My Park: Big Bird Park

by Vicky Big Bird Park is our park. They call it Big Bird Park because from an aerial view it looks like a bird with its wings spread out wide. It's a mature park, full of trees, picnic tables and lots of wide open spaces to run or fly a kite. At one end you'll find a set of teeter totters and swings. There is a baseball diamond off to one side, although we have yet to try it out, and not one, but two playgrounds. The little kids' playground is gated, and has a smaller structure that is the perfect size for kids 3 and under. It's shaded under some large trees and we've spent many, many afternoons digging in the sand or riding on the spring riders.

The larger structure has a tire swing, another teeter totter, a tunnel to climb through and a really big slide!  One of my favourite parts of this park is what Joel calls the 'bridge'. It's a little wooden bridge over a culvert that leads to a path. In the summer the trees on the path create a canopy overhead, and when I walk through it, it reminds me of when I was a kid running through my park playing tag or hide and seek.

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Big Bird Park is off Jeanne D'arc Blvd in Chatelaine Village Orleans.

My park: The Tot Lot

by Donna

We live super close to a fantastic park.  Known around the Glebe as the Tot Lot, it is found at the corner of Fifth and O'Connor and has many things going for it:

1) It is entirely fenced. Yay for being able to let the kids run as they wish and not worry that they might wander away.

2) The structure is super friendly to tots and there are also swings, teeter totters, and a huge sand area.  The lot is kitty corner to a firestation, which is a huge draw when the trucks pull in and out.  I love seeing kids piled into the south east corner of the park, noses to the fence as trucks do their thing.

3) The park is super popular and a real focal point for families in the area. The last few weeks have been fantastic seeing families we haven't seen in months.  The kids have grown and it's been wonderful catching up.

4) For me, this park = the community I always wanted to have for my kids.  Besides all the informal chatting and sharing that goes on, weekly, a family picnic takes place during the warm months.  Pizza is usually ordered, and everyone brings food for sharing.  The kids have gotten to know one another over the last few years, as have the parents involved.  The mama who organizes the picnics has made a vocal argument on many ocassions that community has to be built, and these picnics at this park have been instrumental in the way I look at my neighbours and at this lovely little park.

5) We choose to live in a very urban area, to live in a walkable area.  This comes with a small yard, so the park has become an extension of our outdoor space.  We have had birthday parties there, family bbqs, and many many planned meetups.

6) Time flies when you're having fun, and I can't tell you how many hours have been spent at this little park.  It's my favourite place in the neighbourhood!  So come on by next time you're in the Glebe!  There's a good chance I'll be there, running after my two little ones. Hope to see you!

Donna is the mama of two lovely little gals, Big M and little m, 3.5 and 1.5.  She is the co-author of Kindred Crafters, a blog about crafting.

My park: Our neighbourhood park is more than a playstructure

by Isabelle My neighbourhood park is, to a large extent, the reason why my husband and I bought our house. At the time, we had a very active 15 month old boy. Although we felt that the proximity of the house to a playstructure would serve us well in the future, we had no idea just how much we would appreciate it. Now that our son is almost four years old, and our new baby daughter two months old, we couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Our park, located in the Convent Glen neighbourhood of Orleans, is situated in the middle of a residential area. It is home to a large playstructure and a swing set that can be used by both toddlers and older kids.

As new residents of the neighbourhood, my husband and I spent many hours playing with our son, at first on our own, then gradually, with other parents and kids. And that is really when the park became a permanent fixture in our social lives. We made new friends, all with kids around the same ages, with whom to share the ups and downs of parenting. While the children play together, we chat about daycares, schools, and kid-friendly activities.

As the kids' friendships grow, so do their parents'. We visit each others' homes for playdates in the winter, and we organize multi-family outings. Recently, one mom has organized a picnic in the park for all of us. It's a new tradition that we hope to keep going throughout the summer. For us, there's nothing like finding a kindred spirit just a few steps away from your front door after a long day at the office or with the kids - and that is the true value of the neighbourhood park.

Isabelle is the mom of 3.5 year old Jay and two-month old Rosie. You can also find her at Dr. Peach's Blog.