Peter Woodbury Elementary School Playground - Bedford, NH

The playground behind the Peter Woodbury Elementary School is a great find. It features some unique, creative elements that were a big hit with the kids. This is a must visit playground. 

The sand pit, enclosed by a natural rock wall, is the perfect. Community sand toys like dump trucks, shovels and wheelbarrows keep the kids plenty busy.

This stepping log maze was a hit! 

 The playground has one main climbing structure with a slide, monkey bars, and climbing elements.

The see saw was a lot of fun for the kids. 

There are two swing sets, with a total of about 10 swings. 

A garden with several nice round picnic tables in a sunny spot on the playground.  

 This fun station had musical instruments, including drums, a rainmaker and tubing. 

It might not look like much, but creative kids will love building structures out of all the "messy materials". Boards and stumps make the best fairy houses!

The faerie garden is very pretty, with reminders not to "smoosh" the flowers. Little stone mushrooms decorate the garden.

 This barn is a perfect little structure for a picnic. Inside are two little play kitchens for the kids.

Not pictured are kickball fields, a basketball court and a gazebo.

 Location: 180 County Road, Bedford, NH 

Parker Varney Elementary School - Manchester, NH

Our local neighborhood school, Parker Varney Elementary School, has a brand new, fun playground. The two large structures offer lots of sliding and climbing fun, with benches for the parents surrounding them. There are no swings, but the playground makes up for it with simpler offerings, like the brightly painted jumbo map of the United States and the hopscotch and four square games. The playground also has basketball hoops, kickball diamond and tall ball buckets (what are those called anyway?). This is a really fun playground for a summer evening.   

Location: 223 James Pollock Dr. Manchester NH

Griffin Park - Windham, NH

Despite the rainy weekend, we made it out to a new park. Griffin Park did not disappoint. Located in Windham, NH, the park has something for everyone. Several soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, skate park and walking trails in addition to the playground area. A concession stand is located near the baseball field with a covered pavillion. The playground is nice, with a fence surrounding the structures. There are lots of structures, including two main playground structures, climbing walls and a old school four-way metal teeter totter. The largest structure has "trees" the kids can climb up into the "treehouse." Plenty of swings also kept the kiddos occupied. Griffin Park would be a great place to spend an afternoon with a picnic lunch, topped of with an ice cream from Johnson's Farm Stand located right next door.

A nice little pond with a water fountain in the middle seemed like a good home for this mama duck and her ducklings. The kids love watching the babies run and swim around.

Location: 101 Range Road, Windham, NH

Raco Theodore Park - Manchester, NH

Raco Theodore Park, on Manchester's West Side, is a nice little neighborhood playground. The small playground is fenced in, but the latch on the gate is currently broken. There is one large structure with some fun, curvy slides and a few climbing ladders and walls. The ground could use a little grooming, as the matting under the bark mulch is ripped and poking through. The swings were fun and plentiful. Probably one of the best parts of the park we didn't get to enjoy. There is a huge pool, 50 meters by 25 yards with a side alcove as well. Looks like a great place for swimming in the summer, but it won't open until the end of June. The park is a good stop on a summer evening, but not a weekend filler.

Location: Head Street (off of Varney Street), Manchester, NH

Memorial Elementary School Playground - Bedford, NH

After reading about this new playground at the Memorial Elementary School in the Union Leader, we decided to check it out for some Memorial Day morning fun. What a great surprise!

The playground as a lot of unique climbing structures, slides, and other fun things to keep the kids entertained for hours. There is a nice gazebo for shade. One of the more unusual parts of the playground is a large dirt hill with slides built down the sides. A large rope attached to one side of the hill helps kids up to the top. Along the back of the playground is a kid's fitness course, including a rock climbing wall and rope climb. The playground is entirely fenced in, which is nice to let the kids run loose. There are plenty of swings, but no bucket swings for the little ones.

Overall, a great find and definetly a playground we'll be returning to.

Location: 55 Old Bedford Road, Bedford, NH