Eagle River Playground

 It was a super sunny day, but a cool breeze was blowing.  I only saw a couple of other skedaddlers today at the Eagle River Playground.  There might have been more, but there were many other parents and children there.  I told another mother that I should wear a sign on my back or hold a flag like a tour conductor.  Ideas?

 My boys ran after sea gulls, chased other kids and rested on the "hammocks".  Other kids enjoyed ride after ride on the safe merry-go-round as parents tried not to get sick from the spinning.

I must say that this is a great playground with lots of areas to play.  They have something for everyone and it is big.  My only problem is keeping track of the kids.  I am not used to the large area for them to run and it seemed that I was always looking for them.  Next time, I will dress them in neon or attach a GPS to their wrist for easy location. 

Carlson Park

 The weather took a little turn to the chilly this morning. Kids had on winter jackets and parents used mittens stuffed long ago into pockets.  As usual, the children ran wild and kept warm! 

 The older children had a lot of fun on the toddler pouring structure.  They all used the pulleys and lifted animals, fish and good guys out of the water.  I love how they all imagine something different, yet played together!

 One smart mama brought bubbles and a bubble gun - great investment.

 He was quite a character wielding the bubble gun.

 Here is a wide view of the playground - it is perfect if you have a climber.  There are many different methods for climbing and a nice soft wood chip base.

 Another item not seen since elementary school - a parachute!  Such fun on a playground, just avoid the wet spots.

 This group of boys seemed almost ready to veer towards Lord of the Flies, but they included other children and played so well together.

 All in all, it was a great day.  I am so glad that so many parents brought out their kids even though it wasn't as warm as yesterday.  Next week, make the trek out to Eagle River.  This is an amazing playground!

Natural Playgrounds

I received a wonderful book as a gift, The Geography of Childhood.  Just one chapter in and I am even more excited, energetic and enthused about children and nature.  The section I read in the dark after the boys fell asleep told about taking children to amazing panoramic scenes only to have them happily digging in the dirt at your feet.  I just wanted to call the authors and say, "Exactly!" 

It also touched on the benefits of letting children explore, scrape their knees and test themselves.  The best place for this is not the "domesticated" (their word) playground made of plastic.  They point to nature and the amazing natural playscapes.  Now, I am sure that our town needs a natural playground.  Just look at these pictures for inspiration.  What about Kincaid Park, Campbell Creek Science Center or even Baxter Bog?

On our last hike with the Taiga Trekkers, the children wandered into the Boy Scout Rock area of McHugh Creek.  I was fascinated watching them scale the rocks, hide under trees and poke the dirt with sticks.  No plastic, no safety netting and completely happy children.  At skedaddle, the kids start on the playground but almost always end up in the trees!

Would you like to see a natural playscape in Anchorage?  Is this unnecessary as we have access to so many natural areas?  I would love to hear your opinions!

Nunaka Valley North

The kids all had on their rain suits for the playground, but it was oddly dry for once.  It did protect them from leftovers from the geese that must have been there before us... 

 This playground has a great trolley car that kids can use to ferry them from one side to the other. It is the highlight of the park.  The swings are also a bit hit.  It was so nice to see them forming a line and waiting for their turn!

Here you can see the Oaki rain suit in blue and the Tuffo on right in yellow.  They both are popular options, but the Oaki seems to be a bit more waterproof. 

The boys had a fantastic time playing in the "tree house".  It is a great tree with a center area perfect for climbing and the imagination. 

I think we had 18 kids playing at the park today.  Lots of sun and happy parents.  I left one family on the playground as we headed out well after noon.  The children seemed to have endless energy on this finally spring day!

I hope you join us next week.  If you have any questions, please let me know!  

akskedaddle at gmail dot com

Anchorage Park Foundation

I first found the Anchorage Park Foundation trying to find different playgrounds for skedaddle.  This is an amazing non-profit with a mission of "building Healthy Parks and Healthy People".  This is the group behind fixing the tennis courts, patching bike trails, sprucing up our playgrounds and much more.

The APF's website has a great listing of our city's parks.  With a click, you can see the location of the park and some basic information.  This was how I discovered some of skedaddle's favorite playgrounds. 

The APF also created a free mobile app for those of you with smart phones. You can find parks close to your location and send feedback.  You can take pictures of needed repairs, graffiti or unsafe areas.  The communications director at APF receives this pictures and then sends work orders to the appropriate agency.  Instead of just waiting for your child's favorite swing to be repaired, you can snap a picture and see results.  

One child not excited about having to stop shoveling mulch for a photo

You can find out about their upcoming projects such as the polar bear at Russian Jack, the all-access playground near the Loussac Library and the new Campbell Creek playground.  The APF is asking for help with their six main park fix-its this summer.

What child wouldn't love helping shovel this huge mound of dirt?

Skedaddle is trying to get a group to help!  Last summer, my family had a great time at the Cuddy Center fix-it.  My boys played in the dirt, helped dig out bushes and learned to push a wheel barrow.  The APF brings all the necessary equipment and direction (if you have child sized shovels I suggest bringing them though).  You just need to show up, have fun and help out as you can.  They even provide lunch and water! 

The children looking at the map of the coming playground

Here are the dates for the 2013 Fix-its

• Elderberry Park: June 29th
• Scenic Park: July 13th
• Fairview Lions Park: July 20th
• Arctic Benson Park: July 27th
• Campbell Park: August 3rd

I would love for our skedaddle crew to help out at Scenic Park and Campbell Park (at least)! If you have any questions, please let me know! 

 

Alderwood Park

 Alderwood playground on Government Hill is a must see for any train lovers.  (Turn right at the first stop light and then right on Dogwood) .There are about 5 train cars that you can crawl through, have a picnic in or even drive.  There is a little train station as well. 

 Older children enjoyed jumping off of the train, saying "The train is late" or climbing over the top (not recommended).  Younger kids loved running up and down the ramp, pushing the controls on the train station and throwing the little rocks.

 You had to be prepared for everything today!  There were leaves, puddles, knee deep snow and wind.  On my way home, a few flakes hit the windshield. It seems that most people are dressing their kiddos in a rainsuit for the outer layer and then piling on fleece and thermals underneath. 

 This playground also has swings (big and little kid).  It is fun to see friendships between the children developing.  They run and say "Hi!" and give hugs.  Of course, the parents all enjoy the adult conversation between redirecting our children.  Thank you for coming out on this not so fabulous spring day to play with us! 

Weekend Outing Idea - Potter Marsh

We joined the Trekkers for a wander along the Potter Marsh boardwalk.  This is a great place to take the children as the boardwalk is well fenced, easy for toddlers to walk on and there are little off shoots to explore.  This is a perfect time to visit as you might get to see a flock of the snow geese.  Our group also spotted a moose, eagles and some sand hill cranes.

Suggestions:
1.  Dress warmer than you expect as there typically is a breeze off of the inlet.
2.  Bring snacks.  From the parking lot, go away from the highway and to the end of the boardwalk.  There is a great area with benches and a podium type stand.  Perfect for a picnic!
3.  Bring binoculars for you and the children.
4.  Let the children bring a camera and "take pictures" of the wildlife.  (Bring yours too as there are great pictures to be had here.)
5.  Try to be respectful of the adult bird watchers.  The geese didn't mind our troop of loud children, but serious "birders" might be offended!
6.  If you don't see the geese at first, try and stay a bit as they tend to come and go. 
7.  There also is a fun little wooded area over a little bridge behind the restrooms.  You can walk along a path, turn right and it leads you back to the boardwalk.