On the suggestion of Corina, from Chance Cafe, we visited Brewers Park after picking up some bubble tea and it was an instant hit! Despite it being packed with kids from various summer camps, it didn’t feel too crowded or busy for my little ones to be able to use the equipment they were after. In fact, despite it having a small footprint, the space was used very effectively with areas to keep all ages happy and engaged.
My oldest (4 yrs) gravitated toward the climbers first. The dome-shaped apparatus had an intricate set of ropes inside that made it easy and fun to climb up, sideways, down, and over to the rope bridge. She also loved the tall ladder leading up to the slide. I’m always nervous about ladders like that because I’m fairly short and unable to help if she gets stuck, but this one seemed pretty sturdy and easy to maneuver. The slide looked a bit tall and fast at first glance, but it didn’t move too fast and proved to be a big hit.
While the 4-year-old tired herself out climbing, my youngest (2 yrs) found the water and sand area to be more her speed. There was a water table that pumped out spurts of water when a button was pressed, and with a sand pit below you can imagine the gooey mess that was created. I was glad a brought a change of clothes for my kids as they could not help but roll around in the sand area as they created their masterpieces. We tried to shake off some of the sand by jumping on the in-ground trampolines and while it didn’t work as I had hoped, it did give them another space to bounce their energy out!
As a parent, I appreciated that there were plenty of places to sit or stand that had a clear view of all the areas. Even on a busy day, I could keep a bit of distance from my kids and still be able to keep an eye on them. There were picnic tables around the playground area, lots of shady spaces to spread out, and a tree-covered outdoor gathering area with little wooden stumps. The basketball court was packed with kids playing, and my girls loved wandering through the flower garden as we left the playground.
Both of my kids had so much fun exploring and playing in the different areas that neither of them even noticed the swings, a usual favourite, until we were getting ready to leave. Even as we got to the car, the kids were asking when we would be back next– which means we will be adding this space to our list of favourite playgrounds!
Find more of our playground suggestions here.
Brewers Park:
Address: 4175 Victoria Drive, Vancouver
Website: covapp.vancouver.ca
