Playground Fun

Our family believes in taking full advantage of our local park system.  Although we are still finding our way around the parks in our new area we have a few that are our go to places for a guaranteed good time.

Smith Playground is a family favorite and an amazing playground for children of all abilities.  It is a playground that both girls can have a lot of fun at together.  And it provides lots of people watching opportunities for the busy-body in our family (ahem....Emma!).

There is a really great swing that is a saucer and the girls can lay down or sit on it together while I push it.  I really love this swing and it seems that all the children in the park do, too, since there is often a line up of children waiting a turn.  I don't know of any other local parks in our area with a saucer swing so we are heavy users of it when we do visit Smith Playground.

There is also a new age see saw where the girls can sit next to each other while I help to bounce it up and down along with spinning teacups and lots of imagination/play structures in the Tot Lot.  One thing you can have fun in while still in the wheelchair is a swaying structure.  I usually pretend that I'm surfing and Emma thinks it's funny.  It also helps that there is a great view of the spinning round thing from her location.

Julia on the spinning round thing

There is a path all around the playground to make it easy to push a wheelchair.  There are some large hills, though, so you better be holding on to the handle when going down them unless your child is a thrill seeker like Emma and loves a bit of freefall wheeling....just kidding, Chris!

My Grandmom loved to sit on her porch and look out the window and see what everyone on her street was up to and Emma is so much like her!  I usually take advantage of that characteristic and put her on regular swings on her belly to work on strengthening her neck muscles.  There is NO WAY she is about to keep her face looking down at the ground and gets some amazing neck workout by lifting it up to see all the playground action.

The playground also has an enclosed wooden slide.  It's the kind that you use a burlap bag to slide down and produces lots and lots of giggles.  It's quite a hit with the kids and I have to admit I enjoy going down it as well.  There is a really nice ramp that leads to almost the top of the slide, but it's cumbersome since you don't slide down with the wheelchair and it's a long way back to the top if you are carrying your child.  I mentioned this on the playground's Facebook page and found out that there is a separate entrance for wheelchair users!  How amazing is that!  I can't wait to try it out at our next visit!