Spring is here and kids have energy to burn! The days are getting longer and it’s a perfect time to revisit your favorite local playground or try out a new one. Below are some of our favorites – what are yours?
Veteran’s Park, Edgewater – This waterfront playground is very clean and offers bathrooms, a walking and biking loop, and a spray park in the warmer months. There is plenty of parking and the waterfront connects to the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. We like spending an afternoon here and bringing our blanket for a picnic in the grass (especially if we pick up lobster rolls from Jack’s across the street!) or grab one of the picnic tables.
Ross Dock Picnic Area, Fort Lee – One of our favorite activities to do in the summer is to visit the playground here and then walk the riverfront trail to the Englewood Picnic Area of the Palisades Interstate Park for lunch or an early dinner at the Snack Shack. Seriously, they are the best burgers in NJ and they also have great fruit slushies.Ross Dock has benches and picnic tables, clean bathrooms and grills available although they do get crowded.There is a fee to park ($5) in the summer months and a concession counter open on the weekends. The playground has a section for bigger kids and younger kids and a nice view of the river.
Wood Park, Leonia – This playground is really 3 locations in 1 located near the library.There is parking but the lot can fill up. You can always park on the street near the recreation center and walk behind the building to the park. There are bathrooms here and a basketball court and fields surround the playground.Seating is limited but there is a pretty large grass area. There is a fenced in small playground for younger kids that my son loves and he doesn’t get overwhelmed by bigger kids, but is still nearby the larger playground structure.
Votee Park, Teaneck – This park contains 3 playgrounds and two splash parks, along with sports fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, a walking path and workout area. We visit the largest playground quite a bit as there are always other kids there to play with, and mine are always looking for new friends for a game of tag. Seating is somewhat limited – there are benches inside the playground and some picnic tables under a pavilion but they are usually in use. There are no bathrooms nearby the playground but there are several porta-potties available.There is a small parking lot and street parking nearby.
Overpeck Park, Leonia/Teaneck – My kids love the playground here near the soccer fields in the “new” Overpeck. It’s large and has two sections, one for smaller kids and one for bigger kids. Like many of those listed here, however, it’s not fenced in and it can be hard to keep an eye on fast moving kiddos because it’s so large. It does have some fun, unique features such as climbing “webs” and spinning tops.There is lots of parking and benches around, but it is usually pretty busy so not always easy to find seating.There are clean bathrooms located a short walk away at the other end of the parking lot. There are lots of paved paths here that are great for biking, walking, scooters and roller skating. After visiting the playground, we also like to visit the section of park across the street.While there is no playground there the loop is great for biking and the large grass space is perfect for kite flying or a family game of soccer.
Froggy Park, Tenafly – Sometimes you aren’t looking for the largest playground with a lot of new playmates. This low-key playground has a cool ship structure to play on as well as sand features and is completely fenced in making it a great place for kids to play without parents having to worry about losing sight of their little ones. There is street parking but no bathroom facilities.
