Parent Corner: Let’s Hear It for Playgrounds!

The author’s daughter, Greta, coming down a slide. Submitted.

My husband, my 3-year-old and I spent two and half months traveling through Spain and Portugal last winter. It was incredible – the café con leches and the smell of orange in the air, narrow alleyways filled with flamenco music, Moorish architecture so gorgeous and elaborate it makes your head spin. 

I tell you this not to brag. I tell you this because when someone asks my daughter, Greta, “What was your favorite part?,” she answers, “The playgrounds!”

A promised visit to a playground kept that girl going, so it was the first thing we looked for when we pulled into a new town. And we found some pretty good ones!

Playgrounds provide a chance for kids to be kids and a chance for parents to grab a much-needed respite – to sit down on a bench, savor a latte, and chill. They’re also meeting places. It’s great when your little ones meet a buddy, and great when you can chat with another adult, swap recommendations for activities and restaurants, and commiserate about the trials and tribulations of parenthood.

Door County, thankfully, has some awesome, epic playgrounds, many of which are just a hop, skip and jump away from a beach. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Ellison Bay Community Park and Beach on Bayview Road
• Sister Bay Beach on Mill Road 
• Lakeside Park on Highway 57 in Jacksonport
• Otumba Park at 32 N. Joliet Ave. in Sturgeon Bay
• Nicolet Beach at 10170 Shore Road in Fish Creek (This is at Peninsula State Park, so a park pass is required.)

Parent Tip: Download the Playground Buddy map app, which shows where nearby playgrounds are located.