167 Armour Blvd Parkette

Equipment by Little Tikes.

Surface: wood chips.

The tiny parkette at 167 Armour Boulevard just might be the best playground in Toronto for toddlers.

Which is strange, because in a lot of ways it’s an unspectacular place: no sandbox, no water feature of any kind, no washrooms. It’s located on a spot of land that tapers to a point as Armour Boulevard and Westgate Boulevard meet at an acute angle; it feels like it only became a park because there was nothing else to do with such an oddly-shaped piece of real estate.

As a park, it exists in the shadow of Earl Bales, whose enormous Jumpstart Playground is among the most highly-rated on my list. The name itself – 167 Armour Blvd Parkette – comes off as an afterthought. And yes, that’s the complete name, with the word “boulevard” shortened to “blvd” as if the city couldn’t be bothered to use any more ink than was absolutely necessary.

But enough of that! Let’s get to the details of this magical little place.

The equipment is by Little Tikes, but it’s a particular product line that I’ve never seen anywhere else in Toronto called “Tot Builders.”

As the name implies, these pieces of equipment cater to younger children. Everything is set low to the ground, with lots of tactile and movable bits and pieces to discover. The curved edges and bright colours all have the effect of making everything look like it’s come to life out of a cartoon.

There are so many clever details here it’s hard to pick which ones to highlight, but here’s one: on the side of the playhouse there’s a swivelling mirror, set at about the height of a 4-year-old’s face. When turned, it gives the illusion that the face being reflected is wearing a fire fighter’s hat, or a nurse’s cap, or a construction worker’s helmet, or a police officer’s hat.

Here’s another: one piece of equipment is a play panel with eight vertical metal rods. At the bottom of each rod is a stack of washers. Guided by intrigue rather than explicit instructions, kids grab the washers, move them as high up the bar as they can, and then watch them spin their way to the bottom in an absolutely mesmerizing way.

My daughter isn’t a toddler anymore, but she loved it here, and it must be a treasured gem for young families in the area. Like any good tot lot, it’s surrounded by fencing, and there’s plenty of seating. There’s even a Little Free Library over on one side.

Don’t be put off by the sub-80 score I’ve given this place. I mean yes, it’s small and it doesn’t have a lot of the amenities that other parks have. But it’s got more charm than plenty of bigger, better-equipped playgrounds out there.