Northwoods Park, Northwoods

 Location: 4608 Oakridge Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121

Website: https://cityofnorthwoods.com/

Playground Ground Cover: Rubber chips

There is NO info on this playground, anywhere. Northwoods is a tiny municipality of 4k people. Their website leaves a lot to be desired, they probably have no budget for it. I'm guessing that this park is called Northwoods, since there's no website I don't even know the proper name. It's behind the police department on Oakridge. Take the road around the ball field and you'll come to the playground. 

This seems like it is a splash pad. It's a big concrete pad with jets everywhere and drains. 

I'll have to come back this summer and see if it's functional. 

4 sling swings

Merry-go-round

It's crazy to me that this big park is here, and it's being maintained, but it's not mentioned anywhere online. So weird. The play structure has several slides, a bridge, a bubble window, and lots of bars and poles. 

Fitness Trail

Baseball field. There are restrooms in the pavilion building.

There are 2 springing ride on animals, a bee, and a cricket. 

South Side Park, Belleville IL

Location: 600 S. Sixth St., Belleville, IL 62220

Website: https://www.belleville.net/Facilities/Facility/Details/Southside-Park-18

Playground Ground Cover: Poured Rubber & Rubber Chips

Amenities: 

• Barbecue Grills
• Fishing Lake
• Fitness Trail
• Horseshoe Courts
• Pavilion Rental
• Picnic Tables
• Playground Equipment
• Softball Diamonds

The playground here is great! It's themed like a pirate ship and it's huge. There are two play structures, one for big kids and one for little kids. The smaller one has slides, a chain climber, and various bars and poles.  There is a covered pavilion next to the playground and restrooms nearby.

There is one adaptive swing, one baby swing, and 2 sling swings.

The larger one has slides, ramps, chain climbers, steering wheels, pretend windows, fake cannons, and various bars and poles.

Lake stocked with fish.

Laderman Park, Belleville IL

Location: 1105 Mascoutah Ave., Belleville, IL 62220

Website: https://www.belleville.net/Facilities/Facility/Details/Laderman-Park-11

Playground Ground Cover: Rubber Chips

Amenities:

• 1 mile walking trail
• Basketball court
• Horseshoe courts
• Lighted soccer field
• Modular playground equipment
• Pavilion #1: 12 tables with electric
• Pavilion #2: 12 tables with electric
• Two lighted softball diamonds
• Volleyball courts

This is a large, well used park. The playground has several sections that are all connected with various bars and poles. There are several slides, streering wheels, & monkey bars. There is a free standing merry-go-round, restrooms, and benches all around.

Climbable statues

Restroom building

Veterans Memorial Park, Union

Location: 18-98 Progress Pkwy, Union, MO 63084

Website: http://www.ci.union.mo.us/living_here/parks_and_recreation/park_facilities.php

Playground Ground Cover: Wood chips and Poured Rubber

Amenities: 3 playgrounds, baseball, softball, football, soccer and t-ball fields, family shelters, picnic areas, a fishing lake and a 1 mile loop walking trail.  In addition, a splash park is open seasonally.

First of all, don't blow this off because it's in Union. This is a destination park and is totally worth the drive. From Chesterfield Mall it's 38 minutes, and from South County Center it's 38 minutes.

This park is a 43.8-acre multi-use park located off of Progress Parkway in east Union and it opened in Spring 2017.

In my opinion, the splash pad is the best I've ever seen so I'm starting with that.

It's completely enclosed by a fence and has a huge variety of sprayers, buckets that drop water, water cannons, and more. It's concrete so it's not slippery like the surface at Millennium park, and it's bright and colorful. I love that it's fenced in and the bathrooms are right there and are new and clean with a big pavilion as well. It's basically everything you could ever want in a splash pad.

There is plenty of seating because they made this stone ledge that goes all the way around the splashpad and the parking lot is real close with tons of parking as well.

As if that's not enough there are also 3 amazing playgrounds in the park. The first one you come to has a poured rubber surface.

There is a teeter totter that seats 4, a small playstructure with rolly slide and another slide and small rock wall, a modified merry go round, a saucer swing, and 2 baby swings.

The big attraction though are the 2 zip lines. One is a standard one and one is an adaptive one where you can sit down. The tracks are side by side and SUPER long. 

The large playstructure has this cool climbing wall that bends, tons of cool bars and poles and climbing things, spring steps, a hammock, and slides.

Spinner

There is another playground further back in the park closer to the splash pad. This one has wood chips.

It has 2 playstructures and the highlight of the smaller one is the boat that rocks. 

The larger one has a ton of activities. Climbing things, drums, tunnel, slides, a bridge, and more.

The last playground is the one next to the splash pad, it was built last. It's on the other side of the pavilion. 

The ground covering is blue loose rubber mulch.

There is a blue rock wall with spider webbing, 2 tall slides, a modified merry-go-round, stepping stones, and lots of bars and poles. 

There is a sling swing, a baby swing, an adaptive swing, and an expression swing.

It's not completely enclosed with a fence, but it is fenced along the side that runs by the parking lot.