Monday, August 13, 2012

South Germantown Adventure Playground, Boyds, MD


The adventure playground in South Germantown is an amazing park located right next to the splash park, and several other amenities. The best part about this park is that the equipment is clean, sturdy, huge, and there is tons of space to run and play. The entrance is built like a castle, and kids can climb, swing, run, and jump all over this place.

Another area in the park is constructed in the shape of a ship. There is a main level and then plenty of places to run around under the main deck. The slides vary in size and speed, and kids of all ages can find something to do at this park. They also had a really cool climbing wall which was an instant hit with our kids.

The biggest downside to this park is also its largest benefit which is that it is huge. Our kids had plenty of places to go, but we also really had to follow them everywhere to make sure to keep them in our line of vision. In the summer months, this park can be very hot as it is in the open sun. However, there are several trees along the outskirts of the park that you can stand under for shade. We look forward to coming back in the fall when the weather is a little bit more cool so that we can really spend a good chunk of time here.

Accessibility: Concrete paths to get around the outside of the park, but not as wheel chair accessible as a park like Clemyjontri.

Website: http://www.montgomeryparks.org/facilities/south_germantown/#adventure_totlots

                                                      Hours: Sunrise-Sunset, year round
Age Level: 2-10



Book Recommendations before going to a playground
Please Play Safe! Penguin’s Guide to Playground Safety (Margery Cuyler)
Manners on the playground (Carrie Finn)
King of the Playground (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)


To return to the Family Fun website, click here


Cal's Live Steam, Woodlawn, MD

Cal's Live Steam is a great miniature coal train in Woodlawn that runs free and open to the public on the second Sunday of the month during the warmer months. The track runs through a large open field, and the ride is about 8 minutes long. Our kids had a great time riding around in this little train and thought that it was cool that you could sit inside the train even though it is only about 12 inches off the ground from bottom to top. Each conductor works on the trains and donates their time as a service to the community and they stay open to the public solely from donations made. They have a lot of knowledge about the hobby and are thrilled to share the information with anyone that will listen.

The ride was just long enough to keep their interest, and when we finished our trip, we were able to get back in line, wait no more than 5 minutes, and get back on again. You can go on as many times as you would like, and the trains are modeled after local area historical trains. There are also tennis courts and a nice playground on the premises as well as plenty of areas to have a picnic. Right near the tracks a random band even came and sat down to practice and a crowd gathered to listen. We had a great time and will make plans to go back out next season.

Website: http://calslivesteam.org/
Cost: Free
Dates: http://calslivesteam.org/runday.htm
Hours: 11am-3:30pm

Book Recommendations about trains
Trains (Eye Openers)-Angela Royston
The Goodnight Train-June Sobel
Steam, Smoke, and Steel-Patrick O'Brien

To return to the Family Fun website, click here

LOL Station, Greenbelt, MD



The LOL station is an indoor play area that offers several different rides and games. The mall itself seemed rather run down, and inside was really dark and expensive for what it was. However, they do have  two indoor mini roller coasters which were a good start to roller coasters for our 5 year old, and they also had bumper cars, an arcade, inflatable moon bounce, inflatable slide, and a gladiator course. There was also a smaller ride for younger children in the 3-5 year old range as well. In the front of the LOL station, they also had an area that was fenced in for children in the 2-5 year old age range which provided a smaller moon bounce and a few slides.

When we first arrived, we had to walk around to find a person so that we could pay and they were understaffed to the point where we had to ask a person to come over from one ride to the next in order to go on certain rides. That being said, the people that were on duty were incredibly nice and friendly, and were willing to answer questions and accommodate us when possible by letting our younger son go on the bumper cars when nobody else was on them. Overall, this place was a bit pricey for what it was, but we had a good time.

Website: http://www.lolstations.com/indexgreenbelt.html
Cost: See website for various pricing options
Age Range: 2-10 yrs old
Location:
6042 Greenbelt Rd.
Greenbelt, MD. 20770

Hours:
Summer Hours
Tuesday - Thursday 12 noon to 6pm
Friday - Sunday 12 noon to 8 pm
Monday-CLOSED

Regular Hourse
Monday - Thursday-CLOSED
Friday 12 noon to 8 pm
Saturday 12 noon to 9 pm
Sunday 12 noon to 8 pm

To return to the Family Fun website click here