This playground - one of two in Stout Park - is located in the northeast corner of the park and is designed for younger children. It features a small play structure, low-to-the-ground monkey bars, two toddler swings, and a little play house. The play surface is wood chips and the play area is fully enclosed (and opens to the rest of Stout Park). There are a few benches and the area is heavily shaded by large trees.
The playground at Stars & Stripes Park is a wonderful playground tucked in a quiet park. It features a large rope climbing structure, a play structure with a variety of slides and climbing elements, the standard set of swings, and a small water feature. The playground is on the western side of the park and is quiet and features views of the nearby train line. There are benches and a little shade but the play area is bright and sunny. The play surface is soft rubber and the water feature and the play structure are both somewhat accessible to people using wheelchairs. The playground opens to the rest of the park but is fully enclosed from the street. All in all, this is a standard Chicago Park playground in the best sense of the phrase and is worth checking out.
The playground at Ellen Gates Starr Park is a nice playground with a water spray feature. The play structure is moderate in size and features a few slides and a few overhead elements. There are are a few standalone elements, a set of swings, and a "triple shower sprayer" water spray feature. Aside from the play elements, this site includes a drinking fountain, a few benches, and a few trees providing some shade. The play surface is wood chips and the play area is fenced from the street but not fully enclosed.
Stanton Park contains a wonderful and sprawling playground featuring a huge variety of elements and some great amenities. There is a smaller structure for younger children, two net climbing elements, and a huge play structure for older children that sprawls on the ground and towers vertically. There is also an above average selection of swings and a small water spray feature.
In my opinion, the location is both odd and wonderful - the playground is located in the middle of Stanton Park near the Skinner Classical School and the large fieldhouse/natatorium making the location surprising quiet and removed from traffic. The play site opens directly to the rest of the park (i.e. isn't fenced in) and the play surface is wood chips. The north end of the playground is fairly shady while the south end is quiet sunny (though large umbrellas over some picnic tables provide some shade).
All in all, this is a wonderful playground and definitely worth a visit; highly recommend.
The playground in Spruce Park is a quiet and shady playground with play equipment designed for a variety of children. The main play structure is somewhat sprawling and features a variety of elements including slides and climbing features. It is pretty low to the ground except for one for one section accessible only by some difficult climbing elements; this keeps the area safe for younger children while also challenging for older climbers. There are also a few natural elements: rocks for climbing, a fake hollow log, and an acorn seat.
The play area is heavily shaded by large, mature trees. The main play surface is wood chips and the area is fenced from the street but not fully enclosed. There are a few benches and a drinking fountain near the play area.
Renovated in 2015, this playground is the centerpiece of tiny Spikings Farm Park. This structure is made by Kompan and features a few slides and climbing features as well as the standard set of swings. The play area is fully enclosed and the main play surface is wood chips. There are a few benches and a drinking fountain near the entrance of this bright and sunny park.
The South Lakeview Park playground features a solid array of elements separated into areas for younger and older children. These two play structures are modern and feature a variety of equipment; there is also a dinosaur play structure, a see-saw, and a variety of swings. The play surface is well-loved soft rubber and there are several benches and picnic tables for seating.
This small neighborhood pocket park features a solid playground and water spray feature. There is a single play structure of moderate size, a set of swings with the standard swings, and a spinning saucer. The water feature is a standard - four sprayer from the ground in a circle. The play area is fully enclosed with a bench and a drinking fountain. All in all, this is standard neighborhood playground in the best sense of the term.
The playground takes up the entirety of Snapping Turtle Park and offers a large play structure with two slides and some unique climbing elements. There is also a small set of swings at the back of the site. The playground is fully enclosed and the main play surface is wood chips. There are a few benches and a drinking fountain as well as some large trees that provide some shade.
The playground is Wendell Smith Park is located in the southeast corner of the site and features some interesting and non-traditional play elements. There isn't a single, large structure with multiple platforms and ladders; rather there is a collection of climbing and traversing elements arranged near each other. There are also a few standalone elements and the standard set of Chicago Park swings: toddler, adaptive, and belt seat. The playground itself is somewhat shaded by large trees and has a few benches for seating. The play area is fenced from the street and the play surface is wood chips.
Smith Park features a wonderful playground and water spray feature on the eastern side of the park. There is a large and sprawling play structure, another structure for younger children, a huge set of swings, and a small water spray feature. The equipment is somewhat dated but generally well maintained with a variety of slides and climbing features. The amenities are also solid: benches and picnic tables, a soft rubber play surface, a small water spray feature, access to bathrooms via the fieldhouse off Grand Ave, and some decent shade make this a great place to spend a day. Highly recommend.
This large playground is located on the east side of Skinner Park and and features a water spray feature, an area for younger children, a huge area for older children, and the normal variety of swings. The area designed for older children is particularly large and there are several mosaics and a large climbing animal (a dragon!) that make this playground stand out from others. There are benches and a few picnic tables in the fully enclosed play area and the play surface is soft rubber.
Sintic Park is a small neighborhood park consisting entirely of a large playground. There is a large play structure with a few slides. Connected to that structure, there are overhead and traversing elements for older children. There is also a smaller structure for younger children as well as a few standalone elements. Lastly, there is a standard set of swings (toddler, adaptive, and belt seat). The playground is also pretty standard in terms of amenities: the play surface is wood chips and there isn't much shade. Low perimeter walls provide some seating but there aren't benches or picnic tables for actual seating - though there is a drinking fountain. All in all, this is a pretty standard Chicago playground - not that that's a bad thing.
The playground at Simons Park features a variety of swings (toddler, molded bucket, belt, and tire) and a large play structure with a wood chip base. There is also a standard water spray feature next to the playground as well as a few benches and a drinking fountain in the play area.
The playground in Sherwood Park is located on northeast corner of the park and features and area for older children, an area for younger children, and a water spray area. The larger area for older children features an accessible play structure with a few slides and climbing elements as well as some swings. The smaller area features, appropriately, a smaller play structure with a few toddler swings. And the water spray feature is a set of large, multicolored tubes in a separate area. The play area is fenced but not fully enclosed and the play surface is soft rubber. However, during my visit in 2022 and according to years of previous streetview images from Google, this rubber surface is in poor condition and needs to be replaced. In total, the playground equipment and structures are interesting but the playground surface needs attention.
This small playground - one of three in Sherman Park - is located on the east side of the park near Racine Ave. It features a single play structure with a variety of slides and climbing elements and is one of the few playgrounds without any swings. The play area is not fully enclosed but is fenced from both streets. The play surface is wood chips and large trees provide some shade throughout the day.
This playground - one of three in Sherman Park - includes the standard set of swings and a large play structure. The play structure includes a variety of elements including large curving slides and a few variations on monkey bars. The play area is fenced from the streets but not fully enclosed and the surface is wood chips. There aren't any benches but the low perimeter walls allow for some seating and nearby trees provide for some shade.
This playground - one of three in Sherman Park - is located in the northwest corner of the park. It features two play structures and some swings. There are also plenty of benches and a few trees in the area and, according to maps, there is a water spray feature as well.
* Note: when I visited (2022-04) the water feature was under construction and the playground needed some repairs. I plan to revisit.*
Sheridan Park is a large park with many active recreation options and a nice playground located near the southwest corner. This playground is named the Joseph M. Esposito Playground after a police officer and community leader in the Little Italy neighborhood. The play area is fully enclosed and features a soft rubber play surface. There are two play structures - both are relatively small and would be suitable for younger elementary school ages children. There are a few benches and the amenities of Sheridan Park - including bathrooms and drinking fountains in the field house - are nearby. All in all, this is a nice playground in a great setting; highly recommend.
Sheil Playground is a tiny playground on the busy Southport corridor with a strong baseball theme that features the Cubs logo and a chalkboard replica of the iconic green scoreboard. A new playground - consisting primarily of large, red metal arches - provides climbing structures as well as a smaller area for younger children. The play area is completely enclosed and features several benches and picnic tables.
Shedd Park features a solid playground and water spray feature. The playground consists of a large, sprawling play structure for older children and a set of smaller equipment with a fire truck theme. There is also a variety of swings at Shedd Park: toddler, adaptive, belt seat, and tire. The water spray feature is a pair of "snake sprayers." The playground gets some shade from nearby trees and there are a few benches for seating. The nearby fieldhouse provides access to bathrooms (when open) and the park features views of trains. All in all, this is a solid neighborhood playground.
The playground at Shabbona Park is a large and sprawling set of elements diverse enough to appeal to a wide range of kids. There is a large play structure - accessible via a ramp - with two levels of play elements. There is a smaller structure for younger children, a large 'musical bar', and a large set of swings. There is also a water spray feature just south of the playground.
The nearby fieldhouse provides access to bathrooms (when open) and there is a drinking fountain, picnic tables, and benches near the play area. The play surface is soft rubber and while the play area is not enclosed, it is set back from any street and the nearby parking lot. All in all, this is a great playground; highly recommend.
Renovated in 2022, the playground at Seward Park features two large and unique structures. One of the structures is a large, mostly spherical rope/net climbing structure with a few black belt patches in the interior and a few climbing and spinning elements connected. The other structure - vaguely reminiscent of the John Hancock Tower - is a large rectangular with a variety of ladders and climbing elements on lower half of the exterior and some climbing paths on the inside that lead to a large double straight slide and a massive 'double twisting corkscrew' slide. There are also two belt seat swings and a hammock style saucer swing and a small abstract play thing as the final elements of this playground.
The play area is tucked in a relatively quiet corner of Seward Park but is not fully enclosed from the streets or rest of the park. The area is heavily shaded by large trees and the play surface is wood chips. Strangely, although there are benches in many other parts of the park, there is no seating near the playground itself. The nearby Seward Park fieldhouse should provide access to bathrooms (when the building is open). Despite the lack of seating, this is a great playground and definitely worth checking out.
This large playground is tucked away on a quiet side street and contains an area for younger children, an area for older children, and a gentle spray water feature. The area for smaller children includes toddler swings, a four person see-saw, a clubhouse, and a small play structure. The area for older children includes a much larger play structure with a long, curved tube slide. There is also a large climbing net, a spinning feature, and the standard set of swings. The water feature is on during the summer months and offers a gentle mist. The surface is soft rubber and there are few benches and grassy areas. This playground is definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.
