Simple Summer Vignette with a Bit of Whimsy
52 minutes ago
Friday, August 14, 2015
It was all because I saw a friend post the question on FB. She wanted to know of some fun and easy places to check out with her son since they were going into Children's Hospital and wanted to make a day of it. It made me stop and consider. I go into BCCH often enough, but I tend to go, get the appointment done, and head home. Get in, get done, get out, get home! But what if this time, I actually planned to make it worth while also? We were going down there for an appointment for Kai's Holter Monitor and that would only take half an hour, and I would have all of the kids with me, so why not make it fun?
I thought of Granville Island and then considered Steveston, but someone said they may not be very fun for kids. Just a lot of walking and stores. H'mm... maybe they were right. It's not like I was planning on buying things. The boys would get restless fast. But Once Upon A Time was filming again; maybe it would work out to see some of it in Steveston! (I was being hopeful for a fangirl moment!)
My sister in law mentioned the Terra Nova Adventure Park in Richmond instead. I'd seen the pictures before of her afternoon there and thought it sounded like fun, so I gratefully accepted her idea and printed out directions! There are the typical swings and slides, and spinning cups, but there is also a water feature (although the water wasn't on due to restrictions) and a rope obstacle course. Most cool was the tandem zipline and the 10m tall "tree house" with 4 platforms and slide, and the twisting slide build into the hill!
We arrived around noon, with a lunch, and didn't find it too busy. There were lots of people there, plus a birthday party and a daycamp group, but I didn't think it was too crowded for the kids. They were patient on the rope climb treehouse structure, and waited just fine for the ziplines. I did lose track of Rhys though, for a good few minutes. This made me a lot more nervous than when it happened at home! It happened when we were transitioning from the one playground (the "homestead") to the second (the "paddock") The Olders ran on ahead, but I was waiting to gather the Youngers, when I noticed that he wasn't with either group. It's a fearful moment when you are running between two places, knowing that you need to be quick, and you are trying to think of possible ideas. Could he have left the park, not knowing where we were? How many entrances were there to this park??? Did someone take him? Kai and I started to call his name when suddenly I thought I heard him. Yes! He had decided to climb back up the treehouse for another slide! I actually wanted to cry for the fear and then the relief!
Other than that moment, it is a great playground. Lots of things for the kids to do and for multiple age levels.
I was proud of the kids that made it up the tree house! They felt by the first tier that it was taller than they expected, so some climbed down, but I was so impressed with Rhys, Bryn and Abi for climbing it! I think in another year or two, Eden will do just fine. She struggled with the rope ladder.
Of course, Rhys climbing that ladder was so impressive! It turns out he isn't afraid of heights either! He went at his own pace and climbed with no problems!
The zipline was a lot of fun. But it's definitely not something that kids can do on their own. There needs to be an adult to help with the pushing and retrieving! I figured it was a good excuse for me to get active! (it wasn't easy trying to take photos while also pushing the kids along!)
What kid doesn't love to spin? There were the cups and the "spinnery" (that's the name given on the City of Richmond webpage!) to get dizzy on, which occupied my kids for a while.
My kids love to spin!
Rhys got a parachute man at the BBCH, so he dropped it from the treehouse (he didn't wait for me so I didn't get a good picture of it) and climbed a tree to drop it from.
It was a fun afternoon! My kids are already asking when we can go back, so I'll have to plan another trip again soon! There are the covered boardwalks over the slough and trials to discover still!
I thought of Granville Island and then considered Steveston, but someone said they may not be very fun for kids. Just a lot of walking and stores. H'mm... maybe they were right. It's not like I was planning on buying things. The boys would get restless fast. But Once Upon A Time was filming again; maybe it would work out to see some of it in Steveston! (I was being hopeful for a fangirl moment!)
My sister in law mentioned the Terra Nova Adventure Park in Richmond instead. I'd seen the pictures before of her afternoon there and thought it sounded like fun, so I gratefully accepted her idea and printed out directions! There are the typical swings and slides, and spinning cups, but there is also a water feature (although the water wasn't on due to restrictions) and a rope obstacle course. Most cool was the tandem zipline and the 10m tall "tree house" with 4 platforms and slide, and the twisting slide build into the hill!
We arrived around noon, with a lunch, and didn't find it too busy. There were lots of people there, plus a birthday party and a daycamp group, but I didn't think it was too crowded for the kids. They were patient on the rope climb treehouse structure, and waited just fine for the ziplines. I did lose track of Rhys though, for a good few minutes. This made me a lot more nervous than when it happened at home! It happened when we were transitioning from the one playground (the "homestead") to the second (the "paddock") The Olders ran on ahead, but I was waiting to gather the Youngers, when I noticed that he wasn't with either group. It's a fearful moment when you are running between two places, knowing that you need to be quick, and you are trying to think of possible ideas. Could he have left the park, not knowing where we were? How many entrances were there to this park??? Did someone take him? Kai and I started to call his name when suddenly I thought I heard him. Yes! He had decided to climb back up the treehouse for another slide! I actually wanted to cry for the fear and then the relief!
Other than that moment, it is a great playground. Lots of things for the kids to do and for multiple age levels.
I was proud of the kids that made it up the tree house! They felt by the first tier that it was taller than they expected, so some climbed down, but I was so impressed with Rhys, Bryn and Abi for climbing it! I think in another year or two, Eden will do just fine. She struggled with the rope ladder.
Of course, Rhys climbing that ladder was so impressive! It turns out he isn't afraid of heights either! He went at his own pace and climbed with no problems!
The zipline was a lot of fun. But it's definitely not something that kids can do on their own. There needs to be an adult to help with the pushing and retrieving! I figured it was a good excuse for me to get active! (it wasn't easy trying to take photos while also pushing the kids along!)
My kids love to spin!
Rhys got a parachute man at the BBCH, so he dropped it from the treehouse (he didn't wait for me so I didn't get a good picture of it) and climbed a tree to drop it from.
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