As a high school sportswriter, I am gone a lot between the months of late August and the very end of May; this makes me value summertime more than I can ever begin to explain. Having a vibrant wife along with two healthy and energetic children makes my summers a lot of fun, filled with wonderful memories.
A few years back my family made the resolution to try and go to as many local playgrounds as possible each summer. In Northeast Ohio, you must make the best of the nice weather because you never know how long you're going to have it for, and my family does just that!
As we began going to all of these playgrounds, I began to notice some were much better than others and also realized that it was smart to make notes in case we came back. Most of these notes were simple things such as the bathroom situation and if there were any places parents could sit in the shade and still have a clean vision of where their kids were.
Some parks were clean; some, not so much. Some offered indoor plumbing, and others didn't. I learned to greatly appreciate the nice soft rubber some have for their ground and begin to disdain that nasty mulch wood mix most use. Was the park easy to find, and once we arrived, was there enough to do? These were all things I looked out for.
All these items may seem small, but adding them up and sometimes assigning grades helps you plan your visit.
Some were pleasant surprises, such as Grannis Fairview, and others may have been a bit of a letdown, such as Skip Park in Stow. Each summer we rank them from best to worst and instantly start planning for the next year. This led to the inspiration of this book, as I wanted to help out as many parents as I could. If you want to spend time outside with your kids, then I want to help you! I hope everyone not only enjoys the book but also finds it helpful.