Devonshire Park

This is one of the parks that I’ve been waiting (and waiting and waiting) to visit. The other day my husband had an errand to run near the park so I was like “WE’RE ALL COMING! THAT PARK IS OPEN!”
Thankfully, it was worth the extra build time, because it’s really a lovely and welcoming space with unique play equipment, a small splash pad, a gorgeous fountain, and plenty of seating for all.

My kids are super into climbing lately, and the other day the 11-year old said “I really just want to go to parks that have different things”; here he got his wish. The large “boat” is all rigging and Robinia wood with tons of rope and walls to climb. I went halfway up, looked down, thought “nope!”, and climbed back down while the kids said “c’mon mom! Don’t be scared!”
Happy to watch from the great benches that surround the play area, I watched them go higher and higher, then puttered around and turned on the small Vortex splash pad. I was planning on taking a picture with the water on, but as soon as I touched the sensor and the ground sprays and bubblers turned on, WHAM, it was full of kids. (And I don’t photograph other children.) So trust me, it’s lovely, and the kids all seemed delighted!

The fountain in the middle of the park, which separates the big and little kid play areas, is quite the focal point.  Its trickling sound and small waterfall can be admired from above while sitting in one of the porch swing gliders, or simply sit along its edge, close your eyes, and pretend you’re in the tropics.

At the top (north) section of the park there’s another climbing boat; smaller but equally interesting, and challenging for little ones. Climb the ropes, or scurry up the sidewall to the cozy hammock area. There’s also a dolphin spring rider nearby. Young children will probably need a helping hand to access the boat, as it’s not the most toddler-friendly. This ground-level boat would have also made a good addition for the littlest littles. 
The play area is surrounded by tons of wooden benches, and there are picnic tables along one side.
The park dynamic was interesting as there were adults reading in the gliders, students working on laptops at the tables, kids in both playgrounds, and people wandering in and out. 
You won’t find traditional play equipment here like slides and plastic swings, and that’s exactly what we liked about it!

Things to note:
-Parking on any of the nearby streets is brutal. Good luck.
-The park is not fenced, all the play equipment is on wood chips.
-There are plenty of lovely benches, picnic tables, and two wooden gliders to chill out on. Or grab a picnic from any of the nearby restos and have a snack here. 
-The splash pad is on from 9am-9pm until early October. Press the silver sensor on the ground to turn on the water sequence.
-It took a looooooong time for this park to be completed, if you want to read about some of the issues, you can do so HERE
-It’s tempting, but don’t swim in the fountain!
-A drinking fountain is beside the splash pad, but there is no bathroom of any sort. 

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