Surfaces: rubber, wood chips, sand, artificial turf
Equipment by Kompan, Ape, Elephant Play, Earthscape.
With the excitement of Queen Street, the Eaton Centre, and Nathan Phillips Square so close by, this is an easy playground to miss.
Wedged into the small space between city hall’s west tower and the underground parking ramp, it’s a small but charming play space that isn’t spectacular at all, but can be a nice reprieve if you’re in the area with small kids. While the play equipment is small, there’s good variety, and some unusual elements that give the spot some character.
Take, for example, the frog-shaped rocks covered in rubber. Or the trampoline surrounded by more rubberized rocks. I like stuff like this; stuff that makes you think, “Hm. Interesting. What can we do with that?” My son chose to climb the rocks and try to jump from one to the other. His little sister chose to say hello and wave enthusiastically to the frogs, despite their refusal to respond. Another kid chose to pretend he was pooping on them. So you know, to each their own.
Along with this variety of equipment, there is an interesting variety of manufacturers, two of which (Elephant and Ape) I had never heard of. As my kids played, I wondered idly what sort of municipal government contract shadiness led to that.
If I’m being completely objective, I’ve probably rated this one a little high. There are other playgrounds rated on this site that have better equipment, better amenities…but there’s something cool about playing in the shadow of city hall. Make this part of a visit to the general area, and you can’t go wrong.
**Be aware that this playground is reserved for City Hall’s in-house daycare on weekdays from 9am-noon and 3-6pm.**