Best Playgrounds For A Playdate In Minnesota
Ah, the innocence of youth...where sliding and swinging can take up a whole afternoon, and playing tag is the ultimate showdown. A good playground is an indispensable piece of childhood, and, while kids can find joy in just about anything, these parks are something special. Plenty of room for however many kids you might have under your watch, with solid, safe areas for them to play and plenty of activities to keep kids with all types of interests engaged.
For a few more ideas, check out the article Best Indoor Playgrounds In Minnesota as well.
Como Park
1225 Estabrook Drive
St Paul, MN 55103
(651) 487-8201
www.comozooconservatory.org
If you're planning a play date, the sheer size of the Como Park grounds is sure to wow the little ones. The playground is immense, full of slides and swings, and monkey bars where you can imitate the animals of the nearby zoo. If the playground isn't enough, you can wander over to the mini-golf course, or pop in to the conservatory, or just take a nice walk through boundless nature right in the middle of St. Paul, it's all there as well. One way or another, you're sure to tire the little ones out.
Loring Park
1382 Willow St.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 370-4929
www.minneapolisparks.org
The kids will never get bored, given all of the options offered at this Minneapolis park right on the edge of downtown. The playground might wear them out, but then they can always take a break and dip in the wading pool, or, if you've brought the dog along, play fetch in the dog area. With the Sculpture Garden right across the street, you can start, or end, the play date with an iconic piece of Minneapolis culture, many sculptures of which the kids are welcome to climb upon.
Oak Hill Park
34th St. W. at Rhode Island Ave. S.
St Louis Park, MN 55426
(952) 933-5025
www.stlouispark.org
There are athletic fields for baseball, football, and soccer so if the play date is sports-based, this is the park you want. But it doesn't have to be. Oak Hill also has a bright and expansive playground, and a splash pad with colorful sprinklers for the kids to run through for the summer months and a sledding hill and a skating rink with warming house for the winter. There's plenty to do at this park, whether you're spending the whole day or just an hour or two.
Related: Best Parks In Minnesota
Lookout Ridge Indoor Playground
8595 Central Park Place
Woodbury, MN 55125
(651) 414-3434
www.ci.woodbury.mn.us
The little ones can run and laugh and play all year long at this indoor playground. Everything a child could ever dream of is available to jump on, crawl through, run past, and climb up. With child-sized forest complete with tree house and even a cave, as well as the obligatory slides and jungle gym, this is paradise for those at the 48" height range. It can be negative digits outside, or blisteringly hot (both of which are quite common in Minnesota) and the kids can still run, laugh and play to their heart's content.
North Commons Park
1801 James Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55411
(612) 370-4921
www.minneapolisparks.org
With its brand-new playground, with all of the amenities a child could hope for, this park is sure to keep children entertained. There is also a basketball court, and soccer and football fields as well as bike paths, and picnic area for those longer stays. The water park nearby offers a whole different barrel of fun, and there are concessions for sale there if the kids start running out of energy. This is a quaint park that is perfect for an afternoon with the young ones.
Related: Best Dog Parks In Minnesota
Adrian Schramm is a resident Saint Paul writer with a passion for all things local. Through his work with Saint Paul Almanac and Minneapolis Examiner at Examiner.com, as well as in the kitchens of bars and restaurants around town, he has discovered what truly makes the Twin Cities tick.
