Now that Spring is approaching, it is the perfect time to get outside and explore your neighborhood parks. Playgrounds are ideal places to help your child acheive new developmental skills while at the same time providing a fun and cost effective outing they will be sure to enjoy. Climbing ladders and other structures is an excellent way to increase overall lower extremity strength. It specifically targets the gluteal muscles, which are important for a normal walking pattern as well as running and jumping. Parks also provide tunnels which can be good motivators for crawling. Other equipment that can be found at most parks which can facilitate gross motor development include stairs and balance beams. In addition to gross motor development, parks can be great environments to work on sensory integration. With slides, swings, grass, and sand you have plenty of new motions and textures to introduce to your children. Parks can also facilitate social and cognitive development through interaction with other children and implementing problem solving skills to negotiate new environments. Below is a list of our favorite parks ranging from San Francisco to the Peninsula and even the East Bay.
Pershing Park: 1598 Newlands Ave., Burlingame
- great park for kids around 2-5 yrs. of age, small climbing structures for beginners, big kid swings, and medium sized slides.
Central Park: Located on E. 5th Ave. and El Camino in San Mateo
- well suited for children over the age of 5 with high climbing structues and slides, fun fish pond are with bridges and stairs to negotiate, lots of grass and pathway to run or bike ride
Magic Mountain Park at Coyote Point: 1961 Coyote Point Dr. in San Mateo
- newly rennovated park with a couple different playgrounds for younger and older children, $5 entry fee on most days
Ryder Park: 1801 J Hart Clinton Dr. San Mateo
Totland Park: McGee Ave&Virginia St. Berkely
Walter Haas Playground: Diamond Heights Blvd San Francisco
- diverse equipment, soft padding on the ground, also a dog park if you want to bring the dog along
Sunnyside Playground: off Mangels Ave. in San Francisco
- recently refurbished, soft padded ground, platform swings good for swinging in a variety of positions including sitting, kneeling, standing
Peter Loftus Park: 477 Lincoln Circle, Millbrae, CA
Stafford Park: Hopkins Ave. Redwood City
- fun park with different surfaces that promote balance grass, sand, and tanbark, water play for hot days, large grass area for picnic
For other potential parks visit:
Bay Area Playgrounds 
