Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation, Cleveland, Ohio

What: The Courtyard at the CC Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation, previously known as Health Hill

Where: Corner of MLK and Shaker/Buckeye, Cleveland

This is not a "park" per se but the mission of this blog is to critique EVERY playspace that we encounter so...

WHAT'S GOOD: Well, I'm glad that they have this playspace at all. It's nice for the children who need gross motor rehab and it's nice when we can play outside after our therapy there. There's a climber, slide, some swings, and an open basketball court with an adapted hoop. This area was a donation from a patient's grandparents in 2003. There was a hopscotch drawn on the basketball court, and Ellie played that for a while.

WHAT'S NOT GOOD: Truthfully, the climber is getting worn, since it is made of timber and is exposed to the elements all year. It's not accessible for wheelchairs, and there are no sensory things at hand/eye level for kids who are grounded because of their mobility issues. The slide has that same weird molded bottom that we saw at Fairfax School, which confuses the heck out of Ellie. The swings are put away as soon as the weather turns in the fall, which is a drag, since on a bright clear winter day swinging could still be fun.

I know that this space is not a premium for the hospital, but I still think it could be beautiful and available for all the children. And it's not.

Grade: C+

Horseshoe Lake, Shaker Heights

What: a "natural play zone" within the enclave of Horseshoe Lake in Shaker Heights (http://www.shakeronline.com/dept/planning/HorseshoeLakeMasterPlan.asp)

Where: Off North Park at Lee; go past The Beaumont School and stay to your right

What's good: this is not your average playground. You will not find bright primary color climbers here (swings, yes). This space uses boulders, wood, logs, large stone slabs, and the existing environment for its gross motor/sensory experiences. This is great for pretend play, tap dancing on "bricks" (as Emma calls it), running, exploring. There is a snack pavilion as well as a lavatory. Parking is adjacent but not obtrusive. My kids did not want to leave.

What's bad: I think you would need to prep some kids that there are no "climbers" or "slides." This park is by no means a disappointment...it's just not what some kids would expect. My kids did great making up their own games, but other children may need a prompt or two.

Grade: A

VanRaalte Farm, 24th St., Holland, MI

These are the Stairs of Death. Do not let your children try to egress them if they are wet. Dupas will get hurt.


Small but mighty.

What: VanRaalte Farm park, 24th St., Holland, MI

How to get there: I have no idea, just Google it

What's good: again, it has its own port-a-loo (I have a photo to prove it), nice slides, a pavilion. The problem is we went when it was raining and the Stairs of Death took out two of my kids.

What's bad: nothing. It's a cute playground. Just don't go in the rain.

Grade: B+

Smallenberg Park, Fairbanks @ 14th St., Holland MI

Where: Holland, MI, on the beautiful shores of Lake Macatawa

What's good: this is a great park. Like everything else in Holland, it is super clean, has its own port-a-loo (we didn't investigate), and is ADA accessible. Love the rock climbing wall, the swings, the slides, Parking is adjacent. Note the snack pavilion. There is also a petite climber, which my kids weren't very interested in but was well organized.

What's bad: probably the only homeless woman in Holland was there and kind of creeped me out. However, she fell asleep on a table halfway through our visit so I figure she was harmless enough.

Grade: A