Founders Plaza - Grapevine, Texas

This park does not have play equipment, it is an the airplane observation park next to DFW.

 Free binoculars.

 Statues of kids playing "airplane"

 Look over to the right, an airplane taking off. We didn't stay long because it was so cloudy you could hardly see the planes, not to mention it was windy and drizzly too!

 Airplane on the runway.

Name: Founders Plaza
Location: 1700 N Airfield Dr DFW Airport, TX 75261 (Grapevine, Texas)
Link to Map
Link to Official Webpage

Posted by: Amanda Dittlinger of Ditt & Dott

1. How big is the park? What are the amenities? 

This is a small park with a very specific purpose. It is a safe observation area to watch planes coming and going into DFW Airport. There are several shaded picnic tables and some plaques and statues. There is a nice field for kids to run in. One cool feature is that you can hear the air traffic controllers over loud speakers. There are also a few free binoculars. There is good parking. There are no restrooms. There is no play equipment.

2. Is it enclose or covered?  

There is covered patio tables.

3. What ages? 

All ages

 

4. How safe is it?  

The picnic tables are close to the parking lot, so as you are watching planes you need to watch your toddlers too!

5. Pros:  

Fun experience, especially if your kids (whatever their ages!) are into planes.

6: Cons:  

No restrooms.

 

Harry Myers - Rockwall, Texas

 Section One

 Section Two

Section Two Play Area

Name: Harry Myers Park

Location: 815 East Washington Street Rockwall, TX 75087-3832
Link to Map
Link to City Website

Posted by: Kristi Nix

1. How big is the park? And what are the amenities?
This park is HUGE!!  We didn't cover it all in one day.  I plan to go back with bikes and wagons and head off to do the trails.  Bring a camera, there are a lot of different places for great photo opportunities.  There are 3 different sections, each section has a covered pavilion and amazingly clean restrooms within 20 feet of the play areas.  

Section 1 is the enclosed public pool, enclosed skate park (converted basketball courts), a gazebo, an enclosed HUGE wooden playground (no gate, but there is a wall around the whole structure) including: slides, swings, baby swings, sand pits (2), balance beams, monkey bars and so much more!.  Also, included in section one is a COMING SOON dog park!

Section 2 (my husband says the oldest section and where we spent most of our time there) is 2 baseball fields (with a box full of bases to use), a lot of shaded picnic tables, a covered pavilion (available for rent), a gazebo, 2 old houses for photo ops, and a smaller fenced play area.  Again, no gate, but there is a fence around the entire play area.  Included in the play area are swings (2 normals swings and 2 baby swings), a tall slide, an old (but still fun) merry-go-round, and a "teeter-totter" style structure.  We spent most of our time here, because it wasn't as busy as the other play area.  

Section 3 (which we did not visit) is a spray park (it came on around 11), a big lake, a big metal bridge to walk over the lake, a covered pavilion, a lot of big trees for shade, and big open fields for kite flying.  Section 3 is mainly made up of the spray park, but still loads of fun

Also available is frisbee golf, off road trails, and ducks!  

2. Is it enclosed or covered?

See above description!  3 covered pavilions and 2 gazebos

3. What ages?
This park is FUN for ALL ages, including the parents! 

4. How safe is it?
I'd say the park is pretty safe! It is HUGE! As always, as long as the parent/care taker keeps an eye on the children there shouldn't be an issue.  There is no water (other than the pool) around section 1, but the other areas, there are several small lakes, so it is hard to just let the smaller kids go without supervision.  

5. Pros:

So many pros about this park!  It is a must visit any day of the week!  Go early to enjoy the most of this park and plan to stay all day! A picnic is a MUST!  

6. Cons:

Not any cons except that the equipments tends to get hot as the day goes on.  

Russell Creek Park - Plano, Texas

Playground

restrooms

construction (almost done!)

pavilion

playground

pond

 

swing set

 

volley ball 

Name: Russell Creek Park

Location: 3500 McDermott Plano TX, 75025 <- Click for Map

City URL: http://parks.planotx.org/econnect/Facilities/FacilitiesDetail.asp?FacilityId=495

Post Provided by: Wendy Thornell of Just One Momma 

1. How big is the park? And what are the amenities?
The park is rather large and it has everything you could think off.  Soccer fields, baseball fields, playground, picnic tables, pavillion with grill and tables, pond with ducks and dock, sand volleyball courts, basketball courts, walking trails, playground, and several bathrooms.

2. Is it enclosed or covered?
The playground is not enclosed or covered, although there is a covered pavillion.

3. What ages?
I think kids of all ages would enjoy this park.  My three played hard on the playground and even my littlest (22 months) could play on most of the equipment by herself.

4. How safe is it?
It's pretty safe, one side of the playground is near the parking lot so you do have to watch that side if you have runners, also there is no railing around the pond so if you have curious ones you might have one slip in the water, like I did (it's a drop off from the ground to the pond that's hard to see with the grass).

5. Pros: Lots of things to do at this park.  If you kids get bored easily you can jump from the playground to the pond or walking trails.  Even play a basketball game or play in the sand of the volleyball courts if no one is there playing.  Plus there are decent bathrooms on site.  There are also lots of picnic tables around the playground so there's plenty of room for parents to sit and watch their littles ones.

6. Cons: The playground is close to the parking lot on one side and it is crazy busy on the weekend as many play organized sports there.

Note on the construction - they are finishing up construction and still have the orange safety fence around the area. They expanded the pond and now there's just fresh dirt. I think they are bringing in grass and will lay that down soon.

North Hill Park - Murphy, Texas

 

 

(Link to map is HERE.)

Name: North Hills Park

Location: 1302 Rodeo Drive Murphy, Texas 75094

City URL: http://www.murphytx.org/parks/gablespark.asp

I rate this park pretty high. It is labeled ages 5-12, but my three year olds really liked it a lot. I could see a bit younger playing here too. There are two playsets at this park, one for younger kids and one for the older kids. But my girls had fun on both sets, even if they couldn't do some of the "bigger" elements. There was a really cool spinner, that you stand on and gravity turns you around and around. Even as an adult that one was fun! (Yes, I had to try it out!) There is a couple of small rock climbing walls, several slides, a spider web feature and fun ladders. A bonus is that it is covered for summer time.

Other features of North Hill Park are a basketball court, a sand volley ball court, and a covered pavilion with picnic tables. There are no restrooms at this park.

Post by: Amanda Dittlinger