on the swings

Working our way round local play parks

ByEmma

N’s favourite thing recently has been going to the park.  It’s great because it means somewhere to ride his balance bike.  Yes, being on the farm’s great, but gravel drives make for a bumpy ride when the grass isn’t dry enough yet to cycle on.

There’s a couple of good parks in Banbury, although in nice weather the equipment does get busy, and one of the villages near us has a great park which is always empty.  I’m thinking summertime, we’ll have to make an effort to get some friends round and go for a picnic there as there’s equipment to play on, a football goal and plenty of playing field to run about on.  The only downside is lack of toilet facilities (although I guess at a push you could ask in the pub if it’s open).

Our latest trip was a post nursery visit. We have 1 day a week which is an early finish, so when there’s good weather, it’s definitely worth popping to a park for a half hour of play.

chilling on the boat

N only tends to go on each piece of equipment once, then moves on to the rest, although he does like going over bridges once he’s got over his nerves.

boy against yellow backdrop at the park

I was tempted by the zip wire, but I couldn’t see N staying out of the way, with me wiping him out if I had a go myself.

I think N’s a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to equipment.  He loves the slides and swings, likes climbing frames,  But whenever I try and persuade him to try the obstacle course, beams or stepping stones, he never wants to take the risk and try it.

on the swings

This time he did attempt some larger bridges than I’d have expected though.  He obviously thought his limbs were longer than they are as it was a bit of a stretch.

Hopefully we’ll have some more decent weather and be able to visit some more play parks.  Then he can practise closing the gate again – he’s currently obsessed with opening and closing gates himself.

playing with the gate latch

What are your children’s favourite pieces of equipment at parks?  Are they daring or more cautious?

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19 Comments

  1. my youngest is far more confident at the park then her elder sister who doubts her own abilities, however she goes to tumble tots and it has obviously given her the confidence so it definitly worth it.

    1. I think it also helps with being child number 2. My bro and I were just the same, with me being a lot more careful compared with him. Places like Tumble tots would help too – gives them time to practice and work out the best way to climb things.
      Thanks for commenting

  2. It’s amazing how many parks there are that you don’t know about, we had lived here about 5 years before we found one tucked away a few minutes walk away. Looks like a great time 🙂

    1. They definitely tuck them away. More signage needed (or not if you want to keep them quiet!). Ours is a nightmare to find unless you know where it is. The other village doesn’t have a park at all which is a shame.
      Thanks for commenting

  5. They do seem to draw the children to them. Although N can be a bit wary until he’s been down a couple of times. Thanks for popping by

    1. We struggle on big swings too. Given he’s still refusing to toilet train, he thinks he’s still a baby! Hmmm. But he did try the big swing. He’s just a bit unreliable at holding on.

    1. We did. It’s great to see him enjoying it so much. (Although we did cock up and park right by where the school bus turns – I totally got my times mixed up!)

    1. Probably, but I struggle to get on the seat on my own, let alone with him on as well. Need a few more hands to help.
      Thanks for popping by

  10. Such a happy chap with his park there. Some things like swings and slides are always popular. We have both in our play areas here. Thank you for sharing your park fun on Country Kids.

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