The Whole World is Our Playground: High Park Splash Pad

It's been a hot summer, really I'm not complaining.  We have air conditioning and have timed our outings for minimal heat exhaustion and been visiting parks and splash pads all over the city.

Approaching the new splash pad

My park review disclaimer: If you don't live in the area I hope you enjoy the pics and can use some of the ideas to inspire and explore in your own city. If you have any recommendations for great playgrounds (or new criteria I haven't thought of) please post a comment on this post or email me at multiplemomstrosity @ gmail,com .

Park Name:

High Park 

High Park and Bloor

Parking:

Parking within the park fills up quickly, particularly during hot summer and weekend days.  There is street parking available on High Park Avenue and the splash pad is just a very short walk from High Park Subway Station.

Theme of Park:

Classic playground, with ample green space for non-playground activities. 

Ground Coverage:

The playground itself has a sand covering, and cement in the new splash pad areas.  The grassy hills of high park are just a short walk away.

Molly and Jack get ready to splash

Variety of Equipment for different ages:

This playground is another one that is specifically geared to younger kids with one climber in particular dedicated to kids aged one to five and a splash pad to suit kids of all ages.  From July to September there is also a wading pool with lifeguards for those who really want to get wet.  There are some big kid swings.   

Best Parts of the Park:

This is High Park, so you can really make a day of it with your kids and travel around to other parts of the park including Jamie Bell Playground, the pool, Animal Paddocks, or take a ride on the High Park Trolley.  The new splash pad provides a great space for kids to cool off and good sight lines for parents with kids playing in the traditional playground or splash area.

Downfalls:

This park is geared towards younger kids and is incredibly crowded.  It could be easy to get trampled by older kids who have brought their water guns as a part of their water play.  The transition from sand to splash made for some pretty muddy kids by the time we went home (it definitely needed to be bath night).  My big complaint was the lack of nearby open washroom options for the kids and adults.

Sandy Molly

Overall Rating:

I would rate this playground a 3 out of 5.  It's local and would be a wonderful place to attend for the day, or if you lived close by and really wanted to cool off, but there are so many better things to do in High Park compared to the over-crowded splash pad. That being said, when it's over 30 degrees outside, it might be worth getting a little sandy.

To find 10 more free splash pads around the city to beat the heat click here

To read my review of High Park's Jamie Bell Playground click here.


To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

Follow Multiple Momstrosity on Twitter @Sarabethbug