Noble Elementary School, Cleveland Heights, OH

WHAT: The playground for Noble Elementary School, 1293 Ardoon St., Cleveland Heights.

What's good: Ample parking. Some updated equipment (the blue slide is good). Fresh wood chips.

What's bad: Most of the climber equipment is old lumber and is starting to splinter or feels rough. The layout of the playground is awkward--there's a couple of "centers" on either side of the school building, which means you have to decide which side of the building you're going to be on and kind of park there for a while. No shade to speak of--when the sun is full out, you're sweating. Only one toddler swing--understandable, tho, since Noble doesn't have a preschool.

I heard there's a grassroots effort to update the playground. I hope it happens and would support it, even if my children don't attend Noble. The neighborhood needs a safe clean space for families and the children at Noble deserve state of the art. The whole layout of the playround needs to be reexamined--how best to use the space available to the school without compromising student safety. I would also recommend equipment that really emphasizes motor planning and large muscle skills.

Grade: C-