Spring is here! In Texas, that means you have only a couple more months left of carefree outdoor play before the scorching heat makes it almost unbearable for the munchkins (and mamas) to go outside without melting (well, almost). With the help of friends, my girls and I have scouted out some really fun (and free) Houston area playgrounds to check out this month!
Carol Fox Park: This playground has everything. A Noah’s Ark climbing structure, two sandboxes, tons of swings (a great perk since most playground only have 2), and lots of shade to escape the heat. Our first time playing here, we spent hours and had a blast. The playground is completely gated and a really nice size, but sadly, doesn’t have a restroom. (I bring our travel potty in the car just in case.)
Restrooms: None, unfortunately.
Parking: Plenty of parking directly in front of the playground entrance.
Shade: Lots of shaded areas, but bring the sunscreen for the large sandbox area.
Water Fountains: Yes
Gated: Yes
Concessions: No
Picnic Areas: Yes
Jerry Matheson Park: This playground would be great for multiple ages of children. It has a zip line, tires, swings, and tons of wooden play structures so the equipment won’t burn even in horrible heat. My oldest loves that there are lots of slides and the unique zip line feature.
Restrooms: Yes, across the street by the pool.
Parking: Plenty of parking.
Shade: Lots of shade.
Water Fountains: Yes
Gated: Somewhat. It isn’t completely gated in but there are some fences to corral little ones in the play area.
Concessions: No
Picnic Areas: Yes
Telge Park: This playground is one of our “go to” playgrounds when the sun is really blaring. With all of the trees, it feels so much cooler here so you can easily play for a couple hours. The layout also makes it really easy to keep all of the littles in sight. The only problem is after rainy weather; this park can attract a lot of mosquitoes since it’s connected to a really nice nature trail. This is also a beautiful park area for taking photos and took my girls’ Christmas photos here!
Restrooms: Yes
Parking: The parking lot is pretty small so you may have to park on the street depending on the crowd.
Shade: Lots of great natural shade from the tons of trees.
Water Fountains: Yes
Gated: Yes
Concessions: No
Picnic Areas: Yes
Discovery Green’ s John P. McGovern Playground: This is a great “day trip” playground. If it’s a beautiful day and you are attending one of the tons of free events like offerings from Mad Science or Houston Grand Opera, it’s a great place to have lunch, attend an event and then cap the day off with some old-fashioned fun on the playground before the ride home.
Restrooms: Yes
Parking: Very difficult and you must pay to park.
Shade: Some. Plenty of shade around the park and building structures, but not much on the actual playground.
Water Fountains: Yes
Gated: Yes
Concessions: Yes
Picnic Areas: Yes
Deputy Goforth Park: This playground is one of our favorites. It’s only about two minutes from the Lone Star Cy-Fair Library (and a Starbucks for this coffee loving mama) so we usually play after returning books and attending story time. With clean restrooms, tons of different play equipment and a walking trail around a duck pond, this one is a great park. However, it can be really crowded at times and its massive size could make it more challenging to keep multiple little ones within reach.
Restrooms: Yes
Parking: Easy
Shade: Almost none; definitely need to bring the sunscreen/hats/sunglasses. This one is great for spring mornings and cloudy days, but will be pretty hot in the summer.
Water Fountains: Yes
Gated: No. We love this playground, but prepare to be extra watchful due to the size, typical crowds and the fact that isn’t gated.
Concessions: No
Picnic Areas: Yes
Know of another great playground? We’d love to hear your favorites in the comments!
By Mary West
Mama of 2 and teacher/tutor. The playground is by far one of our family’s favorite activities.