Crestwood

Address: 143 st and 96 ave

Seating: 2 benches and 1 picnic table

Hudson's rating: 5

Finley's rating: 5

Mom's rating: 6.5

There are three playgrounds within a block of each other at the intersection of 143 st and 96 ave - one at Crestwood community league and one at what appears to be an elementary school, but we only had time to check out the one at St. Paul elementary school. The park is fairly new - I think some of the signs say it was completed in 2007. This park would be great if your kids love climbing and swinging. There's a carousel, 2 saucer swings, and tons of monkey bars and climbing areas. There's 3 slides and the floor is a mix of sand and recycled rubber flooring. There's also a basketball court with two nets, and the playground is set in a large school field, so plenty of room for running around.

Castle Downs Park

Address: 153 Ave and 115 st

Seating: lots of benches, a few picnic tables

Other amenities: Real Washrooms!!! (not open yet), Spray park, skate park, gazebo

Hudson's rating: 10

Finley's rating: 10

Mom's rating: 9

I have to say, this is one of the nicest parks I have ever been to. I think the only reason I give it a 9 instead of a 10 is because it is so big and busy that it's hard to keep an eye on the kids. This is one of the first posts I ever wrote, but I didn't actually ever get it published, so you can read below what I wrote last year. What's new this year is that the spray park is opened, and it is really nice. The best part (according to the boys) is a huge cauldron that fills slowly up with water until it tips over and splashes water everywhere.

The downside is, they are still working on finishing up, so there is still a fence around and not a lot of green space to sit on. Still, it's a great park, and I can definitely imagine spending the whole day here.

Here's my post from the summer of 2010:

Another new, exciting park in north Edmonton! Castle Downs playground had their grand re-opening on Canada Day, and we went the next morning. It was perfect park weather - a little cloudy and not too hot, but I think the cool weather combined with the fact that the fence is still up made people stay away. All the better for us - we almost had the whole place to ourselves!

In reality, the park is not finished. Landscaping still needs to be done on the outskirts, and rumour has it there will eventually be a spray park, although I don't know if it will be here or in another part of the huge Castle Downs park.

The playground is divided into about 6 or 7 areas, if you count the skate park at the south end of it (our little ones are not yet interested in skateboarding, but I can see it in the near future with Hudson). There is a structure remaining from the old playground just north of the skate park. The rest of the playground is on that cool, squishy, recycled tire material (except for one little section). I have to say, I much prefer this tire stuff to the sand. Personally, it is much easier for me to get to my kids if I need to, and until Finley discovered the sandy area, they both stayed much cleaner!

At the east end of the playground are the swings. Very nice. Lots of space, and a couple of those saucer type swings, which I quite enjoy.

Just to the side of the swings is the main play structure - all brand-spanking new, and seemed to work for all the kids (my nieces and nephews were with us, ranging in age from 2-7).

According to Hud and Fin, the coolest part was this lumberjack-inspired rolling log. Although they loved it, I felt sick just looking at it, imagining them losing control and shooting out across the asphalt. Not to worry - they were totally fine.

There was also another play area that looked sort of like a big ship. On the other end of the playground, near the sandy area, is a very cool climbing area.

Just beyond this is a bunch of stuff that appealed to the younger kids, like a truck and smaller structures that they could climb all over.

All in all, a lovely park that I'm sure will be even better when it's finished!

Hi

I'm Erin. I'm a 35 year old working mother of 2. My boys and I spend a lot of time at playgrounds around Edmonton, especially because they are a fantastic way to meet up with friends (both theirs and mine). But sometimes I find it difficult to make a date when I'm sitting at home or at work, and I can't seem to find any info online. I know the City of Edmonton lists playgrounds, but I need more info! Are there benches? What kind of shape is the equipment in? Will we be able to sit and chat with a good view of the kids?

So, I thought I would enlist the help of my sons (Hudson, age 7 and Finley, age 3) and set out to rate the parks and playgrounds in Edmonton. We'll see how far I get!