We were in Boston and looking for things to do. Then I found this unique playground, probably the most unique I have ever seen, the Esplanade Playplace. If you happened to be in Boston, go check it out!

The only trick is that it was a pain to find parking. The playground is along the side of Charles river, so it would be very convenient for residents to walk by, but a pain for out-of-towners to drive in. It is sort of close to Boston Common and the government and commercial center, probably a 10-15 minutes walk most, and there are plenty of parking there (for a fee or free). But we are dragging two small kids, so I decided to try to park nearby in the neighborhood. The parking signs were confusing. Some meters said not to park, but I saw many cars parked under. Finally we found one available meter not too far away. Then you would have to walk to a bridge that goes over the traffic to the river side. Then you are there!

I was stun when I got there. It has a gigantic climbing structure composed by only ropes! My 5 yrs immediately went in the middle of the rope puzzle and started climbing. But it seemed like he wasn’t big enough to go up! Then he saw another kid climbing from the side, which would be the same idea as climbing a ladder! This time he quickly got up! Then you slide down on a tunnel slide to get back for another run. Eventually my 5 yrs learned how to climb up from the middle. My 3 yrs’s legs were not long enough to do so, but had no problem climbing up from the side. There was also a little hammock connected to the climbing structure, perfect for babies.

Then the playground has a zipline! We only had ziplines in paid activity center. And this is completely free! (Discounting the fact that you need to drive to Boston and find parking around there) The zipline is not far above from the ground, from 0.5 to 2 feet probably. It has a sturdy rubber rod to hold on and a rubber seat to sit on. You start from the 2-feet high platform, and then go zip! down to the end which is about 0.5 feet.

It has a rock climbing wall on a fake mountain. It has a swing that can take a couple kids. Although most kids don’t like to share the comfy swing. It also has a spinning plate that holds a few kids.

The day we went was right before July 4th, and we later heard that that was where they have fireworks at night! There is a little cart nearby with drinking water, but I’m not sure whether it is there just for the festival. If you are tired of the playground, go over to the river side and look at the beautiful Charles river and enjoy the wonderful breeze.

I love this playground. It truly made me think how we could design play elements that are both innovative and fun.

The Lighthouse Park locates at the end of the stream of parks, following East Shore Park, Fort Hale Park and Seawall Park. It is a New Haven city park, so if you are not a new haven resident and want to come between memorial day and labor day during the day, you’ll have to pay to drive in. (It will still be free if you take the bus, or bike, or walk to go in.)

It has large areas of green for any space-required activities, and it has many picnic tables and a lot of them are under the shade. It has a long beach-line, very peaceful during the off-season.

It has a medium-sized playground on the sand that features a large play-set for 5-12 yrs and a small play-set for 2-5 yrs.

You can swim in the ocean. There is a safeguard in the summer. You can walk on the jetty out to the ocean. You can pick some snails, or hermit crabs. It’s also a perfect place for watching sunset. It has a large sprinkler park! In the hot hot summer day, what’s better than cooling off in the cold sprinkler!

Over the weekends during the summer, it also has a fancy indoor carousel for 75 cents a ride! (But it only runs every half an hour from 12 to 4 on weekends last time I heard in 2016).

There are also stores open in the summer selling food drink and ice cream! I have seen many families spending the entire day in the park, grilling, swimming, playing, resting and have a all-day fun!

Over the summer it has regular bathrooms. Otherwise it may have potter-potty. The playground is not under the shade.

The Veterans Memorial Park in Bethany is beautiful, peaceful and fun. It is a little out of the way from new haven, taking us almost half an hour drive. But it is worth the drive when you want to take the kids out for a safe summer swim! (And it is free!)

We first heard of the park because one of our friends had a birthday party there. The party was great. The food and decorations were awesome. The playground was big and had everything. After the party, you could jump in the lake and have a real swim!

When you first arrive the park, you would see this beautiful lake. It is a quite large lake, surrounded by a trail that has a little bridge. We haven’t gone on the trail, but we have seen a few times that a horseman walking on the trail gracefully.

Next to the parking lot, there is a tennis field, a pavilion, and a playground. The playground has a fun fishing-bone stairs to climb on, and a spiral slide. It also has a small rock climbing wall, and plenty of place to run on and off. There is a big spinning plate that can make 10 kids screen. There is a smaller play-set for smaller kids, a decent-sized sand-box. Two baby swings and two flat-bottom swings. It also has a rocking crocodile between the slides and the play-set.

Next to the playground, there is a large soccer field. Then it comes the swimming area! During the summer time maybe over the weekend, there are even life guards there. The deepest water inside of the swimming area is probably 3 feet. So my 5-yr-old can mostly tip-toe most of the way. (It would be a great way to persuade him to take the swimmie off and learn real swimming!)

Also, adults could swim outside of the swimming area, on your own risk of course. My husband and I have done it a few times. It is just so nice and so rare to be able to swim in the nature.

What’s more fun is that the park seems to have some animal residents as well. A herd of geese always swim around the lake or pecking around the fields. They are NOT afraid of humans. Actually we told the kids not to mess with the obvious baby-geese who were protected by the parent-geese.

If you go in the water, you’ll happily encounter some fish. They once even gave my husband a small pinch. All the kids LOVE to see the fish.

Even sometimes with a birthday party, so maybe the playground and pavilion can be a bit loud, since the majority of the space in the park is the lake and the soccer field, the whole park still feels very peaceful. It is a little paradise that isn’t known by many.