A pleasant gateway to the Park: Mander playground

Playground: Mander Playground
Location: on 33rd at Diamond
Date visited: 8/6/11

Equipment: Three main sections:

1. A playset with 4-5-foot platforms, misc. climbing, a straight metal slide, monkey bars, and a curved plastic slide. Also 4 strap swings in this area.


2. A pair of cement seals = crossed water sprayers.


3. A playset with 3-4-foot platforms, a solid bridge, lower climbing, and two metal slides (one low and curved and one straight and wide). Set of 4 bucket swings here (1 missing).

material: modern resin/metal; scale: large space
Ages: 1-6
Surface: rubbery around equipment; blacktop elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 1
Water: Y
Other: picnic tables, basketball court, large ball field (baseball and soccer), muraled rec. center, tennis, pool (full at visit), extra blacktop... transitions into the fields of Fairmount Park.
Access: no gates (presumably dawn to dusk)

Impressions: Large playground connected to an extensive park recreation zone (that shades into the fields of Fairmount Park). Colorful and busy, but the playsets are pretty low and lacking in challenges/fun for older kids (other than one stretch of monkey bars). Easy to combine with the pool, a picnic, or any other Park-friendly activity.
Overall rating: 7