Hanging Loose at the Park!

With summer winding down and the back-to-school season upon us, now is the perfect time to review some of summer’s most playful public places—parks!

My favorite part about visiting local public parks is how easily it fits into gaps in my schedule, however big or small. If I’m grabbing lunch for the kids on the road and don’t want to eat in the car, stopping at the park gives me the opportunity to spend one-on-one time outdoors with my kids while eating together and then take in the scenary while they play quickly.  For longer stretches of time, the park is the perfect place to let the kids run around, play on the playground, and get to know new friends.

This summer, two parks were our constant playgrounds—Draper City Park and Splash Pad (Rosecrest).

Draper City Park

The Northeast Corner of Draper City Park

Draper City Park is one of my favorites. Not only is it right around the corner from my house, but it has lots of shade trees. We always visit the northeast corner of the park, which sports three playgrounds, a sand volleyball court, a basketball court, a huge covered pavillion perfect for large gatherings, lots of benches and tables, outdoor exercise equipment all right next to a bridge-covered stream and lots of room to run and play.

Draper City Park Northeast Pavillion

When my oldest son’s school wasn’t built yet, we had our first school carnival at this park in this northeast corner. To give you an idea of how big it is, we brought in six bounce houses, served dinner to 400 as well as ran a silent auction under the pavilion, had a games section, and all the traditional carnival treats like snow cones, cotton candy, etc. This park was the ideal setting for such an event since it had enough space for everyone to roam about comfortably without too much space to lose the small community feel we wanted.

Splash Pad (Rosecrest)

This park is on 5600 West in Herriman and the reason it wins out as a favorite for my kids is because of the water feature. Kids in swim suits run on the rubber surface through spraying water and when that turns off, they move over to the traditional play grounds, pavilions, and grassy areas.

The Splash Pad at Rosecrest Park in Herriman