Noble School Update

FYI--Noble School in Cleveland Heights is moving forward with their playground renovation. They are in the fundraising/design stages. I gave the playground a poor rating initially because of some very serious safety issues, but am extremely positive and supportive of the school's effort to provide their children and the surrounding neighborhood with a safe, exciting place for children to grow and develop their bodies. Go Noble School!

Fairfax Elementary School, Cleveland Heights

Check out the awesome, huge painted hopscotch.

Preschool climber.

Primary grades climber.

Where: Fairfax Elementary School on Lee Road, across from Church of the Savior, Cleveland Heights

What: Two play centers: a kindergarten/preschool sized climber and a newfangled climber, an open play area, and foursquare/hopscotch area

What's good: The newer climber is nice, with several slides, a rock wall, and some sensory areas. I love the wide open play space, which has the painted diagrams, and the fact that a kid can just RUN, or ride a trike, or whatever. Parking is great.

What's not good: The older climber in the kinder area is not great. There are some odd design things with the wooden climber, such as a bizarre slide that ends with a seat-like thing that makes a kid look like he's straddling a bidet. No toddler swings on the swingset, which means a small child or a kid with sensory issues can't swing.

Overall grade: B

Mercer School, Shaker Heights, Ohio

Where: playground of Mercer School, intersections of Hardwick and Green Roads, Shaker Heights

What's good: Everything. Three climber sizes--petite, medium and large. The large has some cool large muscle activities--log roll, hanging balance beam, much bigger climbing and sliding. The medium climber, which got the most use from us, has some nice sensory things on it (the rolling pin slide is a fave). Nice slide variation--twisty, wavy, tubular. Good wood chips. Parking lot is immediately adjacent.

What's annoying: a sign that says that the playground is restricted to Shaker school district residents only, along with the standard no dogs, no bicycles rah-rah. Well, there was a guy who walked there with his dog and his son on a bike. So I was afoul of the sign, but this fellow was too. How would they enforce something like that? Does the Shaker 5-0 have that kind of time on their hands?

Grade: A

Brainard Road park, behind Sunview School, Lyndhurst

Where: Between Meadow Wood Roads and Cedar Road, Lyndhurst

What: This is a community area that also has baseball diamonds and a pool. The parking lot is in the front of the pool area and you have to walk back behind the pool to get to this play area. Sunview School is adjacent to the west.

What's good: There are two climbers, petite and full-sized. The one geared for ages 5-12 features prominently in photo 1 (above). The tubes are killer, but little kids would slide right into the pit of the tube and then not be able to crawl out. The small climber is much better for smaller children, even those who are four or five. Good toddler swings (even though there are only 2)....they are a good height. There is also a pavilion snack area and a sandbox. The whiparound doesn't really "whip" so much as dawdle, but the twins were still a little woozy afterward.

Not good: The parking situation is a little weird in that there is no immediately adjacent parking that I could see. If a meltdown occurs you'd have to drag said meltdowner around the whole pool kicking and screaming. No fun there. I can imagine a brave youngster attempting those tubes and panicking because he couldn't crawl out. Other than that, this park is win.

Grade: A