Apparently, a lot of other people have also discovered this park, as it was packed full of kids and parents who refuse to grow up. This incredible place, named one of the Top Ten Playgrounds by National Geographic Magazine, is almost indescribable. But I'm gonna try...
Opened over thirty years ago, Adventure Playground is still a work in progress. How is that possible, you ask? Well, it's simple.
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| Normally a list of things to *avoid* on a playground... which is what makes it so brilliant. There were hardly any construction hazards to be found. |
Kids have access to giant piles of scrap wood, and can check out hammers, nails, saws, and paint to build pretty much whatever they want to.
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| Reduce, reuse, recycle! |
As a result,
the play structures all look, well, like the forts I used to build in the woods
with my friends growing up. But much, much cooler. They're a
little bit wonky, a little bit messy, and a whole lotta fun.
Sure, that makes for a few hazards here and there, but parent supervision is required, and there are warnings all over the place.
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| Understatement. |
If you would
have asked me yesterday if I'd take my not-quite-four-year-old to a park where
they not only provide, but *encourage* the use of potentially dangerous tools,
I probably would have said absolutely not. But once you're there,
witnessing the playground's perfect combination of creativity and childlike
joy, it seems like the best idea ever.
For starters,
the park is right on the water, with views of San Francisco. That alone
is hard to beat. But it gets better. There's giant climbing nets, tons
of slides and swings, tunnels for days, and a zipline, for crying out
loud.
Old instruments have been turned into works of art...
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| I kind of want one of these for our living room. |
... and objects
of exploration.
Everywhere you
turn, there's a new nook or cranny just begging to be explored.
This.
Playground. Rules.
It's everything
a Bay Area mama could ask for. It's amazingly artsy. It's
granola-crunching hippie. It's something completely different. It
encourages the kiddos to play outside and use their imagination. But the
best part of all? It brings families together. Since you have to
keep a really careful eye on your little one, it creates a totally different
level of engagement. Parents are given permission to turn into kids
again.
Forget about finding the Lost Boys. We ARE the Lost Boys. And this is our Neverland.
