Kids will be out of school for the holidays in just a few weeks. If you’re looking for a few outdoor options not too far from home, Sammamish and Issaquah both have several kid-pleasing playgrounds worth checking out.
One recent sunny Sunday afternoon, I set out to discover what Sammamish has to offer in the way of playgrounds. I visited East Sammamish Park, North East Sammamish Park, Sammamish Commons, Pine Lake Park, Beaver Lake Park and Ebright Creek Park.
East Sammamish Park, located just behind Margaret Mead Elementary off of 16th, was a popular choice on this sunny afternoon. There are four swings — two bucket, two regular — and two play structures -— one for 2- to 5-year-olds and one for 5- to 12-year-olds. The play set for the older kids features a fitness course. The nearby lawn areas are well situated for games of tag or simply running off excess energy. Ivy Tungsvik, a resident of Sammamish, told me that this is her kids’ favorite park.
Next I drove to North East Sammamish Park, just off Sahalee at NE 36th. While this park wins the smallest category, it is nicely situated with two separate play sets bordered on one side by some wooden steps. There are no swings at this park, but it is a fine choice for a quieter outing when a smaller crowd is desirable. On that particular day, the place was deserted.
Sammamish Commons was next on my list. After parking near the skate park which was busy with teens on wheels of all kinds, I traversed the pavement to the long flight of steps down to the meandering path leading downhill to the playground. This park, equipped with a swing set and play set, also has some unique features: a climbing rock, chess table, spray area, and sand pit. That said, keep in mind the climb back up to the parking lot. The stairs make a stroller impractical. The sweeping view is spectacular, however, and this park would be a nice outing if you aren’t in a hurry and can make the hike down and back up part of the fun.
The popular Pine Lake Park, just off 228th, is home to Summer Nights at the Park. While a little quieter in the winter, its playground is set up nicely, again with two separate play sets. Two unique features are a climbing wall and a finger “skate park,” which one little boy found very amusing the day I was there. The normally stunning view is obscured right now by construction fences as work is being done on the docks and shoreline. After they finish early next year, this park will once again offer the lake shore for lots of fun in the sun and a much more appealing view.
Driving out from Pine Lake Park, go straight at the light onto SE 24th Street, then turn right onto 244th Ave SE. You’ll find the playground at Beaver Lake Park on your left near the ball fields. It’s perfectly situated for siblings who might get bored during a game. With no games on that Sunday afternoon, however, the playground was deserted and those who were in the parking lot were dog owners taking their dogs to the dog park opposite the play set.
In my opinion, Ebright Creek Park holds the title of the best of the Sammamish playgrounds and was by far the busiest on that particular Sunday afternoon. It is located on 212th Ave SE.
One mother of three shared that she likes the ease of keeping track of her kids there, observing that “You can stand at the bucket swings where the little ones like to be and see the entire rest of the playground.”
The two play sets and two swing sets are separated by age group with a seating area in the middle. The older kids’ play set sports the tallest slide I saw that day. Some other fun features of this park are a teeter totter, rocking “motorcycles,” a padded version of the old style merry-go-round, plus a few other spinning type toys. Even the parents seemed engaged in the play at this park, with one dad spinning a boy while the boy dramatically called out, “Mommmmeee.” I checked to make sure he was smiling. He was, but I couldn’t help but wonder if this dad knew when to stop the spinning and allow the child’s stomach to settle. I didn’t stay to find out.
The day I checked out the Issaquah parks was foggy and colder, but kids and parents in the Pacific Northwest don’t let that stop them and I found out just which Issaquah parks were the most popular. I visited three in the Highlands area — Black Nugget Park, Grand View Park and Central Park — and three in Issaquah proper — Tibbetts Valley Park, Gibson Park and Memorial Park.
To get to Black Nugget Park, go up the hill from Highlands Drive and take a left on 24th Ave NE. Black Nugget Park is on your left. It’s small but functional with, again, two play sets to accommodate the younger and older kids. There are no swings at this park and no kids either this day.
Grand View Park is just around the corner from Black Nugget at 25th Ave NE and Natalie Way. I couldn’t tell if it lived up to its name because of the dense fog but the lay of the land suggested it just might. The playground has only bucket swings and a climbing turtle for the younger group with the play set geared to the 5–12 year olds. Standing there, I could imagine kids racing their buddies down the three side-by-side slides. I had only my imagination, however, because no kids were racing that day.
They must have all been at Central Park, just off Park Drive. Obviously the playground pick of the day, several kids and their parents were enjoying its many features. There are two full play sets, one for each of the age groups, plus some fun extras: a large climbing wall (not too high but nice and wide), a tire swing, one of those sliding handle rides, a regular stand-alone teeter totter and another teeter totter-ish contraption built into the play set. There are regular swings but the tire swing was the most popular with the crowd that day. Some unique touches make this park a winner.
Down in Issaquah proper, I visited Tibbetts Valley Park. The playground there is set up much the same as Beaver Lake Park in that it is situated at the edge of the playing fields. There is only one play set geared more for the older kids but the younger kids will enjoy the bucket swings, a teeter totter, and rocking vehicles.
Gibson Park is the tiniest park, offering just one play set and no frills. It is situated across from the fish hatchery on Newport Way and would make a perfect spot for when you want a quieter playground experience for younger children.
Memorial Park was next on my list. With its location within walking distance of the fish hatchery, the library, various downtown shops and cafes, and the train depot, it has a nice hometown feel to it. The unique features here are the climbing sphere for the older kids and the train for the small tots. A climbing wall sits between the older and younger kids’ play sets.
For more detailed information on Sammamish Parks, visit the Sammamish city Web site at www.ci.sammamish.wa.us and click on “parks” under Parks and Recreation. Here you can see a full comparison of all features of each park. For the same type of information on Issaquah parks, access the winter 2009 recreation brochure general information pages from the Parks and Recreation link on the Issaquah city Web site at www.ci.issaquah.wa.us. Both Web sites provide detailed driving directions for each of the parks.
The winter school holiday is a perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy what our communities have to offer. So when your kids start climbing the walls during the break (or driving you up one), let them climb the walls at one or all of these parks. In the process, you may just discover a new family favorite.
