Chances are, if you ask my kids which playground they’d like to go to, the answer will be “Summit Park.”
Summit Park, the Blue Ash gem that boasts a state-of-the-art playground, Great Lawn, year-round activities, bike trail and a dog park. Summit Park, with its newly-added restaurants and outdoor dining spaces. Summit Park, which is currently under construction with a 150-foot-tall Observation Tower, hiking trails, sledding hill and nature playscape.
But to my kids, Summit Park’s Playground is, and will always be, the park with their very favorite playground.
Summit Park’s Playground looks like something out of a child’s imagination: bright, green astroturf, vivid blue and bold red ground, orange and green equipment. (You know the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy opens the door to Oz? Summit Park’s bright color scheme feels like that; it’s somehow more bold and vivid than the rest of Cincinnati.)
There are rolling hills of turf where kids can slide and run. There are slides of different shapes and sizes, a giant see-saw with four seats, simple machines with interactive knobs and levers for pulling and spinning.
My kids’ favorite thing to do at Summit Park’s Playground is climb. There are ropes everywhere, overlapping and inviting kids to climb, hang and swing. There are rope bridges and rope ladders, and kids can do all the climbing and jumping they want. (The squishy ground and astroturf provide a safe place for exploration.)
Every time we go to Summit Park Playground, my kids have a blast. During the summer, we frequently pack a lunch so we can stay and play even longer (and now there are even more seating options at Summit for your family’s outdoor picnics!), and this summer has been no different.
Summit Park is located at 4335 Glendale-Milford Road in Blue Ash. A few important dates to note: the weekly Farmers Market is held every Wednesday and Red, White and Blue Ash event is July 4th. More events and information can be found at the Summit Park Facebook page.