Our favorites of 2016

The most asked question about this project is, "so what are your top five parks?"  This question has slightly different answers depending on who you ask.  The big boys (ages 7 and 5) and I went through our pictures to refresh our memories and we actually agree on most of our favorites with a couple exceptions.  The boys are more drawn to unique parks with lots of fun opportunities to climb.  My list is similar but I also consider ease of containing toddler and older kids all in one visible area.  With that in mind, here are our favorites, or as I told the boys, "the parks that every kid in Duluth should visit."

Boys' Favorites:

• Central Hillside
• They liked this park for its "spiderweb" with all of its different materials, and the "turny thing," a circle at an angle that spins when you walk on it.
• Grant
• They enjoyed the rock to climb and the roller slide the most.
• Blackmer
• The favorites here were the monkey bars and bridge, and the path down to the river.
• Hartley
• The river wins hands down at this playground.  All three boys love it.
• Lincoln
• The natural features of this park win the boys over.  They love the big climbing rock, the creek, and all the bridges over it.
• Morgan
• The big kid park is their favorite at this location.  Specifically, the slides and the rock wall.
• Park Point
• They love the ore boat and giant sandbox tires here.
• Playfront
• The ropes for climbing and the xwave are very popular here.

Mama Favorites:

My list only differs from the boys' slightly.  And I like the parks for different reasons.  Central Hillside and Lincoln don't make my list, and I'm adding Washington Square to mine.  On their list I do like,

Grant: I like how open the park is and not nearby any busy roads.  It is near a school, a community center, and residential area, and one side is filled with fields.  None of the structures here scare me too much and I can see all of the park at once.

Blackmer:  I like the shade here!  Many of Duluth's parks are in full sun, which is great for spring and fall, but in the heat of summer, some shade is great.  Again, there are only houses on one side and the rest of the park is fields and trees.  The river is far enough down the path that I don't worry about a kid escaping before I can catch them.  I wasn't happy about broken glass on the path, but it wasn't enough to make me dislike the park.

Hartley: Once again, I love that this area is enclosed.  I can sit down in one spot and see the kids wherever they choose to play.  I love the river feature and that I can let them play in flowing water without worrying that a current is going to sweep them away.  It is also a nicely shaded area (or it was before the storm; it has been closed since so I don't know the damage),

Morgan: I like this park for its wide range of age appeal.  The typical playground was a hit with the 2 year old and the 5 and 7 year olds adored the area with monkey bars, rock walls, and other big kid features.

Playfront: I like this park for its central location, the pavilion right in the middle, walking paths, and once again, appeal to a wide age range.  2 loves the ship, 5 & 7 love all the climbing structures.

I'm adding Washington Square to the list.  It's at a nice location in Lakeside and we almost always run into a friend there.  The sand is clean, the park is clean, there's a big field to run in, and I can see all of the park from a bench.