This week we are taking a visit to what might be Lane County's newest park. Not only is it brand spanking new, but it is just so gosh darn cool. Make a list of all of the positive adjectives you would use to describe a park that you luuuuuhve. This park is all of those things! Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I give you... Quartz Park 2300 S. 60th St. Springfield, OR 97478 So let's hear it for the Thurston Crew! Way back a million years ago when I first started teaching, I worked in Thurston, and it was a delight to be a new teacher in that community. I absolutely love Springfield. There are so many good things happening there! Also, I might be alone in this, but the smell of the mills around the 42nd Street exit on 126? I sort of love it. Also Chicken Bonz. Oh, Chicken Bonz. You have my heart. Anywho. Quartz Park is gigantic, and I promise that you can take any kid, any age, any interest, and they will be thrilled. Here's the rundown: The stuff we love:
The stuff we don't love so much:
The Essentials
Parking: A smallish, free lot Cost: Free! Food: Take your picnic, yo Restrooms: Ummm maybe? Resting/Nursing Spots: Benches and picnic tables and lots of grass Push or Wear: Hmm. If you have a giant bag, I'd say push, just so you can store all your stuff somewhere and not have to lug it plus the baby. Time Frame: At least an hour Get out there to the 97478 and check it out! Happy Adventuring! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.
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Fanfare! Drum rolls! Cutting of ribbons and such! Summer has officially arrived, because the city has turned the water features on at the parks! Which means the next three months of your life will be filled with dumping sand out of shoes and trying to fit your four year old in a pair of 24 month shorts because the ones that fit him got wet and you really need to go into Costco because for some reason your family is constantly demanding to be fed. So, to kick things off, why don't we take a look at one of my family's favorite parks. It's probably one you hang out at too. Oakmont Park 2295 Oakmont Way Eugene, OR 97401 This park is super popular, and I think there are 3 reasons why: 1. It's centrally located. 2. Hello you can walk to Starbucks! 3. It's actually a really great park. Here's what we like: - There is a very fun little pretend house that is always a hit. - Great water features - both a small spray and play to run in and a pouring/pipe system near the sand - Lots of shade - A great play structure - Lovely hills all around - perfect for running out the crazies! - It's set pretty far from the road - Surrounded by a nice paved trail for bikes and other wheels - Water fountain - A few garbage cans - A fun little patch of bushes that makes little kids feel like explorers - Sand. I can't stand the stuff but it sure keeps littles busy. Have we talked about the magic of baby powder? I can't remember. Anyway, put a shaker of baby powder in your bag. Shake it all over those sandy hands and feet, and the sand will wipe right off. Easy peasy. - There's a basketball hoop, so you can rock a game of horse if you have big kids! Here's what we don't so much like: - No bathrooms - Parking is sort of a pain - you have to cross a pretty busy street if there aren't any open spaces right in front of the park (there are crosswalks but no light to guarantee you the right away) - I feel like the structure isn't super accessible for really small ones. There is a very steep bridge and an equally steep tunnel that can be slightly intimidating. That being said, we've been going to Oakmont since my biggest boy could walk, and he's never complained. :) Thought of the day: You know that bag that you're always hauling to the park? The overflowing tote with the snacks and the sunscreen and the hats and the shovels and the wipes? Okay, well I've been using a canvas bag that was super handy because it had a zipper, which meant that when it tipped over, all the stuff wouldn't come tumbling out. However, it was so little! Way too small to fit all of the stuff that littles require for a long afternoon at the park. So a friend of mine brilliantly shared that she uses an IKEA bag. You know, one of those huge blue plastic ones? (Note: It's officially called FRAKTA which is not only an entertaining thing to say but also 99 cents!) So now that's what I do, and I LOVE it. It doesn't matter if the bag gets wet or sandy. It's giant, so you won't leave anything behind. And even though it's so big that you sort of have to dig to find what you want, it opens up so widely that it's not really a problem. Try it! The Essentials:
Address: Oakmont Park, 2295 Oakmont Way, Eugene Parking: Free street parking. Sometimes when it's super crowded you have to park just a bit down the street. Cost: None Food: Also none. Pack some up in your IKEA bag. ;) Resting/Nursing spots: There is plenty of shade, and a few benches and picnic tables. Lots of good options! Bathrooms: Nope Time Frame: A few hours, no problem Happy Adventuring! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo. Time for another park review! Since I am basically a homebody, and also a severe creature of habit, I seriously need to be convinced with promises of wonderlands in order to convince me to leave my comfortable circle of park favorites. So when a friend sent me the address of a park we'd never visited before, I put on my big girl pants, packed some snacks, and hauled my kids to the unknown. Here's what we thought about Creekside Park. What we liked:
Side Note Here are my top tips for making mom friends: Compliment her kid. Find something you're genuinely impressed with, and open the conversation with something positive: "He's got great hair!" "She is such a jumper!" "I love those boots!" Something of the sort. Ask questions. Obvious inquiries include age (of the kid, obvs) and name, but feel free to ask about other topics that might lead to more interesting conversation: "How did you choose his name?" "Do you guys play here often?" "Have you seen every episode of Octonauts? Because I have. Twice." What we didn't so much like:
So while we were playing at this park, there was only one other family there. Granted, it was sort of a grey morning, but that leads me to think that there are so many parks in Lane County that either:
The Essentials
Parking: Plenty on the street, but no lot. Get your parallel parking skills ready! Food: BYOS (Bring Your Own Snacks) :) Resting/nursing spots: Several benches and picnic tables. Cost: Free is a very good price! Time frame: Bring a book, settle in and let your littles run! Address: Creekside Park Sterling Woods Dr. and Crimson Ave click here for map I am super excited to keep trying parks that we've never visited before. Please comment below with the name of your secret hidden gem of a park! Happy Adventuring! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo. Yesterday Megan wrote an awesome review of RiverPlay Park.
RiverPlay was built when my kids were little & it was a total sensation! & it still is! It truly is an awesome park. My 8 & 10 year old still love it. & I've got a few thoughts on it for Big Kids: Note: You know your own kiddos so I'll let you determine exactly when the term Big Kid applies to them. I think it was about 6 for us. Since this is up to you, I'm going to hold off on safety tips for the Big Kids & just tell you about the park. Okay, except one: On the way to RiverPlay I always try to talk about strangers. This is a very well populated area, lots of people walking around & through. My kids know this talk backward & forward & usually say 'We know! We know!' but that never stops me from making sure it's fresh in their minds from the start. Grass! There's a big grassy field & a little hill on two sides of the park so we always set up there & have that be our home base. I've found that with bigger kids sometimes it's better for me to stay in one spot & then if they need something they come right to it & I can help them out. Even if I run to the bathroom or am helping the other, they can go to the spot & wait or snack. There are also several picnic tables & benches around to use for this same purpose. Sand! I think it is hilarious that Megan didn't even mention the sand area of RiverPlay (some parents are Sand Parents & some aren't & we can still be friends & love each other :) ) So let me just say to the Sand Parents: The sand area is awesome! It's true that this park is a little crazy during the summer & the sand area is always swarming. It has this awesome river-flowing-through-a-rock thing that goes right into the sand pit. It is always full of kids building dams, creating volcanoes, making sand pies. My son spends most of his time here & usually emerges dirty & wet & tired & happy. Because of the sheer volume of children it is an excellent way to watch personality traits come out. The leaders emerge for sure, also the builders, makers & really horrible sharers :) The sand area is really big so there's plenty of room for kids who are not interested in being a part of the craziness. Throughout the sand are there are fossils buried (attached to the ground) & kids can dig & discover. So very cool! Oh! There's also a short wall on one end of the sand area so you can sit & watch the kids play if you want to. Big! Giant! Play Structure! Megan mentioned how this tall structure is pretty overwhelming for parents. & I had my fair share of climbing up to rescue a didn't-realize-how-high-she-had-climbed-until-she-looked-down-and-now-I-need-my-mom-right-now-RIGHT-NOW kiddo but at around 6 they both started to get into it (Okay, that's a lie. My son loved it from the minute he set eyes on it & by 4 had the whole thing figured out & totally owned it. But I still has to watch him like a hawk at 4. At 10 he's the king of the structure & I don't have to watch his every move for fear that I will lose sight of him.) It's tall, it's cool, it's full of ladders & a climbing wall & a huge slide & shorter slides. So many parks have small or medium sized play structures & that's great some days but when your kids just need to climb to the very top of something & yell "I'm the Queen of the World!!'? Head to RiverPlay. (& if you need to do that, too, I say go for it.) Miniature Town! The village part of RiverPlay is just perfect for the aspiring actors, entrepreneurs & teachers in your life. The structures are cute & have fun features like little stools & pass through windows. I have spent many an afternoon being treated to a snack at the Restaurant, taught a lesson at the School & then thrown into the Jail just for good measure. & if your kiddo meets up with another imaginative kiddo? You can head back to your home base & let them go for it (or just say 'I think I'm going to stay in Jail for a while, you go ahead.') Water! On the days when the heat's got you dragging this is a super fun spot. Not only is it refreshing for your kids, it's super tall so adults can stand under it, too! Double score! Other stuff! There are other things to climb on & under, ride on & a really cool crank handle thing that one person (or more) turn while others ride across (it's about 1 foot off the ground). There are swings of all sorts & a water fountain & bathrooms. Basically if your kids are old enough & big enough & you're feeling comfortable with it, RiverPlay is park heaven. Have fun! Skinner Butte Park - RiverPlay Discovery Village 210 Cheshire Ave. Eugene, OR 97402 Happy 2015 Adventurers! How was your holiday season? Are you ready for some holiday detox? I think my kiddos are still recovering from all the treats and late nights and general festivities. And needless to say, so am I. :) The holidays always seemed so effortlessly magical when I was a child...now I know that while they are still magical, they are HARDLY effortless. Oy vey. Anywho, after lots of inside time, we are raring to go play outdoors, so I thought another park review might be in order. Without further ado: Skinner Butte Park - RiverPlay Discovery Village 210 Cheshire Ave. Eugene, OR 97402 You guys. The first time we played at this park, I think we all just stood there and stared at it for about ten minutes. It is absolutely, truly beautiful. It is well designed and intentional. It is so many wonderful things. But there are drawbacks, and pretty big ones in my honest opinion. So. Here we go. Here's what we love:
Here are some of our not-so-favorite things:
The Essentials
Parking: Plenty! Food: Well, there's a water fountain, but you'll need to bring your own snacks. :) Resting/Nursing spots: Spots galore! Cost: Free - wahoo! Time frame: As long as your kiddos can play! Happy Adventuring! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo. Do you guys play at the same park? Over and over and over? Because we do. We tend to stick to a few of our favorites - mostly ones close to home. And that's okay - they're familiar, we know what to expect, and the kiddos can interact there successfully. But sometimes I feel a little stuck in a rut. A park rut. And I wish there were advertisements for the area's parks - things like "Awesome slides for adventurous munchkins!" or "Beautiful hills to run up and down to burn energy!" or "This park has bathrooms, which makes it automatically a thousand times better than ones without bathrooms!" Also, I feel that parks should have warnings. For example: "Play area is set too close to a road!" or "There is a giant sandbox that will turn your car into a mini-beach!" (#ihatesandboxes) So, I figured GoMomGo would be a perfect spot to investigate Lane County's most fabulous outdoor play areas. Without further ado, let's jump into our first park: Bethel Community Park 5700 Babe Ruth Lane Eugene, OR 97402 Bethel is one of our very favorite places to play. Here's what we love about it: - Multiple play structures: one for smaller kiddos and one for bigger kiddos - Super cool digger/excavator things for the truck lover in your life- Excellent water feature during the summer months - Lovely rolling hills to climb - Close to baseball fields and a skatepark, which gives littles a chance to check out what the big kids are doing - A covered area that you can reserve (we've done parties there) - Multiple picnic tables - Great paved paths that loop around the play area and are perfect for bikes - A variety of equipment to practice different gross motor skills. My preschooler is never bored there. - Since the Eugene Airport is out that way, there are frequently low flying airplanes overhead. - Not that I do this, but there is a drive through coffee stand on Barger that mama could hit on the way to play. For a mocha. As an "I got everyone out the door and they are all mostly dressed and no one is currently crying" treat. Not that I ever do that. - BATHROOMS!! (even if there are no doors on the stalls) :) ![]() Here are some of our not-so-favorite things about it: - Ummm I am a sand grinch, and that whole darn park is sand. Sand everywhere. Sand for days. Sand for years. - Very little shade. Last I heard, the YMCA was thinking about adding a giant community center out on this park space, which would be terrific. Does anybody know the latest on that? One last thought: The Bethel library branch does their family (all ages) storytime on Fridays at 10:15. The park is about six minutes away from the library. One of our very favorite days goes as follows: storytime, Bethel Park playtime, picnic lunch at the park, home to hose all the sand out of all of the places. It makes for a seriously fun day. Try it! We'd love to see you! The Essentials:
Parking: There's plenty of street parking, as well as a nice sized lot. Food: Bring lots of snacks. Everyone will be hungry after all the running around. Bonus: the snacks will have a bit of natural crunch from all the sand. Resting/Nursing spots: Several benches (although only one is shaded) and several more picnic tables. Also lots of grassy areas to spread a blanket in spots where you can still see the play area. Cost: Free - wahoo! Time frame: Oh man - with the swings and the slides and the mini climbing wall and the water feature and the rest of everything...just plan on camping out for days (Not really. I don't think that's legal.) ;) One more thought. A brilliant friend of mine clued me in on a wonderful idea. Instead of bringing sand toys to play with, she takes empty, clean plastic containers. Things like yogurt and sour cream and such. That way, if they get lost, or borrowed, or whatever - it's not a big deal. Why don't I think of these things?! Thank goodness for brainy friends. Now call your friends and get out to Bethel Park! Happy Adventuring! Bonus: Tomorrow Emily is doing a Bethel Park for Big Kids post... keep an eye out! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, every Wednesday on GoMomGo. |
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