A shady and small park, Zatterberg Park features two play structures, a small set of swings, and a few standalone elements. Both play structures are somewhat minimal and have a "tree house" aesthetic: no steering wheels or interactive panels but rather natural and arboreal structures with a play surface of wood chips. The narrow site is fully enclosed and features a few benches and a drinking fountain. Fitting the theme, the site is full of beautiful trees that provide wonderful shade. Highly recommend - especially on sunny days or for children who seek to play among the trees.
Wrightwood Park is a wonderful neighborhood park with some interesting - albeit dated - playground equipment. According to Google Street View, this equipment has been in place since at least 2007 (the earliest image available) so it's quite old by playground standards. The layout - one smaller structure for younger children, another for older kids, and two sets of swings - fits with other playground designs the equipment seems both well-loved and well-maintained.
The non-play amenities are solid. The play area is soft rubber and is fenced from the street. There are benches in the area and a set of picnic tables near the northeast corner of the park. There is a small fieldhouse that should provide access to the bathroom (when open).
All in all, this is a solid site with some interesting equipment.
This small playground features modern elements and a unique, serpentine fence with painted balusters that can spin. Named for Elizabeth Wood, the first Executive Director of the Chicago Housing Authority, this playground is situated near the site of the Lathrop Homes, one of the first public housing projects in Chicago. The play area is entirely enclosed and there are some modern concrete benches to match the modern aesthetic of the equipment.
This small and shady park features a variety of unique equipment. There are two areas with swings, another area designed for older children, and another area for younger children. The play area is large and consumes nearly the entire small site. The Metra tracks are immediately to the west of the playground and the passing of trains interrupts the general quiet of the neighborhood. The surface is wood chips and there are two benches.
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.
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 Unity Park is a huge asset to the Logan Square neighborhood. It features huge elements: a huge play structure for younger kids, a huge climbing net structure, a huge play structure for older children, and a huge water spray feature. The area for younger children is quite large and features a light nautical theme with a ship bow and mast. Older children could play on the large climbing net structure and the dedicated area with a variety of elements. And the nearby spray feature is massive and features four large overhead sprayers. There are also the standard variety of swings in this fully enclosed playground. The play surface is wood chips and there are a few benches and picnic tables scattered around this small park.
Those interested in history and/or wish to hear a catchy song should check out the audio documentary "Meet Me at Unity Playlot" by Long Haul Productions (available on SoundCloud here: https://soundcloud.com/longhaulpro/unity) because it tells the history of this park as well as features a song written about the park.
Supera Park is a super park! There are two play structures that are each designed to look like boats - complete with ship bow ladders and tall masts and sails. There are the standard set of swings as well as a sandbox. The play area is fully enclosed and the soft rubber play surface is shaded by large trees. There are benches and picnic tables for seating as well as a drinking fountain. A really great playground that is definitely worth checking out - highly recommend!
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.
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.
This small park features a playground with two play structures and a large set of swings. The smaller play structure is designed for younger children and the second, designed for older children, is much larger and features a few large slides and climbing elements. The swings are standard (toddler, adaptive, and belt seat) and there are a few standalone features to round out the playground equipment.
This small pocket park is tucked off the street and creates a somewhat cozy feeling. The play area is nearly completely enclosed and the main play surface is wood chips. There are a few benches and trees for seating and shade and there is a drinking fountain near the entrance. All in all, this is a solid neighborhood park.
Revere Park is a large park with a recently remodeled fieldhouse and a great playground. The playground is located on the east side of the park just south of the parking lot and is a fully enclosed soft surface playground. There are two structures, the standard set of swings, and plenty of seating with both benches and picnic tables.
The playground in tiny Privet Park takes up nearly the entire area of the park and yet packs in a large climbing structure for older children and a pair of toddler swings. There are two benches and a drinking fountain in the fully enclosed and somewhat shady play area and the play surface is wood chips.
Park West Park is a small pocket park with a great playground and tons of shade. There are two play structures in this fully enclosed play area - one for younger children and one for older - as well as the standard set of swings and a see-saw. The non-play amenities are solid; there is a drinking fountain, a picnic table, and benches. But the shade from the large, mature trees is a defining feature of this site. This is a wonderful park for younger kids on a bright and sunny day; highly recommend.
Park 535 is a tiny neighborhood pocket park with a playground designed for very young children. The equipment is extremely minimal - a set of toddler swings and a playhouse - though the play surface is soft rubber that is mounded and sculpted to create small hills and a little bridge. This also appears to be a "neighborhood toy" site with lots of equipment left in the park for communal use. The play area is fully enclosed with lots of shade and seating.
The site seems to replace a half block of W Wisconsin Street at Halsted (i.e. the park isn't on a standard lot but is instead a converted public plaza on the right of way). I think this location, the upscale neighborhood surrounding the park, and the small size combine to make this a very quaint and lovely park - highly recommend for younger (early walker to preschool) children.
Contrary to the name, you cannot actually view other parks when in Parkview Park. Interesting name aside, there is a great playground on the north end of the Parkview Park that includes two large play structures and a variety of swings. The smaller play structure is lower to the ground and features a number of interactive panels and small climbing elements. The larger structure consists of several platforms connected by various climbing and overhead elements. Completing the playground is a spinning, four seat merry-go-round and swings: toddler, tire, belt seat, and adaptive. The play area is fully enclosed and there are a few benches and a picnic table near the play area. There are also some large trees to provide moments of shade throughout the day.
Palmer Square Park is amazing and there is a small play area in the middle of the park that is part playground and part art installation. The playground is designed for younger children (under 5 years old) and is based on the book "The Velveteen Rabbit." The play area is somewhat linear and consists of four area connected by a walking path as well as a stepping stone path. One area is a raised stage with an audience of carved animals, the next is a little area with sculptural benches that look like tree stumps, the next is a flat area with a few pieces of equipment including a slide set into a small hill, and finally there is a small mound with two rabbit sculptures on top.
The setting within Palmer Square Park is great - the park is covered with trees and is part of the boulevard system so it's somehow calm and quiet while also being lively. There are a few benches and lots of trees making this a perfect spot to bring a blanket to share a book or a picnic in the shade.
This isn't not a traditional playground and will likely not entertain older children but this is a great spot for younger children; highly recommend.
The playground at Oz Park is a unique and wonderful space. Oz Park is named in honor of Lyman Frank Baum, the author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and features statues of characters from the universe. According to the Chicago Park district website, the name of this playground - "Dorothy's Playlot" - references both the main character from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" but also Dorothy Melamerson, a retired school teacher who donated money to park improvements.
The massive play structure is one of a few wooden play structures within the Chicago Park District and while it features slides and swings, the massive, meandering, multi-level wooden structure is clearly the main feature of this space. It contains stairs and bridges and outlooks that children can explore independently (some of the spaces are quite small for some adult bodies).
The play area is completely enclosed and heavily shaded by large trees. There are some benches and a small picnic table within the play area and additional picnic tables and a drinking fountain just outside one of the entrances. The play surface seems to be a soft rubber covered by artificial turf.
This playground is truly a destination playground; highly recommend.
Tucked in the middle of a residential block, Nelson Park is a tiny Chicago Park with a neighborhood playground. There is a single play structure with one slide that is connected to a variation of monkey bars as well as several traversing/climbing elements. This park also offers a variety of swing options: toddler, belt seat, and a tire swing. The play area is fully enclosed and is bright and sunny and the play surface is wood chips.
Renovated in 2015, the Mozart Park playground offers modern and well-maintained elements to a variety of users. There is a larger play structure for older children and a small structure for younger children in a play area covered with wood chips. There are a few benches in the area and it near both the Mozart Park field house and the Metra train line.
Monticello Park is a small neighborhood with a large play structure for older children. There are a few slides and a number of bridges and platforms in this park as well as the standard set of swings. The play area is fully enclosed and has a few benches and one drinking fountain. Trees on the eastern side of the playground provide some morning shade and the western side features a basketball court.
A small, neighborhood park with a very large climbing structure, a variety of swings, and a small play structure with a slide and other elements. Playground is fully enclosed off a quiet side street with ample benches and shade.
Martin Park contains a solid neighborhood playground. There is the standard set of swings (toddler, adaptive with harness, and belt seat) and a play structure with a few slides and climbing elements. The play area is fully enclosed and the play surface is wood chips. There is a bench and low perimeter walls provide additional informal seating. All in all, this is a solid neighborhood playground for younger children.