Tar Family Playground (Central Park)

100th st and Central Park West

For the kids
-tire swing
-2 spider webs
-climbable pyramid (with an inside and a slide)
-baby swings
-handicap swing
-wooden jungle gym (with a slide)
-interactive sprinklers
-bridge
-sandbox
- rock wall




For me

-plenty of seats, but not nearly enough shade
-one entrance
-working water fountain
-soft rubber ground, also about 25% sand
-trashcans located right outside the gate
-lots of blindspots
-closest bathroom is located at the tennis courts, about a seven minute walk west.
-Whole Foods is 15 minutes away, on 97th and Columbus.

This park was redone in 2009 and it still looks new (aside from being covered in sand).  The bridge separates Tar into a "big kid" and "little kid" sections which is good because this playground is popular and always busy.  The interactive sprinkler center is fantastic.  In order for the sprinklers to go off, buttons in different locations have to be pressed at the same time.  Watching the kids figure out which button works which sprinkler is a lot of fun.  Helping them stay cool on a hot summer's day, even better. The area is clean.  My only real gripes are the lack of trashcans in the park (hey, sometimes walking 25 feet to throw away a banana peel is hard when you're watching two kids) and the lack of shade.

I'm not sure what these are, but they are good for new walkers, games of tag, and hide and seek/peekaboo.  

Sarah: 

Lexi: 

Annie: