JoCo Park Tour: Electric Park

This was the last stop on our official tour of Johnson County parks, although I hope to add a few more from our own family outings in the future.  Full disclosure: my child was a hot mess this morning.  Cranky and uncooperative so we didn’t get to spend as much time at the park as I would have liked and my pictures are not fantastic, however you’ll get the gist!

Electric Park

9299 Loiret Blvd Lenexa KS 66219

What we love about Electric Park:  The shaded play structure is awesome!  It was HOT this morning but the shade made this part of the playground enjoyable.  We all eventually migrated over there to play in the shade.  Bonus: the playground equipment did not bake in the sun!  This is a newer playground and another one designed by Landscape Structures.  There is a large covered play area, a robe climbing structure, four swings, and a smaller play structure for younger children, also under a canopy.  My daughter loved the little monkey bars on the smaller structure, just her size!  There is a shelter with several picnic tables here as well as bathrooms nearby.

Other things to know about Electric Park:

– there is a huge community garden right next to it, we didn’t get a chance to go check it out but it would be fun to explore.

– this park is right off of 435 and 95th street.  Very accessible to eastern Johnson County.

– also available at this park are volleyball, basketball, and horseshoes and there is a large open field great for ultimate frisbee (do people still play that?) or soccer.

JoCo Park Tour: Little Mill Creek Park North

Several friends had been raving about this park for a couple of months now and we were so excited to finally check it out.  It did not disappoint!  This is probably the newest playground in Johnson County, constructed in the last year.  It is a Landscape Structures playground, which seems to be the popular manufacturer of playground equipment in Johnson County.  You can also find their playground designs at Arrowhead Park, Antioch Park, Stagecoach Park (Olathe Community Center), Blackhoof Park, and the new playground at the KC Zoo.  A couple of elementary schools in JoCo have also installed these futuristic playground structures,including Mission Trail Elementary School in Leawood and Cottonwood Point Elementary in OP.  I’m going to add those to our list to check out as a family!

Excuse the dark pictures, we were at the park on a very cloudy day but fortunately only felt a couple of raindrops!  This spring has been so rainy!

Little Mill Creek Park North

79th and Cottonwood, Lenexa KS

What we love about Little Mill Creek Park North:  This park offers some really unique playground equipment, including a big disc swing, modern merry go round, and a zip line.  Gretchen was not brave enough to ride the zip line but she loved watching the big kids (and adults!) ride it.  The merry go round and disc swing were a hit with her and other kids her age though.  Gone are the days of hot metal merry go rounds where kids can go flying off.  This one is made of molded plastic with seats on it and it takes some strength to push it.  No where near the speed of a traditional merry go round.  There are four swings in addition to the disc swing, including 2 baby swings and 2 regular ones.  There is a small play structure for toddlers with a little table for playing with mulch, every toddler’s dream!  The large play structure is huge, and from the upper platform kids have to climb a vertical ladder to get to the top where there are two very long slides.  There are also lots of climbing structures made out of cables, typical of the Landscape Structures designs. This is a large park with so many different areas to play that it can keep kids entertained for a long time.  Always great when you are trying to tire them out for nap time!

Other things to know about Little Mill Creek Park North:

– There is a great jogging/walking trail here, perfect for getting some exercise before exploring the playground with your kids.

– As of June 2015 the restroom building is still under construction, but there are several port a potties available.

– This park is out in the open but does have a shaded pavilion in the middle with several picnic tables where you can get out of the sun.

JoCo Park Tour: Arrowhead Park

We love to take the 3 minute walk across the street to our neighborhood park.  It’s where Gretchen used the swings for the first time and it’s an excellent place to burn off some energy at the end of the day.  Last year the city bulldozed the old equipment and put in a new playground.  It’s colorful and fun but sadly they removed the swings that we used to love and did not replace them.  There is a “tire swing” but you can’t truly call it that as it is bolted to the ground and doesn’t move more than a few inches from side to side.  Much of the playground is better suited for older kids, but Gretchen still enjoys playing there and I think it will be a fun playground to visit as she gets older.

Arrowhead Park

1701 S. Lindenwood Dr. Olathe KS 66062

What we love about Arrowhead Park:  I really love how colorful the new playground equipment is.   Gretchen’s favorite thing about this park is the blue tube slide.  She also really likes the tree trunk balance beam and mushrooms to walk on, and with Tyler’s help she likes to go across the monkey bars.  Like I said above, she’s simply too young for much of the equipment, but the older kids I see playing there seem to like it.

Other things to know about Arrowhead Park:

– As with many of the Olathe neighborhood parks, there is no parking lot here.  You can however park in the elementary school lot or on the road leading up to the school.

– There are no bathrooms here but there is a port a potty about 100 yards from the playground.

– In the evenings we like to combine a trip to this park with a trip to the playground at Heritage Elementary School as it has swings and some other features that the city park no longer has.

JoCo Park Tour: Ironwoods Park

We explored this park as a family a couple of weeks ago on a nice evening when we were over in the area.  It is a nice park and Gretchen had a lot of fun.  Will have to go back with friends sometime soon.  Evening is a great time to go as this park is lacking in the shade department.

Ironwoods Park

14701 Mission Rd. Leawood KS

What we love about Ironwoods Park: This is a really fun play structure and one of the things I like most is that there is a bridge from the little kid side to the big kid side so if your kid doesn’t like climbing ladders or rock walls they can still do the big slides.  Gretchen’s favorite feature was probably the long sloped tunnel.  This park has the standard swings- 2 baby and 2 big kid.  There are numerous slides and climbing opportunities, including ladders that go straight up from the ground under the structure to the top.  A nice sidewalk loops around the playground and is perfect for bikes and scooters.  There are several benches scattered around as well as a shelter right next to the park and indoor bathrooms.  This park is at the south end of Leawood and has lots of other fun features like a nature center to explore (see below for a list).

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Other things to know about Ironwoods Park:

–  Beyond the playground there is lots to do.  The Prairie Oak Nature Center is located here and has a 2 mile walking trail along with lots of reptiles, butterflies, and amphibians to check out.  It is closed on Mondays during the summer months and there is no admission fee.

– There are also cabins that can be rented and a challenge course with fun activities for older kids, like a giant swing.

– Inside this huge park is an amphitheater where events for kids take place throughout the summer as part of the Grinnin and Grooving series.  (see page 4 of this brochure for dates and more info). There will also be a Sunday evening free concert series in August and September and it’s at 6pm so early enough to take the kids.

– The Historic Oxford Schoolhouse also hosts events for kids including American Girl Doll themed events.

 

JoCo Park Tour: Blackhoof Park

This park is…wow.  It is ginormous and has so much to offer.  I think we may have found the best park in Johnson County, but our tour isn’t over yet so I will reserve judgement until the end of the summer!  Because this park is so huge I’m going to write this up a little differently than usual so I can cover it all!

Blackhoof Park at Lake Lenexa

9053 Monticello Road, Lenexa, KS

What we love about Blackhoof Park:

The Little Playground: This playground is perfect for the preschool set.   Lots of fun activities like slides, a narrow stationary bridge, and my daughter’s favorite: a steering wheel.  There are also monkey bars and their own set of rings to hang from that aren’t too high off the ground.  This structure also has these hybrid-slides/climbers that are great for kids that want a slide climbing like activity when mom doesn’t actually want them climbing the slides 😉  (recently learned slide climbing is a super hot topic among park moms, lol).  The bathrooms are right next to this little playground, perfect for the frequent potty breaks that 3 year olds need!

The Medium Playground: This playground is not far from the little playground and features 4 baby swings, a sand pit, and another fun play structure.  Here you’ll find your average height slides and climbing structures as well as a cool climbing wall.  The sand area is devoid of any diggers or toys so make sure to bring a sand bucket and a shovel for your kids to play here.

The Big Playground: This playground is at the top of the hill and nearest to the parking lot. There are 4 big kid swings here. The slides on this structure reach heights not often seen at parks these days!  Gretchen went down one and was wide eyed at how fast she went.  I asked if she wanted to go again and she politely said “no thank you!”  I really like when big structures have normal stairs for the little kids to climb since many enjoy the thrill of the tall slides but can’t manage rock walls or tall ladders.  This one had a great variety of ways kids could explore and climb to the top.  For bigger kids that may feel they’ve outgrown the typical playground, this one has a ton to offer that should still excite them.

The Nature Playground: Like Franklin Park and Gezer Park there is a man-made “creek” here for the kids to play in.  Unfortunately we went right before Memorial Day so it was not yet turned on.  We’ll go back in July to check out that feature when it’s nice and hot out!  Even without that feature there is plenty to do over here.  Logs and stumps for the kids to walk on and large rock formations perfect for climbing.  This is a shady and cool area of the park to retreat to in the middle of the day.  Water fountains and the trail connecting to the rest of the walking paths at Lake Lenexa can be found down here.

Other things to know about Blackhoof Park:

– Lake Lenexa is 35 acres and open to non-motorized boats as well as fishing.  They is a really cool damn that you can explore.

– There is another small playground right by the boat ramp that is on the lake.  The large playground that I featured above is just up the road at the north end of the park.

– There are lots of paved trails here perfect for walking, running, and bike riding.  Lots of wildlife to see as well!

JoCo Park Tour: Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park

We visited this park with a large group of friends last week and about melted from the humidity, but fortunately the rain held off until after we left (Gretchen and I got drenched in the HyVee parking lot, uggh).  This is a really large park with plenty to explore but my review is of the large playground right next to the lake that faces Lackman (go here to see a map of the entire park.

Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park

87th and Lackman in Lenexa, KS

What we love about Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park: This park is huge!  There is a large playground right next to the lake with bathrooms right next to it, a little island with a dragon (?) statue that you can get to by walking across the rock bridge, and a trail that circles the lake and then goes on up the hill to the other parts of the park that we have yet to explore.  The Lenexa website says there are 5 playgrounds total, but from what I can tell this playground is the largest.  There is a large playground structure with multiple slides and climbing structures as well as 4 swings (2 baby, 2 regular), and a little ride on frog.  The retaining wall that forms a half circle around the playground is also fun for the kids to walk on: back and forth and back and forth!  There is a picnic table right next to this playground and a couple of shelters nearby that can be reserved as well as other picnic tables and benches scattered along the trail.  The paved trail around the lake is great for kids to explore with their bikes and scooters.

Other things to know about Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park:

– If you park in the lot at Cedar Ridge Christian Church there is a paved path that will take over to the playground.  When you cross the footbridge stop and look around, we saw several frogs/toads and tadpoles!  Gretchen loved scoping them out.

– If barns and historical Kansas artifacts are your thing, check out the Legler Barn Museum at the corner of 87th and Lackman.  There is a train caboose right next to it the kids can check out as well.

– This park also features a pool, disc golf course, and a skate park.

– Lenexa is hosting a concert series at this park in May and June of 2015.

– If you want to check out ALL the parks in Lenexa this summer, go check out their playground passport program.

JoCo Park Tour: Leawood City Park

This was one of our official Friday morning stops but another rainy Friday meant it didn’t happen as planned. We ended up going over the weekend to check it out when we were over in the area and I took pictures so I could share.  Spoiler alert: underwhelmed by this park.  It is in need of some TLC!  Also, no swings 😦   Still, Gretchen had a good time and it had some nice elements.

Leawood City Park

10601 Lee Blvd. Leawood, KS 66206

What we love about Leawood City Park: The dinosaurs!  Gretchen loved the 2 dinosaurs and the alligator so much we had to bribe her to explore the rest of the playground.  They dinos rock back and forth and the gator is stationary.  The playground is really large with a separate structure for younger kids next to the dinosaurs.  I really liked that there are ramps for getting on the equipment as we’ve noticed many newer playgrounds make actually getting on the equipment a challenge for kids under the age of 4 or kids that struggle with climbing.  There is a huge shelter with picnic tables and bathrooms right next to the playground.

Other things to know about Leawood City Park:

– It’s right next to 435 so the noise from traffic can get pretty loud depending on what time of day you are there.

– We haven’t visited it ourselves, but the Leawood Aquatic Center right next to the playground looks fun.  I spotted a whale slide and a spray ground.  We may have to check it out this summer!

– You can probably tell from the pictures that the park has seen better days.  The turf has lots of holes in it and the playground structure is really faded from the sun.  Not sure what year this playground was constructed but it needs a good sprucing!

JoCo Park Tour: Brougham Park

My interest in this park was piqued when a friend mentioned “the hippo park” in Olathe.  Gretchen loves hippos so I knew it was gonna be a hit.  This park is tucked away in a neighborhood in south Olathe.  It is well maintained and has a lot of unique playground features.  We stopped by here on a Sunday evening to check it out. It is not on the official summer park tour.

Brougham Park

15501 S. Brougham Dr. Olathe, KS 66062

What we love about Brougham Park: Gretchen’s favorite feature at this park was probably the hippo tunnel.  This park is different than many other Olathe parks in that it has a lot more to offer for big kids.  The lower tier of the play structure is great for the preschool set, but then the upper tier is well suited for elementary aged kids or little ones that are adept at climbing.  Gretchen still needs a spotter for some of the taller climbing features but she loved going down the steep slides once she made it to the top.  There is a separate climbing structure (the trees) that she is definitely too small for at this point but she still enjoyed trying and she loved watching the bigger kids climb it.  There are 2 baby swings and 2 big kid swings and a huge open field next to the playground perfect for flying a kit or running around.  This park is connected to the nearby neighborhoods by a trail that is nice for walking or riding bikes/scooters.  There is a nice shelter next to the park that is first come first serve.

Other things to know about Brougham Park:

-There is no parking lot for this park, but you can park along the road next to it or in the evenings/weekends in the school parking lot across the street.

-There are also no bathrooms at this park, not even a port a potty, kind of a bummer.

-This is one of Olathe’s 22 neighborhood parks.  I’m  jealous of the families that live close and can pop over here in the evenings!  This is a lesser known park (I learned about it from a friend) so I imagine it’s not as busy as some of the other parks in Olathe.

JoCo Park Tour: Franklin Park

Last Friday we explored Franklin Park for the first time with a few friends.  This is easily one of my favorite parks that we’ve gone to our on park tour and I am excited to go back as soon as the weather clears up!

Franklin Park in Prairie Village, KS

8706 Roe Ave. Prairie Village, KS 66208

What we love about Franklin Park:  THE SHADE!  I don’t think I’ve ever been to a park this shaded.  So many big trees offer a canopy of shade for the whole playground.  I hate playgrounds where you bake in the sun and the equipment is burning up before noon.  This park has a ton for the kids to do.  Gretchen is obsessed with swings right now so we spent quite a bit of time over there.  There are 2 baby swings, 2 big kid swings, and a tire swing
(which she loved!)  Gretchen’s other obsession at this park were the ride on toys, a turtle and a duck (at least that’s what she called it, not sure it’s actually a duck!)  There are two large play structures, one geared more towards younger kids, one for older kids.  The real stars at this park are the sandbox and the nature stream.  The huge sandbox is loaded with buckets, shovels, and other fun toys.  The nature stream has a little man-made stream and lots of logs and rocks for the kids to climb on and explore.  Sadly we went too early in the season to enjoy the stream.  Not sure when it gets turned on, maybe after Memorial Day?  We will go back later this summer to check that feature out and I’ll try to update my post at that time.

Other things to know about Franklin Park:

-There is a large shelter next to the playground with bathrooms and water fountains next to it.

-This park is popular and can get really busy. I spoke with a mom that said it was a rare day there wasn’t a line for the swings!  I imagine it will be busier once school is out for the summer and the nature stream opens.

-In addition to the shelter there are several picnic tables right next to the sandbox and plenty of green space and shaded spots for a picnic.  With so much to do at this park you could easily spend a few hours here.

-The parking lot filled up fast but there appears to be street parking available adjacent to the park.

JoCo Park Tour: Antioch Park in Merriam, KS

Our first visit to this park was about a year ago and we’ve been back many times since.  This is a huge park and because there are multiple playgrounds and play areas you can spend a lot of time here playing and exploring.

Antioch Park in Merriam, KS

6501 Antioch Rd, Merriam, KS 66202

What we love about this park:  The variety of things you can do here!  Walk the trails, fish in the lakes, explore the rose garden, play in Dodge town or one of the 2 playgrounds, swing on the swings, have a picnic under the huge trees, reserve a shelter and have a cookout, and of course meet up with friends (and make some new ones as we did on our outing!)  There are indoor bathrooms at this park which is great when you have toddlers that are still mastering the art of using the potty in public.

Other things to know about Antioch Park:

-Kids under 15 don’t need a fishing license. This would be a great spot to take your kids fishing for the first time since you know they’ll tire of it after too long and the playground is right there when they get bored! 😉

-On the south end of the park there are basketball, tennis, horseshoe and bocce courts.

-This park gets straight crazy on a nice weekend!  Weekday mornings are great though, or even in the evening when things have cooled off a bit.