oasis park

The past week has been unbearably hot--
    Hot enough for cool baths.
    Hot enough for an official heat warning.
    Hot enough that we prefer to stay inside.

Now that's hot.

On one of the evenings that felt like 90° (instead of 100°), we ventured out into the stickiness to Oasis Park (1700 County Road C2 West, Roseville), where we found the Mount Himalaya of playgrounds.


Here's what you need to know:
Parking:  Lot
Age range (playground): 1+
Sidewalks: Paved to play area and around park
Seating: Benches around play area
Bathrooms: Inside warming house
Picnic tables: A couple by the building
Grills: None
Sports field: Open fields, baseball field


Oasis is a pretty secluded park in a residential neighborhood. I failed our first attempt to enter the park: we parked off-street and were halfway to the play area before I saw it had a parking lot. Note to future guests: There's a parking lot!

The play area is in mint condition. The play equipment sits on a large plot of mulch with synthetic flooring at the base of some parts (i.e. slides).


There are several parts to the play area: a climbing-heavy playground for big kids; a toddler-friendly playground for new walkers; a swing set with baby, high back, and regular swings; a merry-go-round of sorts; and a set of some musical equipment. On the hills nearby are two bench swings, perfect for lounging.


When I say this had the tallest playground we've seen, I mean it: Even Madeline, our fearless adventurer, thought twice about going down the slides. She eventually tried the open slide. Zoey and I ended up going down with her on the closed one.


Overall, Madi (4.5) and Titus (3) navigated the big kid playground with minimal help from me. It has several slides, ladders, stairs, and climbing challenges. While there are several ways to get to the first level of this playground, the only way to reach the top most level is via a ladder on the first level.

By now, Zoey (16 months) was familiar with the play structure for kiddos 1+. It's the same design as those in many of the parks we've visited: a slide, mini tunnel, some drums, and a tiny climbing challenge.


Unlike structures at other parks, this one also came with a play area for the medium on which the playground sits. Unfortunately, Oasis is mulch-laden and this playground feature isn't as fun as it's intended to be.

The merry-go-roundish feature was one all my kiddos enjoyed, even though it isn't fast as Madi and Titus wish it were.


Not far from the play area is a pond. Although there's a good deal of foliage to slow down an escapee, there's no fence keeping kiddos from the water.

Despite the terrible heat, we enjoyed our visit to Oasis. I only wish it was better-suited to host parties (i.e. grills and more picnic tables).

wilder recreation center

I once mentioned something about Saint Paul recreation centers: They're either hit or miss (and I've done a good deal of missing!).

Imagine my surprise, then, when we pulled up to Wilder Recreation Center (958 Jessie Street) to find it not only well-groomed but manned by what appeared to be rec center staff.

Life is full of surprises, am I right?


Here's what you need to know:
Parking:  Lot
Age range (playground): 1+
Sidewalks: Paved to play area
Seating: Benches around play area
Bathrooms: None (likely inside the center)
Picnic tables: A couple by the building
Grills: None
Sports field: Open fields

"Look, guys," I said as we parked, "The playground has sand!" As expected, a chorus of YAYs filled the car.


A quick walk up a hill brought us to the partially-fenced play area, where my kiddos eagerly pulled off shoes and socks before diving in (almost literally).

Sitting on one side of the play area were several adults who weren't there with kids but also called the kids out for misbehavior (hence my guess that they were rec center staff).


The play area at Wilder is in great condition and has a lot to offer: a swing set with various sizes; a little playground for kiddos 1+, a big playground for kiddos 3+, tire swings, and a climbing.

And did I mention sand? Somehow that medium is an entirely additional fun feature of a playground. Not mulch or turf or synthetic flooring. Just sand. There's something special about it.


Zoey (16 months) rushed to the smaller playground while the other two made their way to the bigger one. She had no trouble taking the stairs up or sliding down the tunnel or slide. She only needed help with the climbing "wall" (it's about a foot and a half tall).

Whereas Titus (3) stuck to one half of the playground, Madi (4.5) was all over it (but let's be honest: Titus isn't much of an adventurer).


The side Titus preferred had a couple different ladders, stairs, and double slides. Connecting the half he liked to the half he didn't was a tricky web. The rest of the playground consisted of challenging climbing obstacles and an incredibly tall slide.

Right next to the playground is a huge climbing net. Again, my "spider-monkeys" went bananas for it. Even Zoey enjoyed bouncing on the lowest level of netting.


To my surprise, though, what Zoey enjoyed most about this visit was the tire swings. They're hoisted up pretty high, which made me nervous about letting her ride solo. She was surrounded by sand, though, which made falls less painful; so I opted to let her ride her heart out (and she did!).

On the far side of the play area, opposite the rec center building, is a grassy sliver of a refuge. Zoey ambled through it while ooh-ing and ah-ing at the dandelions and passing dogs.


The play area was pretty busy while we visited (after school hours). Plenty of kids went in and out during our stay. As has been our experience with Saint Paul parks and unsupervised kids, our company mainly kept to themselves.

Although my kids wanted to, we didn't check out the other half of the rec center grounds: open fields and what looked like additional play equipment on the other side of the play area.


The play area at Wilder Rec Center was impressive. We've found very little (only 1, in fact) Saint Paul parks with play equipment in such mint condition. I'd be interested in coming back to see what the rest of the center has on-site in terms of outdoor play equipment.

eileen weida park

I'm a big believer in finding the good in things. More than once, though, I've really struggled to appreciate the Saint Paul division of parks and recreation. It felt like most parks we found were poorly kept or in unfriendly neighborhoods.

Here and there, though, we've stumbled across parks that restore my hope for this city's parks system. Last week we found Eileen Weida Park (637 Burr Street North), one of those redeeming parks, right on the outskirts of downtown.


Here's what you need to know:
Parking: Off-street
Age range (playground): 3+
Sidewalks: Paved to play area
Seating: Benches around play area
Bathrooms: None
Picnic tables: None
Grills: None
Sports field: Open field; full basketball court


As soon as we stepped into the park, I was blown away by what it has to offer. The playground, climbing net, and spinners sit on turf. The small (2 baby swings) swing set and diggers sit in a sandbox.

What impressed me was the variety of play equipment and the turf/sand combination. This makes for a broader sensory experience (especially if the kiddos are barefoot) and longer play period (for my kids, at least, who can play in sand for hours).


Madi (4.5) and Titus (3) were big fans of the circular spinner. They spun themselves and one another. Zoey (16 months) liked going up and down the elevated bridge on the playground. She also loved the swings (as always, she tried out and approved of both baby swings).


A unique feature of Eileen Weida is a netted bridge. Madi was extremely excited for this challenge (and had little trouble traversing it). Titus shied away from it.

Other equipment on the playground include slides, a climbing wall, raised steps, and ladders.


Right next to the playground is a big climbing net. The last few playgrounds we've been to have had this feature as well. Madi and Titus were super excited to be "spider-monkeys" again (spiders because they're in a "web" and monkeys because they're climbing around) and spent a good amount of time on this equipment.


The entire park (open field included) is fenced in, a nice feature if you're with professional escape artists. The field is pretty level and offers plenty of space to run around (there was a backyard football game going on during our visit).

There were several trees and a couple benches between the play area and open field, offering shady refuge.


Eileen Weida was pretty busy during our visit, mainly with unsupervised kids. They were friendly and mainly kept to themselves (one kiddo asked about my belly!).

I personally like having other kids around on our visits, as I think this does wonders for socialization. If you'd rather a quieter setting, consider visiting during school hours.


This park has both been around for a while and hosts a lot of guests. The play equipment (especially the turf), then, is pretty worn.

Some of the older kiddos got rowdy towards the end of our visit and broke something glass-made (at which we put our shoes back on). One of the adults in that part of the park did pick up whatever broke.


Eileen Weida has more quality than most of the other Saint Paul parks we've been to. If you don't mind being in a developing neighborhood (more good than bad), stopping for a visit when you're in the area is worth it.

madison's place playground

We've been recommended to this playground not once, not twice, or thrice--but four times. All the hype surrounding this place got me wondering what made it so special.

"It's the nicest splash pad we've found," said one friend.
"We love it," agreed another.
"I think you and your kids will like it," assured the next.
"You haven't been there?!" exclaimed the last.

I promise this wasn't FOMO (fear of missing out), but I had to see this place for myself. This past weekend we finally met up with my sister and her family (big fans of this place) so they could show us around Madison's Place Playground (4125 Radio Drive, Woodbury).


Here's what you need to know:
Parking: Lot
Age range (playground): 1+
Sidewalks: Paved to play area and throughout park
Seating: Benches by play area
Bathrooms: Between the playgrounds and splash pads
Picnic tables: A couple alongside play area
Grills: NA
Sports field: Several (see website for a complete list)

Remember Woodridge Park, aka "Park of America"? Madison's Place sports the same look, quality, and equipment--with little and big kid splash pads to boot. It's built on synthetic flooring and stretches far down alongside the HealthEast Sports Complex.


The playgrounds come first. There's literally a playground conglomerate--the first I've ever run into. There's a huge mass of slides, climbing obstacles, bridges, ladders, tunnels, stairs, and spinners suited for the youngest walkers to the most experienced ones. There's no way any kid will get bored in less than 2 hours.

Next to the playgrounds is a row of sitting and hanging zip lines and gliders. Again, these were a hit for both younger kids, who could ease along with the help of an adult, and older kids, who could challenge one another to crazy dares.


Around the edges of the playgrounds are various equipment such as seated group spinners and spring riders.

A sidewalk separates the playgrounds from the splash pads. It leads to a small building in which bathrooms and water fountains are located.


The splash pad for little kids has mini fountains and sprinklers. It's also far enough away from the big kid splash pad so kiddos aren't accidentally pinned down by one of those water-dumping buckets. Zoey (16 months) was comfortable exploring on her own in this area.

The splash pad for big kids is touch-activated and runs for about 15 minutes before needing to be reactivated (I personally appreciate this water-saving feature). It has fountains, "rain," rotating guns that spout water, sprinklers, and dump buckets, to name just a few things there.


All around the play area is luscious green grass that's perfect for lounging or laying. While there aren't trees big enough to offer ample shade, all you need for a comfortable visit is an umbrella or tent.

My kids loved Madison's Place. They didn't want to leave--and did the whole cry and beg thing when we said it was time to go.


I liked the variety of equipment available for play. The kids were almost always running from one thing to the next for the entire time we were there. I also liked how they could easily switch from playground to splash pad as much as they wanted.

As extensive and fun as the playgrounds are, there's a lot crammed into one space. It seemed to get crowded or even claustrophobic at times, simply because you're completely surrounded by play equipment, running kids, and chasing parents.


Also, as you can imagine, Madison's Place is a popular stop. It was very busy when we visited (as in parents and guardians sat all along the border of the play area--which isn't small), which added to the feelings of crowdedness.

Regardless of the compact structure, we're likely coming back for more of this playground-splash pad duo.

park of america

A friend who knows our love for parks asked us to meet them for a play date at Woodridge Park (9000 90 Street South) in Cottage Grove this week. Between wife, mom, and student life, I didn't get around to looking it up until the night before.

And I was blown away.

Honestly: I showed my kids the pictures of the park and I can't tell you who was more excited, me or them. We couldn't wait for our play date.


Here's what you need to know:
Parking: Lot
Age range (playground): 1+
Sidewalks: Paved to park amenities and throughout park grounds
Seating: Ample seating throughout play area
Bathrooms: Located in warming house
Picnic tables: Enough to seat around 50 in a picnic shelter to one side of the play area
Grills: NA
Sports field: See website for a complete list


Because of my honesty policy, I'm not one to exaggerate. That being said, take my word for it: This park has pretty much everything.

Climbing walls, ladders, nets, and domes; tall slides, short slides, bumpy slides, and curvy slides; bridges; tunnels; weather-resistant instruments; stairs; steps; seesaws; monkey bars--

(Insert breath)


Sand play area; hammock; ramps; seated merry-go-rounds; high back swings, baby swings, and regular swings; regular zip lines and seated zip lines; and a bunch of stuff I can't even identify.

It offers more shade than the average playground and it's got synthetic flooring. Did I mentioned there are also real, flushable toilets inside a clean facility?


I might build myself a house in the woods nearby just so I'm local.

Woodridge Park is a dream. It's like the Mall of America of parks: Every type of playground equipment you could want is here. You could spend the whole day here and see only half of it. And, of course, it's ginormous.


It's so big, in fact, that I didn't even realize how busy it was until we returned to the parking lot on our way out and almost half of it (ginormous parking lot for a park, as well) was full of cars.

There are several playgrounds scattered in the play area accommodating ages from walkers to jumpers. All of my kids had a blast running around trying a little bit of everything.


One of their favorite parts was the roller slide. I think they spent a quarter of our trip riding it over and over again. They also loved playing the xylophones and scaling the outside of the huge tunnel.

We could have easily killed half a day at this park if it weren't for the merciless sun and humidity.


The park opened just this past fall and is in wonderful condition. It's definitely beloved and received plenty of traffic during our visit. At the same time, the spread of the play area keeps even busy times from feeling overwhelming

If you're looking to host a party or keep your kids entertained for a few hours, pack a hefty lunch, plenty of water, and head over to Woodridge Park. It'll do the trick.

lake mccarrons county park

At this point in life, I love going to the beach. Sand and water are the best babysitters and my kids pretty much ignore me when those guys are around.

It's low-maintenance parenting in a sensory-rich environment. Double brownie points.

Recently, we visited Lake McCarrons County Park (1795 Rice Street, Roseville), which has one of the closest beaches to us. I think it was the fastest two hours of my life this week (aside from "all" the time I got "sleep," of course).


Here's what you need to know:
Parking: Lot
Age range (playground): 1+
Sidewalks: Paved to play area, picnic shelter, dock, and through the park (but not to the beach)
Seating: Limited benches by play area
Bathrooms: Located in picnic shelter
Picnic tables: Several in picnic shelter with more by the beach and dock areas
Grills: Located in picnic shelter and by the beach and dock areas
Sports field: Open fields; dock for fishing

Lake McCarrons County Park is a good-sized park located off a busy street near the border of Roseville and Saint Paul. Even with how busy it gets (and trust me: it gets busy), there's always parking available.


The nearest park amenities to the parking lot are the picnic shelter and, a short walk from there, the playground.

If you're considering hosting a party here (it's a pretty nice shelter that seats around 50 people), either make reservations through the county or arrive super early to call dibs. Take my word for it that evening hours here, especially during the weekends and holidays, are super busy.


The play area is laid with mulch and has a playground and swing set. One feature I appreciate about the McCarrons' playground is that one end is perfect for walking tots and the other for skilled climbers. Kids of all ages can enjoy the play space.

A couple minutes' walk past the picnic shelter and pavilion is the beach. It's newest feature is a sand and water play area. While there's a life guard post, I've never seen one on duty during any of our visits.

McCarrons Lake is a naturally-occurring lake. This means if you're planning on swimming, don't be surprised by fish and other lake critters (no leeches in my experience!).


The park includes a beach front and a dock for fishing. Most of the lake, however, is private property belonging to Roseville residents. We've seen dogs swim across the lake and hang out in the park. If you're not fond of dogs, just be aware that there might be an escapee running loose.

For those who are interested in fishing, most of what you'll catch are sunfish. We have, however, also caught crappie here.

I love that McCarrons has an overflow of grilling space and picnic areas. I feel most parks aren't well-stocked in this way. I also like how these cooking areas are spread out across the park instead of all in one area (who would picnic that close to strangers?).


Because this park is located near the border of Saint Paul and Roseville, this park isn't as clean as most Roseville parks (I didn't even know it was a Roseville park until I looked it up). You can basically find litter or uncleaned picnic areas throughout the park.

Additionally, and I'm guessing it's because of the lake, there are a ton of geese here. It only follows that there's also a ton of geese poop. On the grass, in picnic areas, on the beach, even in the lake. No matter how careful I am, some of it always ends up stuck to a wheel of the wagon.

Furthermore, the company isn't always friendly-looking. My kiddos and I only ever visit by ourselves or with friends during the morning hours. If you're planning to go in the evening hours, make sure you go with others--or a loyal dog.

rice recreation center

We'd had no luck that day: We visited two parks and were disappointed with each one. We were sticky from good ol' Minnesota humidity--but we still had a lot of play left in us ("us" as in my kids; I was beat).

My kids begged me to try one more park. They didn't want to end on a bad note.

I took a last-second turn and pulled up in front of Rice Recreation Center (1021 Marion Street, Saint Paul). My kids were so excited because we'd tried visiting this playground earlier this summer but ended up going to a different park because of the metal slides.

That day was an overcast day, however, which meant they could go crazy over any and all of those slides. And--you guessed it--they totally did.


Here's what you need to know:
Parking: Off-street
Age range (playground): 1+
Sidewalks: Paved to play area, rec center, and school
Seating: Limited benches
Bathrooms: None
Picnic tables: None
Grills: None
Sports field: Baseball and open fields; tennis courts

My kids are still at that age where they think bigger is always better. That being said, they were stoked for the Rice Rec Center playground because it. is. huge.


The sand-laden play area has three sections: a swing set, a big kid playground, and a little kid playground.

We checked out the swing set first (Zoey, 16 months, always insists we do). It has a low-hanging high-back swing with a buckle, a baby swing, and several regular swings.


The little kid playground is far off to one side. It's extremely easy for young tots to navigate so long as they can walk (they might even be able to get around with crawling).

It has a tiny tunnel slide, single-step levels, a steering wheel, and a pair of double slides. In this area there's also a [really] crooked spring rider. And plenty of sand.


The big kid playground comprises the majority of the play area. It's exhaustive. There are a variety of slides, monkey bars, and climbing challenges (rock walls and ladders), to name just a few of the experiences awaiting visitors. Attached to this playground is a glider and nearby is an old school jungle gym, complete with a geodesic dome.


Madeline (4.5) and Titus (3) had a blast on the big kid playground. Madi also enjoyed the challenge of the jungle gym. Titus ended up collecting "dinosaur eggs" (rocks) in the little kid play area.


Zoey enjoyed scaling the little kid playground and navigating the half of the big kid playground she could. I went down most of the slides with her (they're super steep!).

We had to cut our visit short (to started raining), but all enjoyed our visit to the Rice Rec Center playground. The best part about this playground? It's across the street from our absolute favorite ice cream shop: Dar's Double Scoop (kiddos 5 and under get a free kiddie cone--what's not to love?!).


As I mentioned earlier, if you want to visit this playground, plan your visit for an overcast day or the slides will skin you and your kiddos alive. Also, don't forget to shake everyone and everything off before getting back into your car. Sand is a sneaky intrusive species.