We are so lucky to have so many great parks and playgrounds for kids in the our area! My kids have swung, spun, and raced through many of them ... and definitely have their favorites!
Here's a list of our family's top five favorite parks and playground in our area and the reasons we love them:
Waneka Lake Park
Location: 1600 Caria Drive, Lafayette
Features: range of playground equipment, restrooms in boathouse, shade, trails by lake
What my kids love: My kids might actually love the woods and lake behind the playground better than the playground itself! Not only do they have well-traveled paths created for them to trek through, but several older fallen trees to climb on and walk across. The playground equipment itself was laid out for a wide age range of kids as well, which is great for mommas with many.
What I love: The SHADE! In a world of tiny trees in so many newer neighborhoods, the huge shade trees are a wonderful oasis on hot days. There are plenty of tables for picnics and benches to park your things. Also- baby swings. Not all parks have them, and they're quite valuable to me right now!
McKay Lake Park
Location: 2301 West 138th Avenue, Broomfield
Features: tunnels, lots of equipment to climb, tiny stream, slides, bike ramps
What my kids love: Hiding in the tunnels. This park is built in a way that really appreciates the beauty of nature, in and above the ground. There are several tunnels to climb in and through that my kids and their friends always seem to congregate in and climb in and out of. They are also big fans of the bike ramps behind the playground, closer to McKay Lake itself. The smaller one is more kid friendly and is perfect for all three of my older kids, ranging from 9 1/2 down to my 3 1/2 year old. For the younger crew, I highly recommend strider bikes vs training wheels.
What I love: It's great to watch them at this park, because they're connecting with nature. I've climbed in and out of the tunnels and the huge hills myself... and slid down both big slides. The teeny creek that runs through is great for the younger crew wanting to get their feet wet and splash across rocks.
Word of warning- being a newer park, there is absolutely no shade other than a tiny area with a few covered benches, and only porta potties. Hit the restrooms first and go on a cooler day or morning, and have a great time!
Lehigh Park
470 Mazzini Street, Erie
Features: splash pad, great playground equipment, two pavilions
What my kids love: The splash pad! Especially in this year of many things being closed, the town of Erie has the splash pad up and running, and one of the covered pavilions sits right between the pad and the playground equipment. They love the equipment itself at this one as well... more balance-type challenges. I've seen several games of American Ninja Warrior go on at this one.
What I love: There is also plenty of play for the preschool crowd. Swings and slides set aside for littles, and a nice walkway ramp up to the bigger slides so there is no worry for them falling while climbing up. There's a nice big field in the park as well for a pickup game of football or soccer.
Broomfield County Commons Park
13200 Sheridan Blvd, Broomfield
Features: Huge NEW playground structure, swings, pavilion with restrooms, green space to run around
What my kids love: My kids were thrilled to see all of the new equipment! With a couple of friends, they used a section of the circuit-style structure to play "Floor is Lava" for quite some time before running off to swing.
What I love: I love the wide open vastness of this park. Even if you're just coming with one small tot and a stroller, you've got trails to walk on and a handful of places to lay out picnic blanket to relax. When we were there, a camp was using the covered picnic tables, but there were several of them as well.
Erie Community Park
450 Powers Street, Erie
Features: Large pavilion with restroom, separate playground for younger vs older children, large green space, tennis courts, skate park
What my kids love: Mine love playing at the 5-12yr play area. There is a futuristic sort of sound game featured, where they stand in the middle and tap on various buttons as they hear sounds. The skate park is fun for both bikes and scooters, which can be fun for all ages!
What I love: The infrastructure of this park was laid out well, and there is a huge loop path around the entire park for a stroller walk/strider bike ride with my preschooler. The town actually has an expansion planned for the next year or two, so I'm excited to see what else they add! It is very well kept and right across from the community center and library.
These 5 are certainly on our family’s list for favorite parks and playgrounds in our area, but I bet your kids have their own favorites! Let me know what’s on your family’s list for our best local parks and playgrounds by leaving me a note on Facebook or emailing me at shayb@macaronikid.com. I’ll be doing more playground and park reviews in the future, so I would love to have your input!
