Moms pick their 3 favorite playgrounds in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach
Both Wellington and
Royal Palm
Beach offer tons of family-friendly amenities for residents.
Among those are some top-notch playgrounds — which I admit I began looking at through a new light this year. As my due date approaches — this column will be my last before maternity leave — I decided to turn to two local Facebook groups to get input from fellow moms on which Wellington and Royal Palm playgrounds are the best.
Here are the three top playgrounds, in no particular order, along with some of the reasons moms say they love these spots.
Scott’s Place Playground
■ 12190 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
Scott’s Place is a barrier-free playground, meaning it has activities for children of all abilities. There are slides, swings and wheelchair ramps, plus sensory-exploration items.
Since opening in 2010, Scott’s Place has been one of the busiest parks in Wellington. During amphitheater events and green markets, families pack into the play area. The village continues to invest in Scott’s Place, this year adding more shade to keep parents and kids cool during the day, and more lighting to allow playtime to last past sunset.
“I love that it’s somewhat shaded, fenced in and it’s great for my almost 2-year-old son,” Suzie Fritz wrote in the Mom’s Club of Wellington FL Facebook group.
“Fully fenced, shade over the slides so they don’t get burned, and everything is low enough that I don’t have to worry about death or dismemberment,” Meri Oakley Abramski said of the park.
Tiger Shark Cove Playground
■ 13800 Greenbriar Blvd., Wellington
This popular playground is part of a larger park that has softball fields and batting cages. The playground was rebuilt just a few years ago by a team of volunteers, including my husband, Peter.
The playground’s undersea theme is a hit with children. My niece at times has referred to this as “the mermaid park” and “the ocean park.” Kids can explore a sand castle, a yellow submarine, obstacle courses and a swing set. You’ll usually find children crawling on the large tiger shark sculpture.
The soft flooring and water misters keep children safe and cool.
“Tiger Shark Cove in Wellington is great for kids to run and play while also using their imagination (great theming) and also peace of mind as there aren’t any big drop offs that little kids/toddlers and fall off of,” mom Daphne Wiley wrote in the Palm Beach County Moms Facebook group. “There’s not a lot of shade, but they do have misters that the kids can run through to cool off. Since this park is in the back of Wellington it’s not usually super crowded which is nice.”
Commons Park Playgrounds
■ 11600 Poinciana Blvd., Royal Palm Beach
Commons Park includes two expansive play areas for children. Each includes swings, slides and obstacle course activities. During amphitheater events, dozens of children can be found climbing and running.
The playgrounds are within walking distance of the Commons Park splash pad, so parents have the option of bringing bathing suits for children to cool off after working up a sweat on the jungle gym.
“Two great play structures, lots of space to bring a ball to kick around or a kite on a windy day, clean bathroom facilities, water fountains to cool off on a hot day, great paved paths for running/biking/rollerblading, and they have the best events!” Lois Ness Jenison wrote.