HomeCo. Glenmore Park Town Centre

I finally made the effort to find the play area inside of HomeCo. at Glenmore Park. It is air conditioned, next to the toilets, and because the food court has very few places left (other than the Coffee Club which has it’s own seating) there are plenty of places for observing adults to sit and chat. It is across from the Coles and right next to a lovely place where I bought delicious gozleme.

This is for younger children, but enough to amuse my Miss 5 and probably my Miss 7 (though she wasn’t with us). Because it is tucked in such an odd space, or odd while the food court isn’t really being used, I cannot imagine it getting crowded.

 

Amaroo Street Reserve, Kingswood

I visited the park on Amaroo Street in Kingswood on Saturday morning. It is a nice little park but, despite the fact it hadn’t rained in some time, my feet (and shoes) were wet by the time I got to the park. If you are going to visit this park I would recommend gum boots.

The park has the following features -

• Slide

• Monkey bars

• Cargo net (made of chains)

• See saw

• Fireman’s pole

• Pretend cafe

• Seats for adults

• Sunshade cloth

• Swings

There is more parking on the Joseph Street side of this reserve than the Amaroo Street side.

Where is it?

It is located at the end of Amaroo Street, Kingswood, Google tells me it is at 36-38 Amaroo Street, Kingswood.

 

Steamroller Park, Cambridge Park

I love this park, I used to play here as a kid, I just wish people would stop vandalising things so that they could unfence the steamroller (or perhaps that is an insurance issue).

This park is great for older primary school aged children. My children struggle with this park, they cannot for instance climb onto the swings (they are too high) and even if they climb the ladder or the cargo net, they cannot step from it to the platform without help as their legs are too short. So a smaller child will need help. If you have older children I am sure this park will be popular because of the flying fox. This flying fox doesn’t have a seat, just the little disc you balance on.

So the park has the following -

• Slide

• Shade cloth

• Swings

• Cargo net

• Pretend cafe

• Flying fox

• Path (for a walk)

• Covered picnic table

• Seats for adults

I actually came to this park because I needed a short walk, due to a back injury, and I knew there was a paved path. It doesn’t wrap around the block, it ends in odd places, so you cannot do laps per se, but if you have a young child who likes to go for a walk, or draw on the sidewalk with chalk, or an old injured Mum who needs a short walk, then the path is good.

This park is on a large block so there is plenty of parking around it, it is on the corner of Victoria Street and Richmond Road in Cambridge Park.

Where is it?

It is on the corner of Victoria Street and Richmond Road in Cambridge Park, which Google tells me is 195 Victoria Street, Cambridge Park in New South Wales.

 

Allsopp Paterson Oval Park, Cambridge Park

Today we visited the park at Allsopp Paterson Oval, which you access off of College Street in Cambridge Park. This is an oldie but a goodie, plenty of options for different children at different stages, sunshade and plenty of space to run around. It appears that council has just put a new footpath around it too, so I have indicated to hubby that we will be returning with the kids bikes.

There is a slide, monkey bars, swings, a small rock climbing wall, pretend cafe, cargo net (made of chains), and rubber soft fall. There are actually a few different types of monkey bars here, and a funny orange circular thing (shown in the picture) that the kids hang onto and it then spins. If you have a bit of a true ninja child then this might be a good park for you.

The bins are often full and overflowing, and there are often magpies picking at the bins. I haven’t had one swoop the kids (yet) but if you or your kids are anxious about magpies, then this is not the park for you.

There is also a great coffee place within walking distance, called Full Dose at the Cambridge Park shops. They close at 1pm or 2pm though, depending on the day, so get in early.

There is allegedly a set of public toilets near here, but I haven’t checked them out myself, I think they are part of the hall on this same block.

 

Church Street Reserve, Windsor

We quite accidentally ended up at this park yesterday, it was a great park with clean toilets, undercover seating and plenty of parking. When I started this project I wondered if there was such a thing as a park with no slide, it turns out there is. The climbing frame is also quite different, but that can be good, gives kids something new.

There is a set of swings, a climbing frame, a pretend cafe, covered seating (though it is a fair way away from the equipment) and a merry-go-round.

I took a photo (below) of the metal animal on the flying fox because honestly, my first thought was, who would put a bat on kids equipment? It wasn’t until I got home that I realised oh, it is a flying fox.

I was frustrating that the seat for the flying fox is literally as high as my head, below is a photo of me (six foot tall) standing next to the seat. I tried walking the seat to both ends and it doesn't get shorter. I don't know if this is intentional to stop older kids getting in, but it definitely required me lifting my child quite high (I am not sure a short parent could do it) and it requires the child having muscle strength and balance to sit upright in it while I try and manipulate the buckles, while it is trying to glide away from me. I know the gliding is always a problem, but when the seats are at a normal height I can use my body or leg to block it while I am buckling the child. This doesn’t seem like a seat that could be used by people with differing abilities.

Apart from that it was a great park, we will be back. This park is located at Church Street, it is in South Windsor.

 

Jenkins Avenue Reserve, Penrith

This is a little park, I don’t think anyone else has ever been there when we have been there. There is a slide, a climbing rope frame, monkey bars, a wobble board or sort of surf board on springs, a swing and a shade cloth. It is a simple park but effective. Parking is a little tough, because Jenkins Avenue is very narrow, but you can usually get a park. There are not a lot of place for the adults to sit, is my main issue with this park, but it is a quiet little park that is perfect for meeting another family at for a play.

Armstein Crescent Reserve, Werrington

This is not my favourite park, there is an undercover area to sit but the park is a bit too basic, and the equipment can get quite overheated. I have been there more than once when there was vomit or something else on that ‘softfall’ rubber.

It does have the basics though, a slide, swings, something to climb on, a small rock climbing wall and a pretend cafe. There is plenty of parking and the park is not crowded, because everyone in Werrington goes to Werrington Lakes.

Bunnings playground, Homemaker Centre, Jamisontown

This is hands down my absolute favourite, and often my children ask for it too. It is indoors, the staff are lovely, you can sit in the outdoor furniture section if you have no intention of spending any money, it is indoors, it has bathrooms, and on weekend in the mornings sometimes there is craft. The cafe has really cheap food and good coffee. Obviously there is a big slide and lots of climbing opportunities, there is a pretend cafe, an abacus and some of those play things on a wall that are good for toddlers.