Fenced in Playgrounds

We all know some kids like to take off running and that is not fun! Here is a list of playgrounds they can't escape from:

1.)DeMun Park- Clayton

2.)Shaw Park- Clayton

3.)Moody Park, Fairview Heights IL

4.)Bridgeton Municipal Athletic Complex,  Bridgeton

5.)Willmore Park, St. Louis City

6.)Tower Grove Park, St. Louis City

7.)Dennis and Judith Jones Variety Wonderland Playground, St. Louis City

8.)Discovery Playground, St. Charles

9.)Brendan's Playground, O'Fallon

10.)Zachary's Playground, Lake St. Louis

11.)A.B. Green Athletic Complex, Richmond Heights

12.)The Heights Playground, Richmond Heights

13.)Central Park, Maplewood

14.)Dreher Park, Warson Woods

15.)Oak Knoll Park, Clayton

16.)Hartry Park, Shrewsbury

17.)Yale Park, Maplewood

18.)Walker Park, Kirkwood

19.)Margaret Park, Webster Groves

20.)Stacy Park, Olivette

21.)Avery Park, Kirkwood

22.)Brignole Park, Valley Park

23.)Parkway Early Childhood Center, Ballwin

24.)Bluebird Park, Ellisville

25.)Tot Lot, St. Peters

26.)Shady Springs, St. Peters

27.)Nob Hill, St. Peters

28.)Greg Freeman Park, St. Louis City

29.)Kiener Plaza, St. Louis City

30.)Taylor Park, Clayton 

31.)Reed Park, St. John

32.)Church of the Shepherd, St. Charles

33.)Monaco Park, Kirkwood

34.)Rainbow Playground, St. Louis City

35.)Samuel Kennedy Park, St. Louis City

36.)Christy Park, St. Louis City

37.)Carondelet Lions Park, St. Louis City

38.)Lucas Gardens Park, St. Louis City

39.)New Town Chapel Playground, St. Charles

40.)New Town Park, St. Charles

41.)Abernathy Park, Bel-Ridge

42.)Braden and Friends Challenger Playground, Ste. Genevieve

43.)Bernie Hillermann Park, Washington 

44.)Pine Lawn Community Park, Pine Lawn

45.)Vadalabene Playground, Edwardsville

46.)McDonald Park, St. Louis City

47.)Lexington Mini Park, Fairview Heights 

48.)Green Pines Park, Wildwood 

49.)Greenwood Park, Maplewood

50.)Angie's Playground at Manion Park, Florissant

51.)Rinderer Playground, Highland IL

52.)Pelton Jackson Park, Pine Lawn

53.)Spindler Park, Highland IL

54.)Tot Lot, Highland IL

55.)Knights of Columbus, Highland IL 

56.)Hannah's Playground at Northside Park, Breese IL

57.)Glik Park, Highland IL

58.)Gordon F. Moore Playground, Alton IL

59.)Tower Tee, Affton

60.)Ollie's Fun Forest at City Centre Park, St. Peters

61.)Logan's Community Playground, South County

62.)South County YMCA Playground, South County

Splash pads, Spraygrounds, and Pop Jets

Splash pads are so much fun! During the hot summer months, we spend a lot of time at them. Who doesn't love that they're free??? To be clear, I'm talking about the free splash pads that are on or near public playgrounds. I realize that some pools have splash pad features and pop jets and sprayers, but those are real swimming pools and they charge admission, so that's a different animal. That list can be found here.

The note "just a pole" means exactly that- it's just a pole that shoots out water. Better than nothing but not exactly exciting stuff.

If I had to rank the best splash pads in the area I would say Route 66, Veteran's Tribute Park, Kades, Edmundson, Sylvan Springs, Vago Park, Citygarden, Veteran's Memorial in Union, Alton Riverfront Park, and Jaycee Park are my favorites because of the variety of different water features they offer.

Another option for free water play is to visit a creek. 

1.)Tower Grove Park (city)

2.)Mo Botanical Gardens (city) $$

3.)Zoo (city) $$ 

4.)Willmore Park (city)

5.)Berra Park (city) (just a pole)

6.)Citygarden (city)  

7.)Fox Park (city)

8.)Minnie Wood (city) (just a pole)

9.)Ruth Porter Mall Park (city)

10.)Benton Park (city) (just a pole)
11.)Pontiac Square (city) (just a pole)
12.)Sublette Park (city) (just a pole)
13.)Tilles Park (city) 
14.)St. Louis Place Park (city) (just a pole)
15.)Kiener Plaza (city) 
16.)Strodtman Park (city) (just a pole)
17.)O'Fallon Park (city) 
18.)Tiffany Park (city) (just a pole)
19.)Gateway Arch (city) 

20.)McDonald Park (City)

21.)Mathilda Welmering Park (Affton) 

22.)Tilles Park (Ladue)

23.)Shaw Park (Clayton)

24.)Highland Park (Richmond Heights)

25.)Brentwood Park (Brentwood)

26.)Sylvan Springs in JB Park (South County)

27.)Lemay Park (Lemay) (just a pole)

28.)Bohrer Park(South County) (just a pole) 

29.)Creve Coeur Park (Creve Coeur)

30.)Millennium Park (Creve Coeur)

31.)Vlasis Park (Ballwin)- being renovated

32.)Ferris Park (Ballwin) (Water pump/small creek feature)

33.)Hunter Park (Crystal Lake Park) 

34.)Musick Park (Hazelwood)

35.)Edmundson Park (Edmundson by the airport)
36.)Castlepoint Park (North County)
37.)Koch Park (Florissant) 

38.)Vago Park (Maryland Heights)

39.)Eise Park (Maryland Heights)

40.)Kirkwood Park (Kirkwood) (just a pole)

41.)Avery Park (Kirkwood) (just a pole)

42.)Meacham Memorial Park (Kirkwood) (just a pole)

43.)Des Peres Park (Des Peres) (just a pole)

44.)Sugar Creek Park (Des Peres) (just a pole)

45.)Pioneer Park (Des Peres) (just a pole)

46.)Villa Park (Olivette) 

47.)Warson Park (Olivette) (Coming soon)

48.)Southwest Park (Webster Groves) (Water pump/small creek feature)

49.)Fogerty Park (University City)

50.)Ackert Park (University City)

51.)Trojan Park (Wellston)

52.)Six Flags (Eureka) $$

53.)Jaycee Park (St. Charles)

54.)Brendan's Playground in Westhoff Park (O'Fallon)
55.)O'Day Park (O'Fallon) NOT FOR TODDLERS

56.)Zachary's Playground in Hawk Ridge Park (Lake St. Louis)

57.)City Hall Park (Dardenne Prairie)

58.)Indian Camp Creek (Foristell)
59.)370 Lakeside Park (St. Peters)

60.)Veterans Tribute Park (Weldon Spring)

61.)Shrine of our Lady of the Snows (Belleville IL)

62.)Bicentennial Park (Belleville IL)

63.)Family Sports Park (O'Fallon IL)

64.)Swansea Kingdom (Swansea IL)
65.)Leon Corlew Park (Edwardsville IL)

66.)Glazebrook Park (Glen Carbon IL) 
67.)Splashpark (Hartford IL)
68.)Central Park (Bethalto IL)

69.)Alton Splashpad (Alton, IL)

70.)Millstadt Pool Splashpad (Millstadt, IL) Costs $2

71.)Evergreen Park (St. Clair MO)

72.)Veteran's Memorial Park (Union MO)
73.)Kade's Playground (Herculaneum, MO) 
74.)Route 66 Splash Pad (Sullivan MO)

75.)De Soto Splash Pad (De Soto, MO)

Here is my map that shows all of these places to help you find the ones closest to you.

Zachary's Playground at Hawk Ridge Park, Lake St. Louis

Location: 8392 Orf Rd., Lake St Louis, MO 63367

Amenities: Playground, picnic shelters, trails, sprayground, restroom

Website: http://www.lakesaintlouis.com/1203/Hawk-Ridge-Park-Zacharys-Playground

Playground ground cover: Rubber mats & poured rubber

I finally got a chance to check out this park first hand, and it is amazing. All the elements added for children with special needs blend right into a fun playground for all children. My 3-year-old LOVED the castle-themed play area, she keeps asking to go back but it's a 45-minute drive for us! Within the castle playground, there are numerous types of ladders to get up on the playground - climbing walls, cubes, pedestals, rock cliffs, stairs, ramps, ropes. Two of the enclosed slides offer clear plastic windows to see out while you are sliding. To emphasize the accessibility of the playground some of the panels in the castle structure have braille and American sign language diagrams.

There are 2 sling swings, 2 adaptive swings, and 2 baby swings, plus a tire swing. A boat-themed play structure has smaller slides and a roller slide. There's a "sway fun" rocking toy which allows for a child in a wheelchair to ride along with benches on it. For some reason though, this is the only part of the playground that has a shade canopy over it. The rest of the playground is in full sun. The playground is entirely fenced in so that is very nice!

The park has a sprayground adjacent to the playground and also has a picnic shelter, restrooms (the baby changing station is in the family restroom), and a small lake with a paved trail around it.

For a full list of Unlimited Play Playgrounds in the St. Louis area check this out!

The splash pad is very small and best suited for toddlers.  There are a few pop jets and the water spouts go from small to large.

This chair spins around, so fun!