Some fun innovations: Veteran's playground

Playground: Veteran's Playground
Location: Cumberland between 8th and 9th (both of which go the opposite of their downtown directions!); parking lot on 9th
Date visited: 3/10/12

Equipment: Several pieces scattered around the play area:

• Swings = 4 bucket and 4 strap
  
• A set of "stepping stone" stools
  
• A round vertical gong-shaped climber with rubbery ropes
  
• A lower playset with "milk crate" steps and other climbing (including "barrel stave" style), a solid bridge, 2 straight metal slides (around 3ft high), and one of those pipe "intercoms" that actually works!
  
• Higher playset has a neat "submarine lookout" rubbery net ladder, one solid and one jointed bridge, 2 straight metal slides (around 4 and 4 ft high), a fireman's pole, and a curved stretch of monkey bars

material: modern; scale of space: medium
Ages: 1-11
Surface: rubbery around equipment; blacktop elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 1
Water: N
Other: basketball, indoor swimming pool, picnic tables (each broken to some degree), painted blacktop games, big rec. center (including a preschool on the far side)
Access: not posted (dawn to dusk? 6am - 10pm?)

Impressions: Cute and creative playground in the midst of a larger sprawling rec. center complex (and across from a school). A couple of things we haven't seen before, but could use a little upkeep of picnic tables and loose trash.
Overall rating: 8

In need of upkeep? Eagles Youth Village playground

Playground: Eagled Youth Village Park
Location: 10th between Arizona and Dakota
Date visited: 3/10/12

Equipment: Two playsets fairly close together in a corner park:

1. Higher playset has climbing, 2 tall straight plastic slides, *lots* of monkey bar variants, and a fireman's pole
   
2. Smaller is a gazebo with miscellaneous climbing, a chain "rope net," and a straight plastic slide (that ends high off the ground)

material: weathered "modern"; scale of space: small
Ages: 3-10
Surface: rubber tire "wood chips" and grass elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 0
Water: N
Other: grassy areas, colorful mosaic sculptural elements
Access: open lot

Impressions: Nice use of an empty lot to provide play equipment and grass for neighborhood kids, but equipment very weathered and abused, and slides end too high off the ground for smaller toddlers. Some cheery blue benches or tables had been broken to bits and splintered boards left lying around, and the wood chip depth seemed insufficient either to cover the canvas underneath or to make the heights of the equipment appropriate. Lack of swings another drawback.
Overall rating: 5

New and creative: 12th and Cambria Playground

Playground: 12 & Cambria Playground
Location: 12 Street between Cambria and Indiana
Date visited: 3/10/12

Equipment: Several pieces in a medium space:

• Small playset has good types of climbing, a solid bridge, 2 straight metal slides, and a bench underneath
  
• Larger playset has miscellaneous climbing, a stretch of modern spinning monkey bar rings, tall metal slides (1 straight and 1 spiral), toddler bits underneath (bench, shop window, crawl-through hoop), and a section of funky pyramidal rope climbing net
  
• A row of raised "stepping stone" platforms
  
• Swings = 4 strap + 4 bucket

material: modern resin & metal (except rope tangle)

Ages: 1-12
Surface: rubbery around equipment; cement elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 1
Water: N
Other: pool, basketball, baseball field, chess tables, rec. center
Access: fenced, but no signs

Impressions: Colorful and varied equipment looks brand new and very inviting, and offers fun for a range of ages. Worth a visit, especially for anybody with enthusiastic climbers, since the rope tangle can offer novel challenges to various skill levels. Will be nice when the new trees are large enough to offer more shade... Some blowing trash.
Overall rating: 8-9

Outskirts of Temple III: Winchester Playground

Playground: Winchester playground
Location: 15th just North of Dauphin
Date visited: 8/28/10

Equipment: Small playground with three compact playsets, colorful metal and plastic:

• Stairs, ladder, straight climbing wall, short and tall plastic slides, curve of "monkey bar" rings, chimes
  
• Wood-look plastic set with sloped and straight climbing walls, novel disk-style wobbly ladder, and tall plastic slide with bumps
  
• Stairs and novel rock-pile steps (like an irregular staircase climber) and two plastic slides (straight & curved) and a (partly functional) ball bearing spin toy

Ages: 1-7
Surface: rubbery around equipment, cement elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 2
Water: N
Other: basketball courts on both sides, small grassy field
Access: open

Impressions: Practically new, colorful, and fun, these little playsets are real gems of fun and challenge -- novel climbing modes, good and varied slides, lots of fun. Will mostly appeal to tots through elementary ages, but worth going out of your way once with an enthusiastic climber. No swings though.
Overall rating: 8

Outskirts of Temple II: Amos playground

Playground: Amos playground
Location: 16th and Berks
Date visited: 8/28/10

Equipment: Small playground and rec. center in a little niche of public space surrounded by Temple ball fields and frat houses. Several play structures:

1. A playset with a river of monkey bars and two metal slides (3 and 6 feet tall)
   
2. An older-style metal-bar "fire truck" to climb around on, including one low metal slide and a wooden bench driver's seat. Low running boards might be reachable by crawlers and standers.
   
3. Angled cement climbing piece (tunnel under, saddle shape above, with window holes)
   
4. Cylindrical jungle gym
   
5. Swingset with 2 strap swings and 2 empty spaces

material: weathered "resin and metal" type; scale of space: small
Ages: 1-8
Surface: rubbery around structures; cement elsewhere
Shade(0-3): 0
Water: N
Other: Basketball, beautifully muralled/mosaic rec. center, picnic tables in corner, fenced cement zone (for balls and skateboards? no basketball net), closed former pool
Access: 6am - 10pm (not gateable)

Impressions: Very cute but poorly maintained playground offers a fun variety of play equipment for a surprising range of ages in a small space. Lack of shade and bucket swings are a real shame. I gather that this playground was redone within the last 10 years -- it could use a little paint and other love, especially given the contrast with the shining Temple playspaces on the other side of the fence . . .
Overall rating: 6-7