I hear from folks all the time about how San Francisco doesn't have any backyards. Nonsense. I spent a significant chunk of my childhood exploring one end of Golden Gate Park to the other, and now as an adult I find myself living only a few blocks from this urban treasure. One of my favorite childhood destinations in the Park was the Children's Playground, one of the oldest public playgrounds in the country (dating back to 1887), with its mix of archaic wooden play structures, a bizarre and recently rusty metal climbing structure, and its iconic concrete slides.The playground was closed a year ago for a major renovation, its first since 1977. It officially reopened (as the "Koret's Children's Quarter") yesterday. The three of us took a picnic to enjoy our the new setting. The playground is completely new -- the only holdovers are the historic carousel, the Sharon Arts building (both visible in this old-timey photo) and the concrete slides! I'm very happy the slides remain. It'll be a few years before Mather is ready to hurtle down on a piece of cardboard, but I know she'll have a great time once she's ready.
A variety of new attractions join the concrete slides. There are a pair of climbing walls crafted to resemble waves. The back of the wave has all sorts of handholds and toeholds to help kids climb to the top. I presume they are then supposed to fall from the top to the ground below. Well, kids have to learn about gravity sometime. Mather is unsure what to think. 
For now, she seems to prefer pelican rides.Speaking of gravity, the central attraction of the newest iteration of the playground is the giant green rope climbing tower. This is something that makes me wish I was ten again.
It's true most of the playground is suited for Mather's future, not her present. But she did give the toddler swings a try, and loved it! I pushed her higher and faster than I ever had before, and she had a giant grin on her face the whole time.
The tactile, rubberized ground of the playground also made for great crawling practice. I think we're going to go back today!
2 comments:
hey, she's looking pretty big there! i guess she grows fast at this stage.
I think she had a growth spurt last week. She suddenly seems a lot bigger, even though I see her everyday. I think the solid food is contributing, she's eating three meals on most days. Plus she's still getting about 20 ounces of breastmilk each day.
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