August 2017
Okay, so we promised pictures of the new playground at Confederation Park, and they’re finally here! Confederation Park is one of Calgary’s biggest parks, and it has a new playground, built in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday.
Earthscape, the Canadian designer and builder for the Confederation Park playground project, incorporates elements of nature into every playground project they create, and you’ll find that this playground is unique in its design and the features it incorporates. There’s a distinctly Canadian theme, of course, in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday, which you’ll appreciate in certain playground elements. My daughter loved the upside-down canoe, climbing both under it and on top of it.
What’s more Canadian than a canoe? – Photo Credit: Charity Quick
The playground has a unique feel: it’s not all plastic and the bright, garish colours we’ve come to expect from playgrounds. Set into the hills, beautifully landscaped, and strewn with wood chips, the playground has a much more natural feel than you might expect. It’s a very social place, too, with plenty of seating. There are sitting areas scattered throughout the playground, traditional benches, plus, a porch swing off to one side!
Playground Overview – Photo Credit: Charity Quick
The slide, with its fort at the top, was obviously a great hit with the kids, and there was often a wait for the swings. There are regular swings, a saucer swing, and even one for the babies. You can also find a spinning seat and bars to flip over and hang upside down on. With so many things to climb over, crawl under, and play with, you could last a long time here!
Slide and Fort – Photo Credit: Charity Quick
If you have smaller kids, one of the coolest features (or most dread-inducing . . . you decide!) is the sand pit, complete with a water tap! To complete every toddler and preschooler’s dream, there is an area of the playground that is just their size, with climbing, sliding, sand, and water. Bring a bucket, shovel, and a change of clothes for this uncommon (and much-beloved by children, if not their parents!) playground feature.
Sand & Water Play – Photo Credits: Charity Quick
To cap off our morning at the new playground, we discovered a Free Little Library disguised as a covered wagon! There were, happily, children’s books inside, and my readers had fun investigating the contents.
Little Free Library – Photo Credit: Charity Quick
According to us, the new playground at Confederation Park is a rollicking success! It’s a lovely place for kids to be active and imaginative. With everything the kids like to do (and such a wide range, from water play to reading), and an entirely pleasant environment for the adults, make sure to visit Confederation Park before summer ends!
