If you are a parent of little ones this summer, you might already have your weekends booked with BBQs and kids birthday parties, but if not, its always good to get out and explore somewhere new (and plan for the less packed weekends in the Fall and Winter).
Here's a list of some of my favorite outdoor spots to visit, from West to East, with playgrounds or not!
An obvious answer to parks around Philly, but even though this is doesn't have a playground and is geared towards historical tourists, its a GREAT spot to push a stroller. There are a several parking lots and wide open spaces and easy trails to push a stroller along. A very beautiful and pleasant walking experience! Plus, in the winter, its a sledding haven!
Norview Farm Park - King of Prussia
Home of Petrucci's Ice Cream, its a fun spot to visit. Its a real farm with goats, horses, chickens, etc. and even has a small toddler playground. Throw in ice cream, whats not to love?
Valley Creek Park - Malvern
Pretty park but grassy amphitheater, tennis courts, pavilions, walking trails, restrooms and a pretty interesting playground for older kids with a rope climb. Great option for picnics/a day out with older kiddos
Greentree Park - Paoli
A pretty standard playground set up, but nice facilities overall. Plus it has an old-school sandbox (covered now for shade) which you rarely see! One block over you can also take the trail into the woodland park as well.
McKaig Nature Center - Wayne
If you have a little explorer, this is a great neighborhood trail park. I'm a little biased here, a former board member, but its 90 acres of unspoiled woodlands with a great set of trails. Easy to bring kids along the main trail to explore the woods and creek!
Fenimore Woods - Wayne
Another personal addition because its close to my own home, but this is a fun park because it offers several things - a pavilion in the shade and a small "forest" of trees, a nice playground with 3 sections for babies, toddlers and big kids plus a large pond for fishing and a trail around to scope out the ducks, geese, turtles and giant koi.
Harford Park - Radnor
A dog park paradise. Its a grassy-hillside surrounded by woods, there are always dogs having the time of their lives. But its a large park, so other visitors can set up elsewhere and play with the pups as they want.
The Willows - Wayne
My personal favorite, this is an old Radnor estate with house, pond, trails, picnic benches, etc. Great spot for a picnic and they often have family-friendly events. Similar to this is Stoneleigh in Villanova.
Clem Macrone - Bryn Mawr
Extra large playground with newer materials. Fenced in play area with options for toddlers and bigger kids. Adjoining nice bathroom facilities too. Further into the park is a picnic area, baseball, tennis and basketball courts and lots of grassy and woodland areas to explore.
Ashbridge Park - Bryn Mawr
Extra large playground with new equipment and lots of interesting things to do (especially for older kids). Several climbing walls and a giant rope/bar climbing option plus lots of slides. Nice facilities. Very crowded on weekends but lots of space around!
Flatrock Park - Gladwyne
There is are SO many beautiful options around Gladwyne - Idlewild Farm Preserve, Saunders Woods and the extra long trail system there, the large Rolling Hill park, etc - but Flatrock is one of the few chances along Lower Merion to comfortably enjoy the Schuykill River. No playgrounds, but a great spot to picnic next to the river!
Linwood Park - Ardmore
A slightly different addition to the list- no playground and its rather small, but a great example of a community park. Really beautiful plantings and a nice green space. Not much to do other than visit, but a great example of a beautifully crafted community space.
Freedom Playground - Haverford
A fun and very different playground experience. Its wood- like an old school playground - but it looks like a series of castles and is a very different set up than the newer plastic swings-and-slides experience.
There are SO many more amazing parks, trails and playgrounds in the Main Line and greater Philly area. This is a very small sampling of them. If you have a great one, please share! If you are looking at a new neighborhood or visiting and want a recommendation, please reach out!
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