Within walking distance from our house in the suburbs are no fewer than six playgrounds.
Six!
And I know there is at least one more because I saw it on one of my walks and have not been able to find it again.
They pop up like treasures you discover as you turn a corner.
I am not sure if it is only in this little town turned suburb that there are so many designated playgrounds or other suburbs of Melbourne is like this but they are a delight.
All the houses that back on to the play grounds with their little parks have hidden gates in their fences. The newer play grounds are designed for all ages including the grownups.
There are tables and covered seating. And even a see saw for grannies!
Apparently this above ⬆️ is a ninja course. Who even knows these things.
This is an old fashioned way to get kids and their minders outside. And the parents and grandparents and aunties talking to each other.
And it works. As a Mum and as a Nanny in London I spent a significant amount of time in playgrounds. And met and made good friends with the other Mums and Nannies.
This one, ⬆️ above, is in a huge square of park and recreational area, surrounded in a brand new subdivision. The housing is designed for young families and was the biggest and busiest playground so far.
Which is not surprising, as the lots that these houses are being built on are so small there is no space for kids to get outside at all. Not even room for a clothesline or a garden.
I wonder if there is a way to introduce vegetable garden allotments into the planning of these new suburbs, I would be into that!
After school, on the walk home from school, these playgrounds are heaving with kids playing and running and laughing.
The only cell phones in sight are clutched in the hands of the parents and Nannie’s and minders. But ah well. Small steps.
And here is another playground going up! With new trees coming and some kind of bark-covered low maintenance easy-care gardens I imagine. This is even closer to our house. They say it will be finished by July. We are looking forward to it.
Yesterday it was over-run with huge white cockatoos munching on the grass seed.
Imagine if they employed a couple of local people to manage the gardens at these little parks and playgrounds. That would be a nice job!
I will keep you up to date with the development.
I am on the hunt for the old playground I lost now. TimTam and I (and Daughter when she is not working) walk a lot – so we will show you more as we find them.
Have a lovely day!
Celi
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The Kitchen's Garden 
18 responses to “playing the playgrounds”
That looks amazing! You’d think they could provide allotments -Australia’s not short of land.
there is one big one I have seen but more than a walk away for me. All raised beds due to the sandy soil. I might get in touch with the local council and see if there are more closer.
That’s an excellent idea!
This is so great. I remember being in Paris and noticing all the parks full of kids and parents and caregivers. The city kid’s way to get outside. And meet other kids and allow their caregivers to meet others. It’s perfect.
yes! What kid does not love a playground. And what teenager doesn’t love swings.
Oh yes, teenagers and swings! Much better than staring down at a phone.
My window overlooks the playground of the autistic school behind the house. They do take the kids out there but only for very short periods of time, 10 minutes or less. most of the time is just sits there childless and quiet.
Spring has definitely arrived. We’ve had robins since the 1st of the month (north central Indiana). Some of the bushes are starting to look greenish and I suspect those with spring bulbs have them peeking above the soil. It’s been very windy the last couple weeks.
Glad to hear your birds are coming back! Yay spring! It is the windiest time of year on the plains.
Baby boy is sure to come to love all the opportunities for play as he grows up. I find it interesting that a place so far from me is turning to building on tiny lots and making these community spaces to gather just like so many new subdivisions growing up around my very established small town. City planners are not so very different even being thousands of miles apart.
so similar to those Victorian homes built in London for the white collar working classes. Verticals homes, teensy gardens for the ground floor dwellers and lots of parks for promenading. Plus – the allotments.
city planning is an interesting study.
Oh dear, I hit the comment button thinking you were on substack and it would be easy, but alas you are on WordPress and I can’t comment because it won’t recognise my password.
Is the post also on substack? I get confused with the different platforms.
Here’s what I said:
What good news, and such a cheerful post. We need all the good news we can get. I remember sitting with my baby son in his pram and watching the children playing in a Paris park bck in 1970. I was desperately lonely, but as you say, a playground can be an ideal meeting place. People would come up and exclaim at his blond hair and blue eyes, ‘O, quelle beaux yeaux bleu!’ Nice memories.
Best wishes, Juliet
>
No – this one is only for wordpress. But your comment is here! Being lonely in Paris sounds so sad. I hope the playgrounds helped.
I like your idea of allotments…..they would be perfect given the space……
A beautiful write-up of parks near your home.
I live in Southern California and we have 40-some parks in my City. I monitor 2 of the parks as a volunteer. I also love Monarch butterflies that sometimes visit our parks. I proposed a program to our City that is just starting to gain steam. We are buying small Milkweed plants (favorite food of Monarch butterfly larvae) and the City sponsors fun and educational programs for the children on planting and caring for the Milkweed. The City and residents love it.
The children in your City may find it fun and educational to have some vegetable gardens in your parks that the children can help with in a similar program.
Keep up the good work.
Jean
Jean this is marvelous! I love what you are doing for the parks and the butterflies. What an inspiration you are. I look forward to chatting with the local powers that be to see what we can do. Our biggest problem is the soil. It is so sandy!
That is wonderful. So glad you are already with your daughter. Things here in the USA are getting scarier by the day.
how wonderful and fun!!
Yes! It is fun to walk through all the playgrounds for sure!