Tot Lot

Large park with shady spots to play or sit in. I love how big it is! There are a lot of toys & playhouses for small kids, sandboxes & plenty of benches. Gets 5 stars for NOT having mulch, like most PVD playgrounds :) Lots of green grass! Very cute, clean & fun.

This little sand lot is PERFECT for toddlers and even my 4yr old was obsessed when we got here! Little tyke and fisher price toys that people have just left here! Lots of sand and dirty toys! Perfect for my 20mo old and almost 5yr old!

I come here 4 – 5 times a week with the boy that I nanny for. We’ve been coming since he could walk (so 4 months or so now) and it’s a great space for toddlers. There is a large grassy area filled with toy houses that the kids can go inside. There are also some swings and a pretty toddler safe jungle gym. There are a few things about the jungle gym that aren’t great for the under 3 crowd, namely a set of climbing rungs built for taller kids and there are 1 or 2 spots on the second level that don’t have a railing so if your child doesn’t understand how gravity works yet they are liable to step off the edge and fall 4 – 5 feet to the sandy ground.
There is also a cement area with 2 toy basketball hoops that I’ve witnessed many a stumbling toddler fall on. I appreciate all the benches for parents and misc. caregivers to sit and chat (a big plus if you’re there for 1 – 2 hours a day and don’t feel the need to hover obsessively over your child). Best part is that it’s gated and that almost every area of the park is clearly visible from every bench (again, great if your an aware, but not obsessive parent).
The only major con is the cleanliness of the park, specifically the amount of trash on the ground. There are a few garbage cans but I regularly see people just leaving napkins and wrappers on the benches or ground. It would be great to see people throwing out their trash or seeing the city clean up once in a while. Another lesser con is that nobody bothers to throw away any broken toys, there have been a few times that I’ve had to deal with a baby crying because I wouldn’t let him impale himself on a jagged, broken shovel piece. So that’s less than ideal.