Parx of Chicago: 04/19/2014 - Playground on Northwest End of Humboldt Park, Humboldt Park, North Ave (between California and Sacramento)

Post #19

After a long winter, we're officially "back on the park." I decided to take the boys to our third playground at Humboldt Park (there are still more to explore, but so far we've been to this one and this one), since we now live within walking distance of such a huge park.

No sign... so we had to improvise.

Located behind the basketball court that's across from the BK on North Avenue, this nameless park is by one of the ponds. It has summertime water-spouting equipment, for which we'll certainly have to wait some months, and all of the equipment we've come to expect from your basic playground.

The reviews:

Máximo - ★★★ 1/2, "I kind of didn't like it, because the zipline was kind of rusty, and but I liked it because there was lots of space and lots of climbing equipment, and it was really fun and it was nice weather too."

George Carlos - ★★★★★, "We played cool stuff, I got to play on the swing and I learned something, that that blue stuff (the rubber mulch surrounding the splash pad) was squooshy... and that's why I gave it a number 5."

Squooshy blue stuff.

This one park is sprawling and is perfect for a chase-type game, which we most certainly played this past Sunday. The equipment is in decent condition for being inside (surrounded by park on all sides) Humboldt Park. The zip-line, as Máximo mentioned, is rusted and doesn't completely work, and there are a few other structural issues, but in relatively good shape.

Arrival at equipment zone.

The above pic shows some of the "classic," equipment to which we've grown so accustomed during our blogging excursions. They've got your tunnels, tic tac toe and monkey bars, et cetera.

Another view of the lay o' the land.

George Carlos goofin' on the slide.

One seemingly innocuous apparatus consisted of two 10' planks bolted together and suspended by chains as a rickety bridge set-up (pictured below). I didn't think much of it, but once Georgie challenged my ability to get across it, we all made quite a game out of it (e.g. how fast can you get across, traverse it walking backwards), which shows how any combination of metal and wood can make for a game in the hands of a 6, 8 and 35 year-old.

Rickety bridge.

Challenge accepted.

Máximo handled the monkey bars with professional skill.

A view from the South.

stuff.

GCVV escaping Máximo

Tunnel.

That corkscrew again.

GC taking a survey of the land.

Swangin' is always on the menu.

The tire is about 15' from any other equipment, seeing as it's potentially dangerous to wandering kids not paying attention as over 100 lbs of child swings rambunctiously on a solid tire-shaped piece of hard plastic. It is very fun too and I got a piece of the action as the boys made a valiant go at swinging me around on it after they had had their fill.