The Schwartz's vs Common Ground Playground

Shortly after my parents moved to Lakeland, Fl my mom mentioned a cool park that was near their home.  So Saturday we loaded up and headed to this "cool park".  Upon arrival I discovered that cool wasn't really the right word.  It just doesn't accurately describe how awesome this park is.  We spent about 2 hours there the first day and didn't get bored.  I took a couple of short clips on Instagram trying to show off the park to friends back home.  But since instagram only allows 14 second video clips, these really don't do the park justice and I should have switched over and taken a full video.

(eat your heart out Bekah over this playground.)

When I posted the videos some friends tried to compare it to the Shelby Farms park.  And I know a lot of people around here LOVE the shelby farms park.  But I don't.  The idea might be similar in that both parks have different sections.  But Common Ground is much bigger and more diverse.  There are multiple things for any age child to do at Common Ground.  Whereas, I think Shelby Farms really only has about 4 things to do, and the biggest section there is a climbing web that none of my kids are old enough to do yet.  So in conclusion, this is the best park EVER and I wish we had one here in Atoka.  (Not even in Memphis, I don't want to drive that far to go to a park.  ha!)

The first day at the park we all, kids and adults alike, pretty much just ran around and tried everything out.

Playing in the fire truck.

Climbing up the rope ladder in Mole Hill

One of the many climbing structures.

Walking on the tetter totter balance beam.

Resting in the butterfly garden

Running and sliding down Mole Hill

The grass at this park was awesome!  FL has nasty grass because it's hard to keep more lush grasses alive there.  So all this grass is actually astroturf.  Cushy for landings, doesn't stain.  This was awesome!

Walking on the Unsteady Steps

So, funny story about the unsteady steps.  I really underestimated their difficulty.  The red circle is the starting platform and after that they wobble.  I thought, this is a kids park how hard can it be so I took a big ol' step onto the first platform and immediately found myself on the ground!  I laid there and laughed for a good while.  They were really unsteady!

Also, not pictured are the dizzy seats, cause I took videos instead!  These things were seriously hilarious and everyone took a turn in them.  Cody loved them the most.  When we went back to the park a couple of days later he rode in each dizzy seat there.  He thought they were hilarious.  

Dizzy Dave

Dizzy Cody