One of the best (and worst) aspects of the park is its size -- it truly is a park for kids of all ages. The park consists of four play structures that share a nautical theme.
The toddler park has smaller slides and climbing structures, as well as a teeter totter and a fairly large bank of swings (including a few baby swings). Gemma was a little moody that day, in part because I accidently knocked her over with a swing I had been swinging on (mommy fail! thankfully the park base is rubber, so I don't think the fall hurt too bad!), so she didn't really play much on the structure. I know that the next time I take her, provided the weather and her mood is a little warmer, she'd play for ages on it. It really is perfect for a two to four year old.
The children's park area is pretty tall with a number of unique features I haven't seen in a park before. It also has a few larger slides that kids can simultaneously race on. It definitely suits children a bit older than Gemma (ages 5-12), but she had a good time climbing all the stairs and then chickening out when it came to going down any of those bigger slides.
For brave children 7 and up, the Remax climbing and slide structure is neat, but harrowing for this scaredy cat. Basically it is a ropes climbing structure that leads to (what my guess is) an almost two-story high slide. This isn't for the faint of heart -- there were no ladders or steps that I could see. It'll certainly excite and entertain older kids who are perhaps forced to tag along at the park with their younger siblings. It was really cool, but way too scary for me!
The last and perhaps most anticipated part of the park is the spray park -- a feature Strathcona County residents have been asking for for years. As someone who has a spray park literally down the street from her in Fort Saskatchewan, I guess I've become a snobby spray park parent. In other words, take this with a grain of salt. The new spray park has all the basic features you'd expect from a spray park, and a slide in the centre, which I'm sure will have the kids lining up for hours on warm days. But, to be honest, the square footage of the spray park itself was a little disappointing, considering the amount of space devoted to the other three play structures. On hot days I could see it being cramped and chaotic. But, it's a good spray park nonetheless! I guess I was expecting more "wow-factor" since everyone was talking up how Sherwood Park was building a spray park.
Another great aspect of the park is its parent-friendliness. On the one side it's surrounded by a boardwalk lined with seating, while the other side features shaded picnic tables. I'm so glad the designers didn't forget about the parents who want to sit and chat with each other while their kids go to town playing. And with the lake in the background, it's a picturesque place for a picnic.
I mentioned earlier that the best and worst aspect of the park is its size. I love that this park truly suits children of all ages -- hard to find in one park -- but it is not a park to bring an army of children to with one parent. There's no way you could keep an eye on multiple kids at once, especially if they are all eyeing up a different play structure.You know a park is fun when your toddler has a temper-tantrum when it's time to leave...and that's just what happened when we told Gemma it was time to go. I'd say the new Broadmoor Lake Park gets her two-year old stamp of approval.
Here's to FREE and FUN family activities to do this summer,
♥ Dion
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