Super Playgrounds That Are Worth The Drive
These jumbo playgrounds in Philly and the suburbs, South Jersey and Delaware will have the kids sliding, climbing and jumping all day.
Pennsylvania Playgrounds
Manderach Memorial Playground
Swamp Pike, Limerick, PA
Two giant slides are the focal point of this large playground in Limerick Community Park, but those are surrounded by two large climbing structures with rock walls, slides, bridges and ladders. There are also plenty of swing options, including large disks that can hold several kids each. The playground is part of a busy complex with facilities for baseball, basketball and volleyball. It has a pavilion and plenty of restrooms.
Smith Memorial Playground
Reservoir Drive, Phila
The giant playground in Fairmount Park just off Kelly Drive is the size of six football fields and includes a 16,000-square-foot,
three-story playhouse for kids 5 and under, a giant wooden slide and more than 50 pieces of play equipment. It hosts several special events each year, including the Kidchella Music Festival in July and August.
New Jersey Playgrounds
Fort Medford
Commonwealth Drive, Medford, NJ
The highlight of Bob Meyer Memorial Park, this fort-themed play area includes a tire swing, multiple slides, climbing walls, sandbox, tunnels and a balance beam.
It is also all-inclusive and wheelchair accessible. The surrounding park includes multi-purpose fi elds, volleyball and basketball courts, a picnic pavilion and restrooms.
Imagination Kingdom Playground
Pemberton-Browns Mills Road, Pemberton, NJ
Imagination Kingdom is a large castle-themed play area for kids of all ages and abilities. It features rock walls, climbing ropes, tire swings, musical equipment and interactive play equipment that teaches about the solar system. There are plenty of places to get out of the sun on a hot day, as well as a public restroom complete with a changing table and water fountains.
Jake’s Place
Bortons Mill Road, Cherry Hill, NJ
Designed to accommodate children with special needs, there are all kinds of bridges, balance beams, swings with molded bucket seats, rock walls, and stepping circles to help them learn balance and coordination.
There is even a wheelchair-accessible glider, sections just for children with Autism and activities for sensory and tactile play. There is also a grilling station at the pavilion and restrooms. A second Jake’s Place opened in Delran Community Park in Burlington County on July 9.
Delaware Playgrounds
Big Oak County Park
Smyrna, DE
This park is partially owned by the Delaware Aero Space Education Foundation for Space and Earth Science and it shows. The walking trails that surround it are marked with signs bearing fun facts about science.
Kids can have a blast climbing the rocket ship-themed jungle gym and slide.
Can-Do Playground
Alapocas Run State Park, Wilmington, DE
This accessible playground includes play structures with cool features like musical instruments, telescopes and agility courses.
There is also a large sand pit where kids can sit on “back hoes” to scoop up bucketsful of sand. Another accessible Can-Do Playground opened last year at Charles E. Price Memorial Park in Middletown, DE with similar features.
John Waples Memorial Playground
Dewey Beach, DE
The site boasts two play areas — a fenced in grass area for younger children and a larger area for kids 6 to 12. You can let the younger kids play with the toys and trucks in the large sand box. If sand isn’t their thing, there are monkey bars, single and double slides, a play bridge, a large swing set and a geodesic dome for climbing. Or they can romp in a tunnel or slip down the elephant slides. There’s also a lion water fountain where children can cool off. Parents can rest at the gazebo and picnic table nearby
