Archive for August 2, 2007
Beacon Hill Park
A good plan is to park by the adventure playground, wander by the ponds and giant watering can (a water park), arrive at the zoo in time for the goat stampede, and end at the playground where you parked. The zoo opens at 10 a.m. and suggests a donation of $3 per adult and $2 per child, but many of the chickens, pigs, peacocks and billy goats can be viewed from outside. This playground gets busy with its own water park in the summer, so for wee ones just learning their skills, try the older model at Cook Street Playground. To honour a park tradition, stop by the Beacon Drive-In for a soft ice cream cone.
Finnerty Gardens
This garden is deeply enjoyable all year round, but I found it especially colourful when the rhododendrons were in bloom in April. My husband also brought us here on Mother’s Day. Reserve at least an hour to explore, and remember to bring change for parking. A fine playground to begin or end your tour is at Horner Park.
Horner Park
A nice park in a beautiful neighbourhood, but toddlers may find it difficult to climb and use the playground equipment. I helped Eddie aboard the gym, but got nervous about the hard-to-reach exits on either side, and the day camp of older kids playing “ball tag” around us. We had enough of that and made the worthwhile stroll to Finnerty Gardens at UVic.
Rainbow Park
The one thing that keeps me coming back to this park is the great toddler tower for a beginner. The stairs are steep with holes to grab, and once up top, there are only two ways down: the stairs or the slide, and you only need stand in one place to supervise. The Swan Lake Christmas Hill sanctuary and trail system are nearby, but you’ll need a carrier to climb to the summit or to circle the entire lake.
Beckwith Park
This park has a terrific playground and seasonal water park, so expect lots of families, daycares and day camps in the summer. Eddie, as usual, can’t get enough of the ramp on the toddler-sized equipment; and the sand is soft, but it can get scorchingly hot! I’ve also learned that if your son has no bucket at the waterpark, he will cast mournful looks at other kids’ buckets, and then invariably take one (I have been on either side of this phenomenon.) There are trails connecting Beckwith Park to the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Sanctuary, but for an easy stroll, you can take a loop around a nearby pond.
