Equipment by Kompan.
Surface: sand.
The neglected sibling in the Withrow Park family, this playground probably gets most of its use from people who find its northern counterpart too busy.
The equipment is straight out of manufacturer Kompan’s bargain basement bin, perhaps leftovers from items they ordered for the north playground but decided they could do without. There’s even a standalone slide (as in, not connected to a climber) that looks like the result of a Google image search for “generic slide.”
An exception is the geometric climber; a polyhedron covered in climbing holds that is a good challenge for kids, and which single-handedly saves this playground from being a dud from an equipment standpoint.
When we’re here, I often see kids abandon the equipment in favour of the recently added TrekFit station (those work-out structures intended for adults) just across the path. I can’t say I blame them.
But hey! I can’t be too crusty about this playground. Withrow Park itself is, of course, a great place to be, and it’s nice to have a quiet alternative to the busy north playground. My daughter often takes a wander into the shade of the nearby trees just to the south, or asks to see the dogs in the off-leash area.
On our last visit, she spent a good long time waving at dogs and yelling out what colour they were. I took a moment to revel in her sheer joy at watching four-legged animals at play. Then I noticed that the dog park gets wood chips, while the playground we had just finished playing in gets sand, much of which was probably lodged inside my daughter’s boots, ready to be launched in a beautiful arc straight into my eyes when I take off those boots later on.
Oh, how I love sand.
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