Adventure Playground

I had heard about Adventure playground awhile back, from a friend of mine but it had slipped my mind until I saw something posted about it on Facebook last week. 

We decided last minute yesterday to pack up and see what this place was all about. The info I gleaned online - mainly a 3 dollar entrance fee, was enough motivation to get us moving bright and early, as was suggested online to make it there in time for the 10:00 opening and avoid the rush that starts to build a little after noon.  

What we found was a kind of dirt lot, a makeshift backyard vibe - stripped of all the typical theme park essentials you come to expect at these kinds of kiddie summer destinations. The playground leaning instead, on the bare basics behind fort building and good old fashioned muddy adventures. There are also three tree houses scattered along the lot where kids are encouraged to add their own structural features using the wood planks, nails and tools they are given. Tools being: either a saw or hammer. Both of which you are asked to oversea use of unless your child is eight. In which they are free to move about and build on their own accord. 

My boys were all utterly delighted by the hammer. At the end of the day, it was the hammering that kept them most entertained. The mud slide on the other hand as cool as it looked was met with gross disappointment by each of them. I think they ended up a heck of a lot muddier than anticipated and being stuck in wet shoes and clothing for the remainder of the day put a short damper on their mood. Also made me sorely regret leaving the towels and change of clothes in the truck, in addition to choosing such a gloomy day to test the place out. 

All and all, it really is a great place for locals to burn some energy and let the kids get filthy for the sake of getting filthy. Bonuses being: the dirt cheap entrance fee, imaginatively based entertainment, a small snack bar, cool tree houses, an open shower, and a gorgeous park and library just on the outskirts of the property you can drop by on the way out if your energy is still withstanding.

Downsides being: not nearly enough benches for us parents to collapse on, the staff constantly screaming at kids to "slow down" or "WALK!" through big plastic mega phones, Porta potty bathroom facilities, and lines that form once the rush hits, for the hammer / saw tool check outs.

My advice being: go check it out!
But be sure and pack towels, use the bathroom beforehand and bring something to sit on, a lunch for a park picnic afterward, and a change of clothes so your sopping wet children don't vocally begrudge you  the rest of the afternoon.

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