BOLDR Climbing Park in Stapleton

   I haven't been able to find the 'official' name of this park or climbing gym, but it is wonderful! Located in Stapleton at the corner of 26th and Central Park Boulevard (due east of Greenway Park), it offers pictures of rock climbing moves and techniques and a large climbing rock. There are also two smaller boulders close-by to play on when you aren't practicing some crack climbing moves or working your way across the wall. The preschooler that I was with wasn't as interested as I was, but it'd be great to see others take a liking to it and putting it to good use!

PH: Greenway Park

Playground Hopping: Greenway Park 

  Located just a few blocks to the East of Fred Thomas Park, this little park is quite the gem. It is nestled in between trees and offers picnic tables, benches, several different climbers for varying ages, bathrooms and a water fountain in the summer and a very large sand area that I hear has water that fills up the shallow pools in the summer for splashing in. The preschooler and infant that I've taken to this park LOVE the sand area, and especially love that there are a variety of toys that have been donated to the playground. Walk due west to Fred Thomas Park, and due east to the climbing park.

PH: Odyssey School Playground

Playground Hopping

Location: 21st & Monaco, Park Hill Denver

     It's a schoolyard, but offers 2 larger climbing structures in the back, and then a separately fenced smaller climber along 21st. 

PH: Fred Thomas Park

Playground Hopping

Location: NE Park Hill/ Stapleton at 23rd & Quebec.

     I've been spending a lot of time in North Park Hill and have been struggling to find many walk-to destinations for the kiddos. This park is definitely one that we have been frequenting though, as it seems to be kept well (we see groundsmen almost every visit), there are picnic tables in several areas, it offers large fields with trees, a variety of sports fields that are fun to play on (soccer, basketball and volleyball), and of course it has a playground! 

     Surrounded by sand this playground has a slides, things to climb on, and a bouncy bridge. There are also two little bouncy ride-on toys to the side. This park is also fairly close to 29th street place in Stapleton, so you can easily walk to the eateries or even fountains in the summer. 

PH: Hallett Science & Tech Academy

Playground Hopping

Location: North Park Hill Denver, 29th and Kearney Street  

     Another schoolyard playground, but if you’re in the area and in need of an evening or weekend place to explore this one has lots to do! Two larger climbers with a lot of climbing steps, walls and ladders, and a smaller climber that is fenced in yet still offers lots to climb and explore.

     I've been spending more time in the North Park Hill/ Stapleton areas of Denver lately, so hopefully I'll be finding and posting more fun spots in the area!

Park Hill Library

Location: 4705 E Montview Blvd., Denver

Playground nearby at: W.H. Ferguson Park, 23rd and Dexter Street

Although quite small this is a great little library that also has Book Babies and Story Time for Toddlers. Check out story times HERE

PH: Chaffee Park

Playground Hopping

Location: Chaffee Park, Northwest Denver at 44th and Tejon Street

     Ultimately I wouldn’t recommend this park for an outing, but I was in the area with a new charge for a few days and this was the closest park that I found so I should at least give my opinion (clearly I will be doing much more research if I end up in the area again). Large fields, a playground and swings provide for some enjoyment, although unfortunately the climber is falling apart (a rope to climb on extending from one end of the climber to the other is missing; a small bulldozer climber for little ones has a large crack down the middle of the slide). Another disheartening sight that I noticed was the people. When we visited this playground just before 5:00pm I noticed not one but two grown men passed out in the park- one right in the middle of the field moaning every so often, and another near the bathrooms who attempted to stand up and walk at one point but was clearly unstable enough to hold his own balance. I know that this is the world we are living in today, but for the amount of parks that I’ve visited in Denver I’ve never seen such nonsense so close to the children’s play area. With a young toddler who is only focused on playing we were fine, but if I had older children I would’ve felt very uncomfortable letting them play so close to such sad sites. What the hell, Denver? I thought we were better than this…