreat when they saw that E and I planned to stay.
Crowds: Other then the dog owner who seemed upset that we were interrupting her peaceful playtime, we saw (and heard) NO ONE!
What we liked: I like that this park is so far removed from the street. Nothing but trees and houses line it. It's a quiet place to feel like you're alone in the world (at least on a random Wednesday morning). E liked the wide-open lawn and swings.
What we didn't like: The whole park had a neglected feel to it. The structure was not much fun, the spring toys were peeling and rusty, and a careless dog owner had let his pet use the sandbox as a bathroom. We will not be making this park one of our regular visits. Of all the parks we've been to so far, we spent the least amount of time here. E was bored and I was bored. What's our overall opinion? MEH!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Mariners Island Park
Location:
Mariners Island Park is F3 on the parks map. It's nestled in the middle of a neighborhood that sits on the edge of one of San Mateo's many estuaries. There is a baseball field next door, and LOTS of trees, flowering bushes, and grassy areas.
It leads to both of the tunnel slides on one end,
with a play wheel, and climbing bars on the other. This is definitely not a structure that I would let E play in alone. Because of the openings on either side for the climbing bars, there was too big of a risk of tumbling out. Luckily we had Daddy with us on this day so he stayed in the structure while I coaxed E down the "spooky" tunnel slides.
There are two toddler swings,
and sea horse and dolphin spring toys (did you know that small spring toys, like these, cost about $500!! WOW!).
In front of the swings, there is a sand box
complete with a digging toy. I used to LOVE these toys when I was little, strangely no one was really interested in this one. We tried to convince E to play on it, but he's still too little to work it properly.
There is also a mini playhouse.
Mariners Island Park is F3 on the parks map. It's nestled in the middle of a neighborhood that sits on the edge of one of San Mateo's many estuaries. There is a baseball field next door, and LOTS of trees, flowering bushes, and grassy areas.Parking:
There is no lot, but the street ends in a round-a-bout right in front of the park. There are plenty of places to leave the car.
There is no lot, but the street ends in a round-a-bout right in front of the park. There are plenty of places to leave the car.Surface:
The play area surface is wood chips. There is also a sand box and a long asphalt pathway near by.
The play area surface is wood chips. There is also a sand box and a long asphalt pathway near by. Little Playground: The structure was created to look like a ship. There are two slides (both tunnels, which made E a little wary about going down them.)
There is a separate "bow" of the ship that is not attached to the structure but has fun things to climb on and little "port holes" to look out of.
There is one set of stairs into the main "ship" structure.
There is a separate "bow" of the ship that is not attached to the structure but has fun things to climb on and little "port holes" to look out of.
There is one set of stairs into the main "ship" structure.
It leads to both of the tunnel slides on one end,
with a play wheel, and climbing bars on the other. This is definitely not a structure that I would let E play in alone. Because of the openings on either side for the climbing bars, there was too big of a risk of tumbling out. Luckily we had Daddy with us on this day so he stayed in the structure while I coaxed E down the "spooky" tunnel slides.
There are two toddler swings,
and sea horse and dolphin spring toys (did you know that small spring toys, like these, cost about $500!! WOW!).
In front of the swings, there is a sand box
complete with a digging toy. I used to LOVE these toys when I was little, strangely no one was really interested in this one. We tried to convince E to play on it, but he's still too little to work it properly.
There is also a mini playhouse.
Big Playground: I couldn't get all of this area into the picture, there is so much to do! Not only is there a climbing wall and a giant play structure, there are four swings. Daddy and I took turns climbing up and taking E down the twisty tube slide! He loved it!!
Coverage: The areas directly above the structures and swings were uncovered, however the entire park is surrounded by trees. The benches/picnic tables are fully shaded. I would still put E in a hat and sunblock, but if things got too hot, it's nice to have a bit of shade close by to retreat to.
Bonus Feature: The waterway next to the park not only created a beautiful view,
it also brought along all kinds of water fowl to listen to and look at. E spent most of his time staring at, talking to, running from, pointing at, and laughing about the ducks. They were by FAR his favorite part of this park (as a side note, the city discourages feeding the birds in order to keep the playgrounds clean. That being said, it's always difficult for E to NOT leave a trail of Cheerios everywhere he goes.)
Animals: There was a sign at the entrance requesting all dogs to be leashed. We only saw one dog, and he was playing catch with his owner in the baseball field. There was a flock of canadian geese grazing on the lawn near the sand box. When they saw the ducks snacking on E's Cheerios they did not aggressively come forward and ask for more.
Bonus Feature: The waterway next to the park not only created a beautiful view,
it also brought along all kinds of water fowl to listen to and look at. E spent most of his time staring at, talking to, running from, pointing at, and laughing about the ducks. They were by FAR his favorite part of this park (as a side note, the city discourages feeding the birds in order to keep the playgrounds clean. That being said, it's always difficult for E to NOT leave a trail of Cheerios everywhere he goes.)
Animals: There was a sign at the entrance requesting all dogs to be leashed. We only saw one dog, and he was playing catch with his owner in the baseball field. There was a flock of canadian geese grazing on the lawn near the sand box. When they saw the ducks snacking on E's Cheerios they did not aggressively come forward and ask for more.Crowds: There were quite a few people at the park on this day, but not many cars. I think this is a favorite local park. E made friends with an older toddler who held his hand and helped him play in the little house by the sand box and I met two very friendly moms. This is the place to come when you're feeling the need to be social.
What we liked: The grounds are beautiful!! There is so much nature in this park! E loved the ducks and toddling up and down the asphalt pathways. I liked the many different things to do. E moved from the play structure, to the swings, to the sand, to birdwatching...he was so entertained he didn't want to leave. I also liked the small town feel of this park. Even though it's close to major roads and a business park, I didn't feel like we were "in the city".
What we didn't like: As creative as the "ship" play structure was E was put off by the tunnel slides, and I didn't feel like he could be in there alone. He is REALLY craving independence lately and my constant hovering around this area made him want to leave it ASAP.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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