Strongsville Community Park, Strongsville, OH

http://www.strongsville.org/content/

http://www.strongsville.org/content/

What an amazing park in the 1990s wooden castle style!  Huge, well organized, so much to try and do...swings, balance beams, a sitting area, climbing, hiding, wiggling, running.  We went in September and it was so worth the drive (271 S to 71 S to the 82 West exit....turn off 82 by the Target).  The pavilion is a wonderful option for snack time.  Parking is adjacent and accessible. 

Definitely a grade A experience.

SKiP (Stow Kids' Playground), Stow, Ohio

http://www.stow.oh.us/Departments/ParksRecreation/playgrounds.shtml

What:  a huge wooden complex in Stow, Ohio.  Castles, play areas, sand pits.

Where:  Stow, Ohio.  3870 Darrow Road.

What's good:  pretty much everything.  Parking is close by and accessible.  There are public restrooms and ADA picnic tables.  Enclosed, so you don't need to worry about someone bolting (a la Ellie). 

What's bad:  it's not right around the corner from the Cleveland area, but with Route 8 open and improved, it's a quick 40 minute drive, and so worth it.

Grade:  A

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+

Martin Park--3900 King's Mill Run, Rocky River

This park is in Rocky River and it's bordered by King's Mill Run and Martin's Way of Center Ridge Road. I couldn't find it again but Bill's cousin Andy and her husband Brian live in the neighborhood. The day we went was rainy, but the kids didn't care.

What's good: Totally enclosed. Parking is close by, but it's set back in a housing development so there's zero traffic. Toddler climber and big climber. Lots of motor planning activities--steps, little stairs, balancers. Good slides. Pavilion for snacks.

What's bad: NO SHADE. In the summer, you'd be roasting by eleven. Other than that, this one is a winner.

Grade: A-

Cumberland Park Playground, Cleveland Heights

I found this seemingly hidden gem just the other day as I took Cumberland Road towards Mayfield. The pool is on Cumberland, and it has tennis courts and basketball as well. But in the park, just after the pool, is this treasure. Wide open, shaded, lots of room. I've lived in the Heights for six years and never knew it was here. Bad me.

How to get there, first of all: There is no parking. You have to either park at the pool and schlep over, or do what we did: Take Superior off Mayfield and turn left on Hampshire. Make a hard left onto Preyer, which is a dead end. If you park on Preyer you can walk in on the city vehicles entrance (third photo from top).

What's good: look at that shade! You'll have shade until about noon. There's a nearby pavilion and a potty (which Bill described as "odious") but any port in a storm. There's also a picnic table at between the swings and the climber. The climber has a rock wall, lots of slides, a bridge, and several types of monkey bars. There's a sandbox pit as well. There are four toddler swings plus big kid swings. Plenty of run room.

What's bad: Parking on Preyer is annoying, but since it's a dead end, you don't have to worry about a lot of cars zooming past you as you haul kids out of the car.

Grade: B+

Kenilworth Park, Corner of Overlook and Kenilworth, Cleve. Hts.

Here's a few things about Kenilworth you need to know right off the bat. It's literally one block away from the famous Turtle Park, so I don't think it gets a lot of play. There are only two toddler swings. There aren't often shared toys left in the sand pit like at Turtle. Even so, I think Kenilworth has benefits.

What's good: there's a couple benches to sit on. There is shade, which is nice. The climber has big and small slides, and a twisty slide (of course). It's fenced in on the street side, and parking is ample and immediately adjacent.

What's not great: two toddler swings only, as previously noted. I mention this twice because I have three kids who like to swing, and taking turns is not often their forte. I haven't noticed a ton of kids there, meaning, we're often there alone. Having your own private playground is okay once in a while, but my kids are social animals. No water fountain. I also don't like that adults use the path nearby as a cut-through to their apartments on Overlook. I realize they have an easement, but it still freaks me out a little.

Grade: B

Playground World, Chesterland, OH

What: The indoor showroom for Rainbow Play Systems on Mayfield Road in Chesterland.

When: Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 10-11, kids can play free on all the equipment in the showroom.

What's good: Well, it's try before you buy, which we're not doing, because our yard is too small. However, I thought it would be good for the girls to have some climbing time, because it looked like rain. Everything is well built, of course, lots to do, swings, climbing, an enclosed trampoline, playhouses, some Step 2 stuff for toddlers, pretend play in the back.

What's bad: What's bad is the droves of middle schoolers who showed up at 10:15 and were completely unsupervised by their so called parents, who sat and drank coffee while their progeny ran over little kids and refused to take turns on anything. One kid had been in the trampoline for about 10 minutes. Ellie was freaking out because she had waited very patiently and kept saying, It's time for a turn! I said to him, Hey bud, why don't you finish your turn so someone else can go? At which point he smirked and said, You're not my mom. Well, there it is. We left at 10:30 and went to a park.

Grade: A for equipment, F for overall useability and sanity. Until the big kids are back in school, we won't go near it.

Twinsburg Park, Ravenna Road, Twinsburg, OH

This park is the site of the annual Twins Days Festival, which is the first weekend of August.

What's good: Two climbers, one big, one pint. Excellent pavilions and benches, lots of shade. Clean bathrooms! With plenty of toilets for the ladies! Nice swing sites, meaning there are several swingsets and some are big kid, some are toddler. Climbers are newer and emphasize lots of skills (balance, motor planning, sliding, steps).

What's bad: It's hard to find if you haven't been before. You have to park at the community center and wander up into the woods a bit. However, you can't beat the trees for lots of shade and comfort, and it's worth the drive (easiest way: Richmond Road to Ravenna Road).

Grade: A.