My son loves a good playground, but he's got some criteria: it must have good climbing and it needs to have at least one slide he can swing from (not sure where he learned this!). The playground at Shannon Beach in Winchester has both of those things, but what we love most about it is that the play structure itself is all connected, so little ones can easily explore the whole thing. The slides are covered entirely, so on super hot days, you won't have to worry about kids scorching their legs on the way down - and the tunnel aspect adds to the intrigue of the playground. The structure also doesn't seem to overheat, which mattered a lot think this past summer.
The playground has lots of natural shade thanks to the trees nearby. It's adjacent to an open field which is awesome for picnics and the Mystic Lakes are right there, so if you're lucky, it might be a day that sailboats are out, which is always a thrill for kids to see.
There's a parking lot, though, on hot summer days, the spots fill up quickly as locals like to visit the Mystic Lakes to cool off. Otherwise, we've never had a problem finding a parking space and often venture over there after dinner because you can catch a pretty amazing sunset if you time it just right.
Do you have a favorite playground? If so, send me a note so I can highlight it for other parents to explore.
