17) All About Playgrounds (playground day, playground tour and playground sites)

Playing at Glasgow Park in Delaware
on our Playground Tour Road trip!

For the last few moths we have been on a Playground Tour, visiting over 20 playgrounds in the Baltimore area. As you can probably imagine, we have learned a lot about playgrounds along the way! so I thought I would share some of our favorite playground resources.
The Playground Tour has been a lot of fun! It has given us something to do, gotten us to spend time together outside, taken us to new places we may not have visited otherwise and introduced us to some new friends along the way. If you are in the Baltimore area and looking for a playground to visit here is a complete list of the playgrounds we have visited on our tour: http://childhoodlist.blogspot.com/2011/09/28-playground-tour-2011.html
Each stop includes a few photos and some info about the playground as well as a link for directions on how to get there.
If you are not in the Baltimore area but are looking for some playgrounds in your area check out Here are some resources for you:
Kaboom: is a website where you can find playgrounds by location. You can also read reviews of the playground and see pictures. Kaboom has a free playground app, that is very handy for finding a playground when you are out and about.
Playgroundology and Playground Chronicles:  Great resources for all things playground! On the left hand side of both sites you will find playground sites and blogs dedicated to playgrounds.

100+ Top Resources for Play: This site actually has a list of 300 (and growing) sites about play. A great resource for anyone interested in play.

So if you are thinking about doing your own playground tour or just getting out to visit a local playground here are a few more resources that you might want to check out:

5 reasons to take a playground tour: 5 reasons why to go on a playground tour

M Is for Monkey Bars: Getting Ready for Writing: a great post from Moving Smart about the importance of playground play for the development of muscles and motor skills that are important in writing.


Playscapes: A Blog About Playground Design: Look at all these cool playgrounds from all over the world!

Active Kids Network: A site all about outdoor play with resources for starting your own outdoor playgroup, and outdoor play ideas for all seasons. Next week (November 14-21) they are celebrating "Everyday Is Play Day" and encouraging families to play outside everyday, going on a mini playground tour could be a fun way to spend time outdoors everyday!

Finally have a playground play day. Last weekend we invited a bunch of friends to come play with us at our local playground. It turned out to be a beautiful day and we had quite a few friends come out and play. We had a great time and it was such a fun and easy event I hope to do it again soon!