Truman Park, Hazelwood

Location: 7029 Howdershell Road, Hazelwood, MO 63042

Amenities: Playground, horseshoes, picnic shelter, restroom, walking/jogging path, lake

Website: http://www.hazelwoodmo.org/services/parks

Playground ground cover: Wood chips

Truman Park has a playground right inside the park. There is one play structure and it has a little bridge, a steering wheel, a speaker, and lots of bars and poles.

Horseshoe pit

Path going into the woods. Not sure where it leads!

Large covered pavilion right next to the playground

Nice lake with a fountain and trails through the park. The 55,600-acre lake has two boat-launching ramps and you can fish from the shore or a boat. Some fish you can catch include crappie, black bass, catfish, and white bass.

Looks like there used to be a volleyball net here.

Malcolm Terrace Park, Creve Coeur

Location: 11370 St Paul St, Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Amenities: playground, sand volleyball, picnic shelter, trails, restrooms

Website: http://www.creve-coeur.org/index.aspx?nid=284

Playground ground cover: wood chips

Malcolm Terrace Park is a shaded getaway situated adjacent to a quiet residential street in Creve Coeur. We visited on a weekday afternoon and had the park to ourselves. There's a swingset with 2 sling swings and 2 baby swings. The playground structure has several slides and a tunnel.

It also has a bridge, steering wheel, pretend storefronts, and bars and poles. 

Restrooms

View of playground from the parking lot and bathroom building

It's so hard to find a shady playground! And this one is so toddler-friendly! 

Playgrounds with creeks

1.)Mastodon (Imperial)

2.)Vance Trails Park (Valley Park)

3.)Castlewood (Ballwin)

4.)Indian Camp Creek (Foristell)

5.)Wildwood Community Park (Wildwood) 

6.)Margaret Stoecker (Manchester) 

7.)Longview Farm Park (Town & Country)

8.)Sanders Park (Crestwood)

9.)Mockingbird Park (Ellisville)

10.)Central Park (Chesterfield) 

11.)H. Phillip Venable Memorial Park (Creve Coeur)

12.)Mackenzie Hills Park (Shrewsbury)

13.)Kade's Playground (Herculaneum) 

14.)Ferd B. Lang City Park (Arnold)

15.)Spencer Creek (St. Peters)

16.)Rabbit Run  (St. Peters)

17.)Dardenne Park (St. Peters)

18.)Baxter Acres (Manchester)

19.)Mildred M. Davis Park (Hanley Hills)

20.)Charles Evola Park (Charlack)

21.)Mort Jacobs Park (Overland)

22.)Little Creek Nature Area (Florissant)

23.)Sugar Creek (Des Peres)

Powder Valley is not technically a playground but they have several small creeks along the trails also.


Here's a great article about the positives of letting your kids get dirty.
http://theartofsimple.net/let-your-kids-get-dirty/

Monfort Park, Kirkwood

Location: 2036 Briargate Ln., Kirkwood, MO 63122

Website: https://www.kirkwoodparksandrec.org/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/26/444

Playground Ground Cover: Poured rubber

What a cute little pocket park!  Named for the residents who lived at the site for nearly 60 years, Monfort Park includes two playground systems, one for 2 - 5-year-olds and one for 5 - 12-year-olds as well as swings (one baby and one sling swing). Opened November 1, 2008, the park also includes a gazebo structure modeled on the old train station located across Big Bend from the park site. Other amenities include benches, a walking path, and a drinking fountain.