Place de Darlington

Though this park was on my summer to-do list, I’d been waiting as it was having a BRAND NEW splash pad built. End of July and it’s OPEN! The city’s website doesn’t state the actual hours of operation, but I’ve found that they generally open from 9ish-8, so I’ll bet you’re safe to go anytime after 9am. (If someone knows for sure, please let me know!)

This is a long and narrow park with free street parking all around, just be sure to read the signs carefully. We left the car right beside the playground and went down the stone steps, past the picnic tables and back up to the sand area. Around the play areas is some fencing, but some parts are open and also quite close to the road. 
There are big and baby swings, twisty monkey bars, a saddle seat spinner, and two bright and cheery play structures from Miracle Recreation. 
My 3.5 year old was easily able to climb the assorted ladders and rungs, but smaller kids may have trouble as there are no stairs for either climber. There is however, the bumpy Tot Rock climber (like a slide with grips) that is pretty easy to crawl up, and little ones will also like the Pokey the Snail spring rider. 
We played “garbage truck” where I drove the steering wheel and he hung onto the rubber climbing wall, periodically hopping down to fling in an imaginary trash can. “Done! Next house!” The only thing about the moving climbing wall is that some of the rubber grips are split, making them very, very pinchy for little paws. If you hear a howl, it’s probably from that. 

This is a fairly high-traffic area for an assortment of people, including some who may be smoking (currently) illegal substances right beside the playground. Though the equipment is in great shape and quite new, I’d call this a “shoes on”, “don’t touch anything you find in the sand” park.

After playing a while, we walked down the path to the new splash pad which is right at the tip of the park on Avenue de Darlington. It’s QUITE close to the road, with some picnic tables that are about 10 feet from the edge, so be careful of little ones. There are also benches surrounding the water area. 
The splash pad, with equipment from Pointe Claire’s Vortex includes gentle ground sprays, dripping leaves, and softly dumping buckets from the green ocean turtle. While we were the only ones at the playground, the splash pad was PACKED. So because I don’t take pictures with kids in them, the only shot you get of this part is of the tops of the sprayers. And, no video 🙁

If you’re in the area, this is a nice little spot for a break, and there’s also the mega splash pad and wading pool at nearby Kent Park

p.s. There is a “book house-Livre service” in the park where you can leave or take a book. We always leave some books in the car in case we happen upon a park with one of these cute lending libraries. 

Feature
Toddler park (2-5)
Fenced toddler park
Baby swings
Big kid park (5-12)
Big kid swings
Parking lot
Street parking
Shade
Water fountain
Picnic tables
Benches
Seasonal Bathrooms
Green space
Soccer fields
Baseball field
Tennis courts
Basketball
Splash pad
Pool
Reduced mobility swings
Dep nearby

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