Williams-Grant Park - Lee's Summit

Williams-Grant Park was a donation from Joseph A. Grant in memory of L.M Williams in 1973.


Location: 401 SE Howard Street
Lee's Summit, MO  64063
This park is located in older Lee's Summit, a bit off 3rd street - close to downtown Lee's Summit.  From 291, take 3rd Street to Howard (a bit after Lee's Summit Historical Cemetery).  If you are from out of town, click here for google map directions.

Amenities: This parks boasts a playground, walking trail and plenty of benches for seating around the park. The playground is a favorite of local residents who know about this hidden treasure - it's pirate themed! The main playground equipment is a large pirate boat, complete with pretend treasure chest, slides, stairs, plastic mast and sail.  It has Addi yelling, "Argg!" most of the way there and home.  It is in good condition; perhaps a bit sun-bleached, but to a child's eye - perfect.
There is also both two toddler swings and two regular swings, so all ages are covered here.
There is a bench under one of the trees off of the playground, and more further away - but plenty of green space to throw out a blanket in some shade and finish your book ... I mean, watch the kids.
The playground area's ground cover is wood chips by the pirate boat and swing-set, and sand by the slides. Bring your shovel and pail!
There is a water fountain here, but no bathrooms - something to keep in mind.
There is also a walking trail here that is about half a mile in circumference that seems well maintained and lighted (somewhat unusual for LS parks).
The parking here is minimal and the streets are narrow. Luckily, I've never had a problem - but it's quite possible to not have somewhere to park as there are only 3 normal parking spots (2 disabled).

Pros: All the kids I've taken here have loved the boat shaped playground equipment and huge sand area.  There is lots of green space, which I personally love in a park as I prefer a blanket over benches (unless its wet out, of course).

Cons:  A few things: a lack of parking, no bathrooms, and minimal shade over the playground in the middle of the day. Bring sunscreen and a floppy hat!

Harris Memorial Park / Harris Park Community Center Playground - Lee's Summit

Harris Park is one of Lee's Summit's oldest parks, being donated to the city by certain citizens in 1918. It used to be used for the Jackson County Fair, but was no longer able to accommodate it.

According to May C. Howard, "The park has been named Harris Park, which is named for my grandfather, but it should not be named that because the people of Lee's Summit bought the park. But the grounds are still there; they have messed it up to the point that there isn't space enough for a fair now. It's too bad."

Location: 601 SW Jefferson St

Lee's Summit, MO 64063

This park is in the same park complex as (newer) Summit Waves, and the Harris Park Community Center. This is a pretty easy park to find as you can see the complex from 291 South.

Amenities: This is a nice large park - great for many things to do. There are actually two different playgrounds at Harris Park. The one I'll be mostly concentrating on is the older park that got relocated to behind Summit Waves. The other playground is right next to the Harris Park Community Center and is more modern, but less shade and space to run wild.

The playground that we're discussing today has two separate jungle gyms; one for ages 3-5 and another for the older children.

The playground also sports 2 infant swings and 4 regular swings - although today when we went only the infant swings were out, the regular swings were gone with orange fencing around them! At the moment, I don't know what the deal is with this - however, I plan on calling the Parks and Recreation to ask what the deal is. *Updated April 2011 - swings are back in order!*

There is also a climbing rock as well, however, the ground cover is wood chips which is not quite as forgiving when you fall - so bring Band-Aids if your kid decides to climb it!

The playground designed for the older kids is pretty awesome - it is a castle theme with turrets and slides all around which is perfect for your princes and princesses.

The younger kids playground has plenty of interesting ground items for the younger kids to be able to play with without having to climb up things. There is a mirror and pipes for them to yell through, as well as a few other things.

The seating situation works pretty well at this park. There are a couple of benches located around the playgrounds, but there is also ample room for blankets to be placed under the very mature and shady trees. This is actually a great park to go to in the summer due to the trees keeping the playground and green area shaded and cool at all times - you can find shade at this park at pretty much any time of day.

There is also a shelter very close to the playground, which works well for additional seating as well as picnics and gatherings. This shelter can be rented out at the Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation's website. I have actually seen weddings here as well - now I also had my kids there and it did make for interesting albeit awkward, "Stay away from the wedding!" moments quite a few times. But to each her own.

There is also a water fountain, and a very cool one at that. The water fountain is in the shape of a lion and is just great for the kids to climb and play on as well (and get wet in the process). I am super happy they decided not to get rid of the fountain when the redesigned the park to accommodate the new swimming pool - the kids love it.

There is plenty of parking here; I cannot foresee a reason that all of the parking would get taken up, but on nice, warm days (unlike today, *grumbles*) this park can get quite busy as it is very well known and loved by the people in the area. You may have to park a little further away than normal, but I can't see parking being a huge issue, as it hasn't been for me and I've been here numerous times.

The Results:
Pros: It is a seriously beautiful park with its mature trees, and the shade that comes with that is superb. I still suggest sunscreen, as always because there are some parts that are not in the shade. This park is picnic perfect as well, with plenty of places for a picnic blanket or the shelter.

The playgrounds and green area is more than enough to entertain your kids and keep them busy so you can read a book (for me, more like a couple of words here and there between "Moooom!" yellings).

Cons: There is a bathroom at this complex, however it is up closer to the community center and Summit Waves, so if there is an emergency... well, you better be quick. It's quite a hike to get there from the playground. Other than the lack of close bathrooms, the only other thing that I can think of is that some people may not like the wood chip wood cover - so shoes are required.

Updated April 2011:

Just updating some things, and adding some others!  Last time we were here in 2010, there was some temporary fencing around the swings; I'm glad to add that this is no longer the case and the swings are back to normal! Celebrate!

I'm also adding the other park, the Harris Park Community Center Playground,  to this blog entry, since they are in the same park system. 

Location: 601 SW Jefferson St

Lee's Summit, MO  64063

This park is right next to the Harris Park Community Center (formerly Lee's Summit Recreation Center) and Summit Waves, and was built when they renovated the community center in 2008.  Overall,  as easy to find as the other playground at Harris.

Amenities:  This park includes a playground for younger children, with a house-like structure under the slides for playing pretend, as well as easier slides for toddlers.  There is even a miniature picnic bench inside the "house" for eating snacks. 

There is also some structures for older children, including a web-climber and more modern jungle gym area (some of this stuff looks more like modern-art than playground equipment. 

The ground cover for the playground area is wood-chips, so keep that in mind if you have a clumsy kid. 

There are a few benches facing the playground, but neither they nor the playground is shaded.

The community center is very close with vending machines and restrooms inside, and at the Summit Waves building, there are more restrooms (usually unlocked) and water fountains.

You should be fine with parking, since it shares the parking lot with Summit Waves - if it is a particularly hot summer day and there are a lot of people at the pool, you may end up having to park further away, but you should always have somewhere to park.

Pros: I like the toddler playground here; my daughter particularly enjoyed the little picnic table underneath because she could get in and eat her snacks in the shade while still being on the playground.  It does have plenty of seating, and some grass on the sides for a picnic blanket if you so desire.  I really like that is has not one, but two bathrooms close at hand (not such a big deal since my daughter is out of diapers - but moms who have kids still in diapers or potty training can really appreciate that).

And you're supposed to be what exactly?

Cons:  Well, to start off - I (and by default, my kids) have no idea how to use some of this equipment. It may be a sign of problems when your kids have to ask you what "that" is, and what do I do with it?  It doesn't really make you look too good in front of your kids to scratch your head and say, "Wow... I... really don't know?!".  Not to say it doesn't look pretty... it does. Very pretty indeed.

There is also no shade here. There may be some in 10-20 years when the trees they planted in 2008 mature, but compared to the shade at the other playground, it comes up severely lacking. Bring sunscreen.

Overall: Skip the pretty sculptures and head down to the other playground. It has shade and equipment kids know how to use, instead of looking pretty.  I think this is what most parents do, since mostly I only see the Camp Summit kids using this biding their time to get into Summit Waves.  Other than that, I really don't see many people using this park when I'm there.

 

Arbor Walk Park - Lee's Summit

Arbor Walk Park is a fairly new park in the Arbor Walk housing division. It was a really nice day for PAW today! It's amazing how nice the weather can seem when there is actually a break from the humidity.



Location: 1301 SW Arbor Park Drive
Lee's Summit, MO 64086
This park is somewhat easy to find if you know your way around the area well. It is in between Holy Spirit Catholic Church and Ward Road. There is some road work going on 150 right now, so there could be some delays if you are planning on going to this park anytime in the near future.



Amenities: This park sports a nice toddler jungle gym as well as a web climber and swing set. This park reminds me a lot of Legacy Park's playground... just, well... without the shade or any covered reservation shelters. On the Lee's Summit Parks and Rec website it says there is a water fountain, however, I did not see anything of the sort - perhaps I just wasn't looking well enough or it's not near the playground.



There is a fishing pond and walking trails around the playground, but there is no shade there either. They do have some trees planted that have the potential to be nice in a few years (it's the thought that counts, but until then, bring sunscreen!).
No bathrooms to be found either, so of course, my kids needed to "go" while we were there.



The Results:

Pros: This is a nice little neighborhood park. Older kids will like the web climber and the littler ones will get lots of use out of the jungle gym and toddler swings. The fishing pond was in use when were were there, so people must be getting some fish out of there.



Cons: No shade. No bathrooms. No shelters. No drinking fountain. I would suggest this park if you are close to home and don't mind having to drive home to get drinks or bathrooms breaks.
I suggest you bring drinks and sunscreen with you.

Wadsworth Park - Lee's Summit

Wadsworth Park is undeniably one of Lee's Summit's smaller playgrounds, being only 1.9 acres. It does offer a few nice incentives if you live close to it, though. It was donated to the city of Lee's Summit by Ferrol Gehrig in 1978.
I haven't used this park as part of PAW, due to its small stature and I doubt it would keep the kids entertained for very long - however, I still wanted to put it up here.



Location: 1010 NE Chestnut
Lee's Summit, MO 64086
This park is located in the Mulberry East subdivision off of Chestnut street. It is not one of the easier parks to find, due to it being in the middle of a subdivision - but it is close (within walking distance) of Deer Valley Park.

Amenities:
This park sports a basketball court, a large open green space, a shelter, and a small playground.
The basketball court is usable, however, is in need of some work - some of the concrete is beginning to crumble, but for a small neighborhood park I can see why it is not on Lee's Summit Parks and Rec's highest priority.



The green space is very nice - well maintained with mature Cedar trees on one side and Pin Oaks on the other giving the park some shade along the edges. Often in the fall, the space is used for soccer practice for the area children.



The playground is small, but shaded and can keep the kids entertained for a little while. It does have a tunnel slide, monkey bars, and 2 normal sized swings (no toddler-sized). The ground cover is wood chips, which works fine for this small park. There are a couple of benches around the park for seating, as well as a shelter with a picnic tables. There is also a drinking fountain between the basketball court and playground, but is usually turned off in winter and early spring.



The Results:

Pros: A nice large green space with plenty of opportunities for picnicking and spreading out a blanket under a tree - and if you like basketball, this more unknown park can certainly provide. The playground is small, but entertaining for a little bit - it fits the tiny nature of this park. Not every park is meant to be a behemoth - this park fits well into its surroundings.
Cons: This is not the most up kept of parks; there is some things that could be done to improve it, such as resurfacing the basketball court. There are also no bathrooms, but honestly its to be expected - they would seem a little over the top for this small park.

Joseph A. Dyke Playground (Legacy Park) - Lee's Summit

More commonly referred to as "Legacy Park"; this was the first P.A.W. of the year! There are two different playgrounds at Legacy Park, and while I hope to get to blog about both - this one is about the larger of the two, called 'Joseph A. Dyke Playground'. Thanks to everyone who turned out!

Location: 1201-1501 NE Legacy Park Dr
Lee's Summit, MO 64063
This park is nestled in between the girl's softball fields and the baseball fields and is fairly easy to find.

Amenities: Someone designed this park well. Situated very close to the playground is the covered shelter with four nicely spaced picnic tables underneath, leaving plenty of seating for parents watching their children. This shelter is able to be rented at the Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation website. Also, there are three benches spaced around the playground area for additional seating.

Due to it's location between the baseball and softball fields, there is plenty of parking. The park itself has approx. 20 spots, and I have never seen it to capacity (although close). If all the spots were somehow filled, there is plenty of parking at the nearby athletic fields.
Joy of all joys, there is also bathrooms! I have been here before in the fall/early spring and have seen them be locked before, but during the summer I believe they are mostly unlocked. They are pretty clean as well, for public bathrooms. Right outside the bathrooms, there are also two water fountains, which I like as well.

The playground itself is one of the more modern ones in Lee's Summit, being built around 2002. It has the larger and more modern play structures, which includes an attached "web climber". Positioned to the left of the playground, there is a swing-set with two lounge-ish toddler swings and two older child swings. Further on there is the tunnels, perfect for little ones to run through, or even better - bring out the tricycle and ride on the paths through them.

The playground and swing area are covered in recycled tire ground cover, which helps if you have a clumsy kid like I do - a lot less injuries. In between, however, is wood chips - which have been in good shape every time I have frequented this park. The tunnels have a concrete path through them, which makes is great for riding tricycles - bad for running and eventual falling.


The playground itself has no natural shade. They have canopies that attach to the playground, like large deck umbrellas - however, they were not out as of yet - and this is May. Here's hoping they get them out soon! I suggest sunscreen for this park anyway, as the swing-set area and tunnel area are also not shaded and the canopies do not cover them.
The shelter has some area of shade at pretty much any time of the day, so at least you can sit in the shade and relax while you watch your kids getting burned! Ah, summer.

The Results:
Pros: This really is a great park, and one that I take my kids to fairly often - they really seem to be able to enjoy themselves here and keep entertained on the equipment for decent periods of time. I consider the recycled tire ground cover to definitely be a pro, as well as the copious amounts of shaded/unshaded seating around the playground. I like the "Tunnel Road", as its a pretty unique feature of this park that I haven't seen at any other park.
Bathrooms, of course, are a wonderful thing to have (when they are unlocked, that is).

Cons: There is a definite lack of natural shading at this park, which is something that happens at a lot of the newer parks - no mature shade trees. Also keeping in mind, that if they do not have the canopies out above the playground, there is no other shade there either.
There is also nowhere to set out a picnic blanket and lie down (to read, in my case. Or nap... I wish). You are pretty much limited to picnic tables or benches.
There is also the case of wind, which is something that I've noticed at this park - it is much windier due to how flat the landscape around the park is. This doesn't always have to be a con, though - if you are in the mood for kite-flying, this is the place you want to be. If you are more inclined to want to partake in a nice lunch under the shelter, be prepared to bring things to anchor your foodstuffs down, because otherwise you'll be chasing them across the playground the entire time.

Miller J. Fields Park - Lee's Summit

We went to Miller J. Fields Park last week for my mother's group, which unfortunately, only me and one other mom ended up meeting there. Really, it was too bad because it was a beautiful day; but it did give me time to take more pictures of the park and remember some things to make sure to put in here about it.

Location: 345 Se Circleview Dr,
Lee's Summit, MO 64063
This park is nestled right in the middle of a suburb off of Langsford Road. I was talking to the other mom who was with me and asked her how well she was able to find the park. Her response was, "I've been here three times before - and I still have problems finding it! I end up driving around the neighborhood until I happen to come across it, every time!"
I concur. It is hard to find, unless of course you know the neighborhood like the back of your hand, which I definitely do not know all of Lee's Summit like that. I had my G1 with me giving me directions on the go to get this park and I still had to turn around once! This isn't just the park's fault - I am just super bad at following directions!
Amenities: The playground itself makes Miller J. Fields an awesome park in of itself. The playground here rocks! There are two different playground here - like with most playgrounds with two structure, there is one intended for older children (6-12) and one for under 6.
Both structures are well maintained and structurally sound - and my three year old had fun on both structures, not just the one for under 6. There is also a swing set with both toddler and normal swings. There really is no unique features to the playground equipment and this seems to suit the playground well. It's a nicely done overall playground - good old outside fun.
The playground is made up of wood chips, which is not my first choice for a ground covering, but beats, say, gravel or river pebbles like my old playground at school used to have... so many memories, so many injuries!
There is two benches that serve the whole playground which is not very many for a park of it's size, however, there is a covered picnic area with tables very close to the park that be used for seating as well. Both benches are in the shade, but alas, the park is not. Bring out your sunscreen for the kids. There is also a few nice mature trees around the park that look prime for sitting on a blanket under.
There is plenty of parking here due to the park doubling as a baseball field - so there is plenty of parking if you are there on a non-baseball day. Also included in this park is bathrooms! Good gravy, I love parks with bathrooms! Also around the bathroom building is water fountains, which are pretty much a staple at all Lee's Summit parks, so no surprise there.
The Results:
Pros: Pros for this park are that it is just a great park! A very good size and it kept Peanut (my daughter) occupied so that I could attempt to finish the book I've been working on. It's in a nice part of town and has plenty of open spaces. The playground as well as the rest of the grounds were well maintained with freshly cut grass and somewhat newer wood chips on the ground.
Big pro - it has bathrooms!! Woo!
Covered and shaded picnic area for lunches outside are also a great addition.
Cons: Yet another one of those parks in the 'Very Hard to Find' category. That's almost the worst thing I can say about it. I suppose, if there is a baseball game going on then it has the potential to be busy and little parking.

Overall, we loved this park! Now that I have a better idea of where it is, we will definitely put this on our parks-to-visit list this summer!

Deer Valley Park - Lee's Summit

It was another one of those beautiful days - the ones that make you feel horribly guilty if you don't do something outside with your kid... especially when she gives you the "Doe-eyes", so we went to Deer Valley Park. It is within walking distance of our house, so it's a nice park for us to go to if I don't feel like driving anywhere.
However, it's kind of a trade, as I'll explain in here.

Location: 1400 NE Neawanna Drive
Lee's Summit, MO 64086
This is one of the harder parks to find if you don't know the neighborhood or area well. A good way to get there is to take Mulberry to Amanda to Neawanna Dr. It sits tucked into the surrounding homes pretty well and makes for a good neighborhood park. If you are not familiar with the neighborhood, it would be wise to look up directions before you go.
Amenities: Starting off with the playground equipment - this is one of the more medium-to-smaller playground structures in Lee's Summit. While the sign says that this playground is intended for ages 6-12, they do have a smaller playground structure with shorter slides that would be alright for younger ages (with supervision, of course). They also have 2 toddler swings, as well as 2 normal ones.
There is also a large open "sandbox" area in this park, so bring your shovels and spades! This is one of my daughter's favorite things to do at this park - get filthy dirty in the sand area and cart a pound of sand back into my car in her shoes! Since it is an open sandbox, it's usually a good idea to make sure the neighborhood cats haven't left any presents in it before you allow your toddler to play!
The equipment is around 10-12 years old and shows the wear of that time. There is also quite a bit of bad language written inside and on the slides, which my 8 year old pointed out to me verbally the last time we were there ("Hey Mom! Someone wrote f**k inside the slide over there!!"... I've had prouder moments...). I've seen attempts to clean some of the writing off, but it seems to just show up again and again.
An unique feature of this park is the climbing rock! Four sided goodness for older kids, with some sides being easier than others - so if your kid is looking for a challenge, this rock does the job well. My (now 8 year old) son used to have some problems with it, as far as being able to get up, but being too scared to get back down. It's both a good and bad thing - good as far as the kids think its "totally awesome!", and bad as far as you have to be a constant shadow to your younger kids if they are climbing this. Falling off of it doesn't feel too pleasant and both mine and my neighbor's kids can attest to that.
There is not any shade on the playground at any time of the day. Maybe a bit in the evening, the swing set may get some shade, but that's it. Bring your sunscreen because it is so super easy to burn at this park. The one bench that is there for the playground equipment is black and not shaded - two things put together to equal very uncomfortable. I usually bring a blanket and stretch out in the sun since the trees around the park are not mature yet and don't offer much shade.
Other amenities in Deer Valley is a walking trail that's about 1/2 mile around the open area of the park, as well as a bridge over a fairly active stream. The bridge and stream area is forested and shaded, as well as being very beautiful (during the spring, anyway). This park also hosts a water-fountain (and doggy fountain attached to that). There is also a little un-shaded cul-de-sac for parking that can fit about 5-6 cars if people park correctly.

The Results:
Pros: A personal pro to me is that this park is within walking distance. This would be why we frequent it often. My daughter also really enjoys the sandbox, which is not found at too many of the other parks. My son would say the climbing rock is also a 'pro' due to its "awesomeness".
The fact that there are toddler swings in an older kids' park is also always a good idea.
Cons: The climbing rock due to it depleting my Band-Aid stockpiles. It still is a neat feature, just hard on the parents...
The location of this park ranks in the 'Very Hard to Find' category.
There are NO bathrooms! The horror!
It is also designed for older kids and the younger ones may find it hard to go down some of the slides.
There is NO shade. You will burn without sunscreen.
My son reads the slide walls and feels compelled to tell me every dirty word he finds within earshot of other parents and their kids - I look like a failure. Not awesome.

A decent park - not the best or biggest Lee's Summit has to offer, but a good little park to go to if you live close and don't feel like driving very far. It works well as a neighborhood parks, but does not really stand up next to some of the other parks Lee's Summit has to offer.

Lowenstein Park/Children's Memorial Butterfly Garden - Lee's Summit

It was a sunny 65 degrees outside, so I drug the baby out to Lowenstein Park. Sharing the same park is also the Children's Memorial Butterfly Garden. It was such a beautiful day to be outside, we stayed out, *gasp*, past the baby's naptime!

Location:
1901 NW Lowenstein Dr
Lees Summit, MO 64081
It's across from the Chipman Mall Complex off of Pryor Road - so fairly easy to get to, although you cannot see the playground from Pryor Road.
As always, you can't go wrong with Google Maps!
Amenities: The playgrounds here are some of the larger selection that Lee's Summit offers with 2 seperate playground structures; one for ages 2-5 and one for 5-12 (much like Burrus Old Mill). The are in very good shape and have a plenty of things to keep kids playing (and not bugging you!). In addition, the playsets offer lots of interactive playing, like tic-tac-toe and dinosaur number walls. The ground cover for the playground is wood chips, and seem to do a good job of keeping the place from turning into a mud pit.
This park also offers a swingset though, unlike Burrus. They have two swings for babies/toddlers and then two normal ones - so not a huge swingset by any means, but ample for the amount of traffic this park gets. You may end up having to wait to swing though, as we did as the park got busier throughout the morning.
Also in the playground, for some reason, is a giant, green, plastic frog. It doens't do anything. It's just a frog - and the kids *love* it. It's the strangest thing. I've included a picture of Peanut on said frog, in case my "giant, green and plastic" description doesn't cut it.
The lone bench the playground offers is right next to the frog, because your kids will play on it that much. There really isn't any other seating on the playground, however the sheltered picnic area is very close and you can watch the kids from there quite easily. So if you count the shelter, than there is plenty of seating. When I usually head out to this park, I end up bringing a picnic blanket with me and camp out under one of the trees, since there is shade there. The playground area is not shaded unless you are there in the late afternoon, and even then there is only one tree's worth of shade - so bring sunscreen with you here and dunk the kids in it.
There is also walking trails, water fountains (but sadly, no bathrooms), and 2 wooden bridges! The bridges are also entertaining for my kid because she can play 'Billy Goats Gruff' - fun times for all!
Down the walking trail from the playground is the Children's Memorial Garden which houses a beautiful rock waterfall and botanical flowers with benches for resting. It's surprisingly quiet for being so close to the playground, and also makes a great place for a picnic if your kids are able to understand not running into the waterfall area or trampling the botanical flowers.


The Results:
Pros: Beautiful Park with good parking, and lots of opportunity for picnics, walks, or enjoying then serene calmness of the butterfly garden. The parking is great; there are always enough places to park every time I have been here.
Cons: There isn't much shade on the playground equipment, so extra sunscreen is a requirement if it's moderately sunny. There also is only one bench for the playground, but this is a minor flaw since sitting in the grass or at the shelter is a very viable option. My biggest con would probably be... no bathrooms! The shame...
Overall, one of the larger parks in Lee's Summit, and one of the better ones in my opinion. Very fun overall experience and it keeps the kids happy for a long time so you can relax on a picnic blanket and take a nap (I wish!!).