Dino Park (Riverside Park)

97th St. and Riverside Drive (Riverside Park)

Dino Park is another one of our "regulars."  Located North of Hippo and inside Riverside Park, this playground is a wonderful place to spend the day.  The oval-shaped, separated sprinkler section is a great place to let the little ones practice their scooter skills.  The water puddles in the middle so bring your water shoes and prepare to splash!  And trust me, I speak from experience.  I went barefoot one time and was stung by a bee.  That was over a year ago and the girls are still talking about it.  The two big jungle gyms are fun for the older crowd, but be close by for the younger ones who insist on keeping up.  Some of the ladder step gaps are a little too wide for my liking. Because the park is two-tiered and surrounded by benches, every now and then I'll notice some "non-kid adults" on their lunch breaks.  Never a problem, but always good to note.  Overall, the shaded oasis offers it all, from sprinklers to sand to swings.  My biggest problem is how high the gymnast rings are.  It's quite the work out to repeatedly lift up a seven year old.  And that, my fellow park hoppers, is one of the best kinds of problems to have.

Highlights

• Awesome Sprinkler Section •Almost All Shade

Lowlights

• Two Levels • Some Non-Kid Adults

What It's Got

• 3 Swings • 3 Baby Swings • 3 Jungle Gyms (2 Large, 1 Tot) • 6 Slides • Gymnast Rings (Really High) • 2 Dinosaurs • 2 Sandboxes (Fenced) • 2 Shower Sprinklers (Fenced) • Monkey Bars • Rickety Bridge • Trashcans • Pavement •Bathrooms Inside the Park

What Parents/Nannies Should Know

• 2-3 Entrances (1 on the lower level, for handicap/strollers) • Plenty of Benches • All Shaded (Except the Sprinklers) • Lots of Blindspots (two-levels) 

Nearby

• Gourmet Garage on 97th and Broadway 

Ratings: (Out of 5)

Sarah: 

Lexi:  

"I like it because it has sculptures of dinosaurs."

Annie:  X 28 

"I liked that I got to touch a caterpillar and the swings are really 'intint', that means they are round like a moon, super big, and go really high."