Toepfer Park in Highlands Ranch

We're staying with Andrew's parents in Highlands Ranch for a while as our house goes through even more showings! We've had interest and offers that have fizzled out on our home, so no contract yet! We're hoping to be under contract soon.

We decided to go check out Toepfer Park. There is a little parking lot off Venneford Ranch Road, but you can't see the playground from there. I thought we were in the wrong spot, but the playground is just down the path beyond a hilltop.

There was some shade over the swings and a nice pavilion, but the playground itself was unprotected from the harsh Colorado sun. I told the kids we could only stay a few minutes because we were there midday.

There were a few other parents and kids at the park. Most of the kids were hanging out at the swings in the shade, and most of the parents were under the pavilion. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and I had a few parents to talk to. It was nice!

The equipment is made out of good material that didn't get too hot. It was nice that Oliver could go down the slide and climb up the stairs without worrying about getting burned. Because it was tucked away from the road, it felt peaceful.

We had fun at the park and will definitely be back, but we will avoid it again midday when the sun is strongest.

Can't Miss: Centennial Center Park

We've been staying at my parents' house all week while they're out of town. It's been great not worrying about the kids messing up the house, only to get a call for a showing request on the house!

This past weekend, we wanted to find something to do, and I searched for local splash parks. We set out for Centennial Center Park, which just opened last summer. It's on Arapahoe Road between Revere Pkwy and Vaughn St, which is about a five minute drive from where we've been staying.

When we arrived, I was stunned by the view. It looks incredible! In fact, my husband and I scrambled to see if we had any cash because, from the looks of the park, we assumed they would charge admission. Nope. Free!

We entered the splash pad first. Jo thought we were crazy and had no idea where we took her.

Oliver just wanted to push some buttons to make the water go.

The splash pad area was pretty busy, so we checked out some other parts of the park. Seriously, it's huge! There was more "natural" splash park above, and the water ran down the rocks like a waterfall. This was Jo's favorite part! It was a lot less crowded, too.

There was one part of the park that was entirely made out of sand! It reminded me of parks from my childhood. They even had those digger contraptions! Oliver really loved the sand park. There were a few patches of shade here and there, but otherwise mostly in the sun.

You can see the walls were decorated and reflected parts of Colorado.

There was also a regular play ground for the kids. This part of the park was almost empty. I assume it's because 1) most people go there for the splash park, and 2) it was way too hot to enjoy the playground that day! I think the playground part would be a good choice in the fall and winter when the water is turned off.

Oliver liked the car, but he wasn't very good about sharing it with other kids.

Not pictured is the large jungle gym in the park. There was a large part of this park that was perfect for big kids--there were ropes to climb up about fifteen feet in the air! You don't see parks like that anymore, and the big kids loved it.

Centennial Center Park is outstanding! I don't usually praise parks with little to no shade, but all the running water to keep us and the kids cool helped tremendously. This is one of the best parks we've ever taken the kids to, so if you're ever nearby in the summer, be sure to stop and check it out. It's a winner!

Hudson Gardens in Littleton

Last week, the kids and I met up with my sister-in-law, Jessica, and nephew, Sawyer, at the Hudson Gardens in Littleton. I've actually never been there, despite having gone to college literally across the street from this place for a couple years!

Hudson Gardens has free admission. I think they make their money off of their gift shop, concerts, and classes. Most of the area is natural, and only a small part seemed to be developed gardens.

It was a pretty place to take a stroll, but there was very little shade. The heat in the direct sun got to be a little much. We had fun, but I think Hudson Gardens would make a better stop in the fall or winter--certainly not the late spring or summer!

As is normal for our climate, there were trees along the river. They provided shade in a few spots, so we stopped by the river a couple times to cool off.

After saying bye to the tunnel, we stopped over at the Starbucks in Aspen Grove. It was so nice to have some AC! Oliver got Jo's high chair, and we sat down: the kids with their chocolate milk & cake pops, and me with a coffee frappuccino. Here's my rosy-cheeked boy and my cool-as-a-cucumber little girl:

You can't beat free! I think we'll go back to Hudson Gardens again, maybe in November when the weather will be better for it.

Park Day in January

It's 62 degrees and sunny in the Denver area today. After Jo woke up from her morning nap, we set out for the park. I love park days in January. It was so hot with the beating sun that some of the slides were too hot to go on!

Joanna loves slides and wanted to go down the slides herself head first. I had to be there to grab her and rotate her feet first. Oliver loved running, climbing, and going down the smaller slides himself. He enjoyed watching the older kids (4 and 5) run and chase each other. He looked tempted to join in but was too shy to try. Maybe by summer he'll be playing games with the other kids!

Rampart Park: Shady Playground

While Kendrick Lake Park is my favorite playground to take the kids to in the fall and winter, Rampart Park is our park of choice in the summer.  It's the only park I've found nearby that is nicely shaded.  I don't have to worry about Oliver getting burned by the equipment.  Oliver has gotten burned on many playgrounds here, even as early as 9am.  He actually still refuses to go down slides, and it's been months since he was scalded on the slide at Kendrick Lake Park.  The direct sun here is just so brutal.  

Check out the shaded playground equipment!

The only downside to this playground is that we've never seen another kid here. Not one. We come a few times a week in the summer, and it's always deserted. I wish there were

Civic Green Park

I took the kids to Civic Green Park in Highlands Ranch for a MOMS Club meet up.  It's southwest of Broadway and C-470, next to the Highlands Ranch Library.

The park itself is gorgeous.  To enter the park, we passed a plaque thanking dozens of private donors for making this free public park possible. We then walked over a small, man-made waterfall that cascaded into a little river. Around the river bend, kids splashed and played.  Oliver loved watching the water crash!

There was very little shade at the park.  We have very little cloud cover in Colorado due to our altitude, so the sun is brutal.  We walked by a small splash pad, but I just couldn't fathom stopping to let my kids play there in the hot sun.  There was also a play ground, but, again, there was no tree cover.  The equipment looked hot and uninviting.  Across the field, away from the library, we found a second splash pad.

The second splash pad was larger, and it had a large gazebo that provided shade for all the moms there with their young kids.  Oliver, who had gotten crabby walking under the hot sun, improved quickly in the shade.

I was only able to talk him into checking out the water feature a couple times. Every time the water pressure dropped low enough, he'd start to show interest. He'd get close, the geysers would erupt with fervor, and Oliver would step back.  He was definitely a bit nervous about the water geysers.  There were a number of other small children who stayed away from the water, too, but there were just as many little kids who loved it. The kids who seemed to really enjoy themselves were a little older.

Oliver chickened out:

Besides the severe lack of shade, another big problem with this park was how slick the water area was.  We were only at the water feature for about 20 minutes, and I saw two children slip and fall.  One girl was about 10, and she landed right on her tailbone.  Ouch, it looked painful!  If you go, be sure to bring water shoes that have really good traction.

The park is so lovely, that I hate to make it sound like a bad place. It's very charming. There were oodles of older kids shrieking and having a great time in the water geysers and in the little river. I think it would be an ideal stop for kindergartners and elementary school kids. I can see Oliver having a great time here in a couple years. However, as a mother of an infant and a toddler, the lack of shade, the slick ground surfaces, and the strong water pressure were just a little much.

Oliver Scales the Climbing Wall

Red Rocks Park

Red Rocks is in the next town over.  It's famous for its amphitheater, but it's actually a whole park where people go to bike and hike.  I decided to take the kids up there today.  It wasn't very stroller friendly, and Oliver didn't enjoy the sloped walk.  It was a pretty poor choice for me to go by myself with the kids, but it sure was lovely.  After about twenty minutes of taking in the scenery, we headed back to the Welcome Center for ice cream.   So, the trip wasn't an entire waste!

Jo didn't get any ice cream, but the wrapper was just as good!