Located in the middle of Wentworth Park, on the east side, is a great playground and water spray feature. The playground includes two structures - a moderate sized structure for younger children and a large, sprawling structure for older children. The larger structure features a variety of climbing elements and slides and is partially accessible via a ramp. There is a set of swings with the standard options (toddler, adaptive, and belt seat) as well as a 'triple shower' water spray feature. The playground is fenced from the street and the rest of the park but is not fully enclosed. There are benches and a drinking fountain near the play area with the nearby fieldhouse providing access to bathrooms (when open). The play surface is soft rubber and although there are trees near the playground, the playground itself is bright and sunny. All in all this is a great playground; highly recommend.
Wendt Park is a tiny neighborhood pocket park with a sandbox, swing set, and moderately sized play structure. The play structure includes a few climbing elements, slides, and a set of monkey bars. The play space is fully enclosed and the main play surface is wood chips. There are a few benches for seating and the site is shaded by trees and neighboring buildings. A great space for younger children; highly recommend.
The playground at Welles Park is amazing. It features two traditional play structures as well as large rope/net climbing structure, a spinning conical net element, two large sets of swings, and a water spray feature. The two traditional play structures are next to each other; one is smaller and designed for younger children and the other is much larger and features more challenging climbing and overhead elements and steeper slides. The larger one is also accessible via a ramp off the soft rubber surface that covers this area of the playground. The large rope/net climbing structure is hard to describe but is massive and offers a variety of potential play actions. The two sets of swings contains the standard varieties of park district swings. The water spray feature isn't too intense and offers and gentle spray.
The play area is fully enclosed and set off the nearby streets. The surface inside the area is a combination of soft rubber, woodchips, and cement though there is a grassy perimeter and the grassy expanses of the rest of Welles Park beyond. There are several benches and picnic tables within the playground space and the nearby park district building provides bathroom access when it is open. There are several large trees that provide some shade to different areas throughout the day. Given these amenities and it's location, this playground can be busy at times but is definitely a solid playground destination.
[Aside: the newish Nature Play Area near the southwest corner of the park is also worth checking out!]
Weisman Park has a great playground, wonderful water spray feature, and lots of seating and shade. There are two main structures at this playground - one small structure for very young children and another structure that is larger and for older children. There is also the standard set of Chicago Park swings (toddler, adaptive, and belt seat), a small playhouse, and a four person see-saw. The water spray area is also excellent: a triple water sprayer, a "loch ness mister", and water jets from a mosaic covered wall. The play area is fully enclosed and the main play surface is soft rubber. There are several picnic tables and benches for seating and the site offers some shade. All in all, this is a wonderful playground; highly recommend.
This small playground is located in Washtenaw Park and features a large play structure suitable for older children, a few standalone elements, and a simple water spray feature. The play area is fenced but not fully enclosed and the play area is sunny with wood chips as the main play surface.
This tiny playground is tucked between two large buildings and features equipment designed for younger children. The main play structure is accessible via a ramp a features a variety of slides and climbing elements. There is a swing set in the back of the playground with the standard offering of swings. There are a few benches and a picnic table in the fully enclosed play space (with a soft rubberized surface). This playground also features a very unique play caterpillar.
The playground in Harold Washington Park has a lot to offer. There are two large play structures - one more traditional with slides and steps and the other less traditional with a large rope/net climbing element. There are also two sets of swings including toddler swings, molded bucket swings with a harness, belt seat swings, and a hammock swing with a spider web seat. There is also a water spray feature and a large sand play area. Aside from the sand area, the main surface is wood chips and the play area is fully enclosed. There are mature trees, benches, and picnic tables providing shade and places to sit and eat.
This playground - one of four in Washington Park - is located just of the Washington Park pool and is a wonderful space. The playground is quite large with multiple areas full of equipment: an open area with 'animals on springs', a sprawling and accessible play structure for younger children, a more standard structure for older children, a non-traditional set of climbing elements, swings, and a water spray feature. All in all, great play elements.
The non-play elements are also high quality. The play area is fully enclosed and is shaded by large and beautiful trees. There are benches and small picnic/game tables for seating and the pavement itself is designed and imprinted with quotes and other graphics The play surface is soft rubber and the nearby pool facilities should provide access to bathrooms (when open).
Really great playground - highly recommend.
This playground - one of four in Washington Park - is located on the east side of the park just north of 55th street. It features a large and sprawling play structure with a variety of swings. The structure is pretty standard and offers lots of standard play elements (slides, climbing elements, monkey bars) and overall works quite well. There are swings - toddler, adaptive, belt seat, and a tire swing - as well as a few small standalone elements. The amenities are just the basics: a few wooden benches and a play surface of wood chips. Nearby trees provide some shade but the playground itself is bright and sunny.
This playground - one of four in Washington Park - was renovated in 2022 and is a wonderful playground. It includes a single large play structure, a large set of swings, a few standalone elements, and a water spray feature. The structure has a nature theme and features a variety of slides and climbing elements. The swing set includes the standard swings: toddler, adaptive, and belt seat. The swing set also includes two 'double swings' - one with two belt seats and one with a belt seat and a toddler seat. The standalone alone elements include some interesting musical elements and the water spray element is a 'loch ness mister' and an spray element shaped like a flower.
The entire area is enclosed and features nice amenities like benches, picnic tables, a drinking fountain (with a bottle filler!), and a bike rack. Washington Park is a beautiful setting and the area is surrounded by tall trees; these trees provide some shade but the play area is also quite open and sunny. All in all, this is a great playground and worth checking out - highly recommend.
This playground - one of four in Washington Park - has a solid play structure and would be improved with additional amenities. The play structure is a single, sprawling structure with lots of options: slides, climbing elements, monkey bars, an overhead slider, etc. There are also two sets of swings with the standard Chicago Park options: toddler, adaptive, and belt seat. The play surface is wood chips and - although there are some fences to create a sense of space - and the area is surrounded by beautiful trees. However, other basic amenities - benches, picnic tables, drinking fountains - are lacking; adding these would greatly improve the site.
The small playground at Dinah Washington Park features two play structures and a standard set of swings. The play structures - one for older children and one for younger - both feature slides, climbing elements, and traversing elements. The swings are the standard park variety: toddler, belt seat, and molded plastic.
The park has a bench, a drinking fountain, and a few large trees for shade. The play area is not fully enclosed but it is fenced from the street and the play surface is wood chips.
This playground - one of three in Warren Park - is located on the northeast corner of the park and is quite quiet and off the beaten path. There is a small area for younger children, and larger area for older children, and a few swings. This playground has a small nature theme with a unique "leaf ladder" and a dragonfly see-saw. The play surface is wood chips and there are a few benches as well as picnic tables in the nearby shelter.
This playground - one of three in Warren Park - is located on the northwest corner of the park near the intersection of Western and Pratt. This playground features a standard size main structure featuring a few slides, several connected elements that can be traversed, and a few standalone elements in addition to the standard variety of swings. The surface is wood chips and it is located next to a small shelter that provides some shade and a few chess tables.
This playground - one of three in Warren Park - is located in the southwest corner of the park. This playground features a large play structure with a variety of slides and climbing elements. There are also toddler swings, an adaptive swing, belt seat swings, and a tire swing in the area. The play area is fenced from the street and from the rest of the park and is shaded by large trees. The play surface is wood chips and there are a few benches and a low perimeter wall for some seating.
The playground at Montgomery Ward Park is a gem. There are two traditional play structures. The smaller structure is quite small for younger children and the larger structure is designed for older children but is still rather low to the ground and safe for younger climbers. There are also two large, standalone rope net climbing elements on either side of the park. Lastly, there is a large set of standard swings, a rail slide built into terrain of the park, and a few standalone elements. Oh - there is also a water spray feature: a triple overhead sprayer.
The amenities of this playground are solid too. The play area is fully enclosed and the surface is soft rubber. There are picnic tables (under shade umbrellas!) and many small, concrete cubes that can be used for seating (though, strangely, no benches that I can recall). The playground is bright and sunny without much shade though there are lots of trees in the grassy areas surround the playground. All in all, this is great playground; highly recommend.
Tucked beside the Metra Track off a quiet side street, this small playground is the only feature in Chi Che Wang Park. Surrounded by a large grassy space without trees or athletic fields, this playground features a soft rubberized surface and smaller elements best suited for younger children. There are some unique climbing animals (an elephant and gorilla) and the standard offerings of swings. The large, open grassy area and the relative quiet - broken only by a passing Metra Train - are the defining features of this playground.
The playground at Walsh Park is a great playground that has two wonderful and unique structures. There is a huge play structure consisting of two towers that are connected by a fully enclosed rope net bridge. The climbing elements are all inside the towers and each tower has a large curving tube slide so while there is no chance of a high fall from the tall structures, it still takes courage to climb and cross them (for child and for parent!). The second structure is harder to describe but resembles a dome with rope netting on the exterior with a variety of climbing elements inside. This is slightly smaller but still a challenging elements for kids who like to climb. Finally, there are some swings (toddler, adaptive, and hammock-style saucer swings), a small curving climbing wall, and a unique pipe drum musical element.
There is also a water spray feature in this playground! Small jets of water spout from the ground for a duration of time after a button is pressed. This water feature is quite integrated into the play area (i.e. hard to keep kids away) so probably good to plan accordingly.
This playground is located at the eastern end of the 606 trail and despite it's central location actually seems quite removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. That being said, it's also a very popular playground that is used by school and camps groups so it can get crowded. The play area is not fully enclosed but it is fenced from the street. There are large, flat rocks set around the area as benches as well as two picnic tables for seating. The play area itself is bright and open though there are trees dotting the area for some shade and the play surface is wood chips.
All in all, this is a great playground - especially for somewhat older children - and definitely a worthwhile destination.
Ruiz Park - formerly Walnut Park - features a playground that was renovated in 2015 that includes a single play structure and small set of swings. The play structure includes a few slides, a variety of climbing elements, and a variation on monkey bars. The swings includes toddler, adaptive, and belt seat varieties. There is a standalone metal ring climber and a somewhat unique dragonfly see-saw.
The play area is covered with wood chips and the play area is fenced from the streets but is not fully enclosed. There are a few trees in the park as well as a few benches but the playground itself is bright and sunny.
Wallace Park contains a non-traditional playground and very traditional water spray feature. The playground is not a typical play structure and slides - and there aren't even traditional swings at this park! Instead, there is a collection of rope and net climbing elements, two saucer swings, and a collection of rope/net traverse elements. The water spray feature - on the other hand - is a very traditional 'four sprayer'. The play area is fenced from the street and the play surface is wood chips. There are a few benches for seating and trees for shade. All in all, this is an interesting playground.
Wagner Park - oddly separated into two separate sections by a parking lot - contains a small playground and water spray feature on the western side near 51st and Morgan. This playground includes a small play structure for younger children and a larger collection of elements for older children. There are a few types of swings - toddler, adaptive, belt seat, and saucer - and a small "four sprayer" water spray feature. The play area is fully enclosed and the play surface is wood chips. There are a few benches and trees but the playground is bright and sunny most of the time.
Vogle Park is a small, quiet, shady park with a great playground. There are two standalone elements - a climbing wall with voids and a spinning element - and a large play structure with a few slides and other climbing elements. Lastly, there is a set of the standard Chicago Park swings: toddler, adaptive, belt seat. The non-play features are playground classics - wood chips, wooden benches, and lots of shade - and the play area is fully enclosed. All in all, this is a great neighborhood playground.
Vittum Park is a large neighborhood park with many different athletic fields, a playground, and a water spray feature. The playground was renovated in 2015 and features two play structures - a smaller one for younger children and a larger one for older children - as well as a set of standard Chicago Park swings. The water spray feature is a 'loch ness mister' and an overhead spray element. All the equipment is very nice and well-maintained.
The setting and non-play elements are very solid. There are large, mature trees surrounding the site and a few benches and picnic tables for seating. The nearby fieldhouse provides access to bathrooms (when open). The play area is fenced from the street but not enclosed and opens directly into the rest of the spacious park. All in all, this is a great park and playground; highly recommend.
Violet Park is a small neighborhood park with a large playground structure, two sets of swings, and a water spray feature. The playground structure is quite large and contains a few slides, climbing elements, overhead elements, and traversing elements. The swings sets are standard for Chicago parks and the water feature is a standard 'four sprayer.' Large trees on the west side of the play area provide some shade and there are also a few benches for comfort. The play surface is wood chips and the play area is fenced from the street but not fully enclosed.
