Equipment by Kompan.
Surface: rubber.
The playground at Regent Park has one of Toronto’s largest selections of Kompan equipment, and although I’ve complained before about the shortcomings of Kompan playgrounds, this one has enough variety to satisfy even a grumpy old man like me.
The five S’s of playground fun are all here – spinning, swinging, sliding, splashing, and sand. Plenty of climbing of varying degrees of difficulty, and the sandbox (which includes a water element) is partially shaded. The layout of the playground is a bit odd; the equipment is laid out in a long line stretching the whole way across the north end of the park. This makes for difficult supervision if you’ve got multiple kids in tow, but at least it encourages bigger kids to be off in their own area, rather than trampling on the younger ones.
If the splash pad doesn’t provide enough water play for you, the excellent Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre is right there.
Actually, let’s be honest: the Aquatic Centre is probably the main attraction here, and the playground is just a convenient post-swim extra. If you haven’t taken your kids, I highly recommend it. Bright and friendly, it’s one of our favourite places to swim. Any new public pool that hopes to attract families should take notes on the way the change rooms are designed at this place. The only downside is that it’s so good it can get pretty crowded.
Also be advised that Sumach Espresso, just a few blocks south, is probably the best coffee in this part of the city.