germany has the best playgrounds! my kids still talk about one we went to last summer there. don't know why we're so much less creative in america... and yet try to make up for it with bright colors and lots of plastic. arrrgh!
The beer garden is conveniently located right next to the playground. That is also where we went for the public viewing of World Cup games. The kids could play at the park and we could watch soccer and drink beer.
These pictures are pretty awesome, those playgrounds look great!
We have some similar-- but not quite as cool-- playgrounds in Chicago. Most of them are a bit more accessible than the German ones pictured (or are on their way to that, still have wood chips instead of flooring), so they're a bit stock. But you still get "wooden" bridge-slide-monkeybar combos in, say, the shape of a ship or whatever.
This is a weird question, but do you recall any merry-go-rounds at the parks in Germany? You know, the round things that some kids would sit on and a kid or adult (or group) would push it around and around and around and then jump onto (or let go while everyone else spun)? I haven't seen a merry-go-round in a long time.
Wow you guys have been busy - looks like lots and lots of fun!!! Brigid we have those merry-go-rounds at almost every public playground in Cape Town...
Yes, there were a lot of merry-go-round type of things. There were flat round circles that kids could sit on that would spin around. There were large carousel type things that they had to push themselves (or be pushed by an adult), where each child had a seat that was suspended from the middle. There were also ones that had a metal piece in the middle that the kids sitting on it could turn to make the thing spin (one example of that is seen in the picture where my kids are sitting in a pinkish graffiti covered egg shaped thing, but there were many other varieties too).
I was going to say we have only one left here in Salem, Oregon.... But I did hear other parents complainig about it's danger so I'm sure it won't last long. My dauhter loves it.
If you've never been, there is a playground at the Rickreall Fairgrounds on Hwy. 99. Pretty much every single piece of play equipment would have been ripped out years ago if there were enough people around to care. It's so awesome. I don't have any kids, but it's fun for all ages, though most of the seats are too small for adult-sized butts (just one example of the ways in which it does not conform to today's playground building requirements). If this works, here's a picture of me playing DANGEROUSLY on a four-sided springy thing. http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs477.snc3/26160_528846984758_51702295_31335613_3618337_n.jpg
Those are great! I think there's a reason so many playgrounds here in Canada don't have "big kids" on them - because they're boring! I can see older kids having lots of fun on those adventure playgrounds.
I like the wood-ness of these, as opposed to the plastic-ness of the ones in the US. Though there are the rare few, hidden, wood playgrounds that we find around here. Or the even rare-er metal ones - with merry-go-rounds & metal monkey bar towers & see-saws & tires, circa my own childhood.
I see graffiti is a problem. I suppose that's true of most cities, sadly.
LOVE the water running through that one playground. Lovely!
Annie, now I know what you mean, these German playgrounds are amazing? I don't know of any that cool in Bremen. But we still had so much fun when we were there a few weeks ago.
Oh wow, that takes me back! I lived near Kaiserslaughtern (?sp) from K-3rd grade back in the 80s. There were at least three playgrounds within easy walking distance from our apartment. Those pictures really make me miss living there and I wish I could take my kids to a cool playground like that.
[...] were delicious real food treats that were equally accessible. They accepted it because there were numerous playgrounds in the area that were much nicer than the trashy one at the McDonald’s. They accepted it [...]
[...] Annie’s photos of a playground in Berlin leave me with complete playground envy as do these photos of playgrounds in Prenzlauer Berg by Cindy. I can imagine spending hours watching Charlie on this slide and this one and those rope bridges. Too much fun. [...]
[...] and social play every day. Tour the playgrounds of every town you drive through. See how foreign playgrounds are different from the ones you’re used to. Let kids be kids. In our case, 30 minutes spent running and [...]
Hey, love the pictures! Where in berlin is the biergarten by the playground. My wife, two daughters and I are in Berlin for the year and have been searching for one. Thanks!
That's how I feel about this playground in Montpellier, France. My kids spent hours climbing up and down these poles like circus performers! http://michaelraupach.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/img_2295.jpg
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Reader Comments (33)
Oh wow!! These are amazing. Nothing like what they have here, that's for sure.
Those look like so much fun! Love that beer is apparently available at some! :-)
germany has the best playgrounds! my kids still talk about one we went to last summer there. don't know why we're so much less creative in america... and yet try to make up for it with bright colors and lots of plastic. arrrgh!
The beer garden is conveniently located right next to the playground. That is also where we went for the public viewing of World Cup games. The kids could play at the park and we could watch soccer and drink beer.
These pictures are pretty awesome, those playgrounds look great!
We have some similar-- but not quite as cool-- playgrounds in Chicago. Most of them are a bit more accessible than the German ones pictured (or are on their way to that, still have wood chips instead of flooring), so they're a bit stock. But you still get "wooden" bridge-slide-monkeybar combos in, say, the shape of a ship or whatever.
This is a weird question, but do you recall any merry-go-rounds at the parks in Germany? You know, the round things that some kids would sit on and a kid or adult (or group) would push it around and around and around and then jump onto (or let go while everyone else spun)? I haven't seen a merry-go-round in a long time.
We have a merry-go-round in our main city park here in Dallas, Oregon. First one I'd seen in a LONG time when I moved here.
These are great! What a change from the big pieces of plastic we see so often in the States!
Wow you guys have been busy - looks like lots and lots of fun!!! Brigid we have those merry-go-rounds at almost every public playground in Cape Town...
Brigid:
Yes, there were a lot of merry-go-round type of things. There were flat round circles that kids could sit on that would spin around. There were large carousel type things that they had to push themselves (or be pushed by an adult), where each child had a seat that was suspended from the middle. There were also ones that had a metal piece in the middle that the kids sitting on it could turn to make the thing spin (one example of that is seen in the picture where my kids are sitting in a pinkish graffiti covered egg shaped thing, but there were many other varieties too).
Those are fab. We have similar, but not as great here in the UK
I was going to say we have only one left here in Salem, Oregon.... But I did hear other parents complainig about it's danger so I'm sure it won't last long. My dauhter loves it.
Hah! Well hello neighbor!
If you've never been, there is a playground at the Rickreall Fairgrounds on Hwy. 99. Pretty much every single piece of play equipment would have been ripped out years ago if there were enough people around to care. It's so awesome. I don't have any kids, but it's fun for all ages, though most of the seats are too small for adult-sized butts (just one example of the ways in which it does not conform to today's playground building requirements). If this works, here's a picture of me playing DANGEROUSLY on a four-sided springy thing. http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs477.snc3/26160_528846984758_51702295_31335613_3618337_n.jpg
Those are great! I think there's a reason so many playgrounds here in Canada don't have "big kids" on them - because they're boring! I can see older kids having lots of fun on those adventure playgrounds.
I like the wood-ness of these, as opposed to the plastic-ness of the ones in the US.
Though there are the rare few, hidden, wood playgrounds that we find around here.
Or the even rare-er metal ones - with merry-go-rounds & metal monkey bar towers & see-saws & tires, circa my own childhood.
I see graffiti is a problem. I suppose that's true of most cities, sadly.
LOVE the water running through that one playground. Lovely!
I also especially like the beer availability. Very cool playgrounds. Wish there were some like that in the states.
Those playgrounds all look AMAZING and so much more fun than most of the ones I see here in the US! lol
Holy cow, I had better make sure my kids aren't looking over my shoulder. Those playgrounds look fantastic!
Annie, now I know what you mean, these German playgrounds are amazing? I don't know of any that cool in Bremen. But we still had so much fun when we were there a few weeks ago.
Can't wait to see your BlogHer Session tomorrow!
Liebe Grusse,
Dagmar
Dagmar's momsense
Ausgezeichnet! Like a cool, sane breeze. Thanks for sharing this.
Those are really cool looking, but more importantly, was that a beer?!?! Now THAT would make it easier to go to the park! lol
Yes! That is a beer. There is a beer garden adjacent to the playground. A wonderful thing.
What beautiful playgrounds! So different from the ones here in NYC.
those are great shots! i recognize a few..where is the one five down on the left?
That one is in Britzer Garten. One of our favourite places in Berlin.
Awesomeness.
Oh wow, that takes me back! I lived near Kaiserslaughtern (?sp) from K-3rd grade back in the 80s. There were at least three playgrounds within easy walking distance from our apartment. Those pictures really make me miss living there and I wish I could take my kids to a cool playground like that.
[...] were delicious real food treats that were equally accessible. They accepted it because there were numerous playgrounds in the area that were much nicer than the trashy one at the McDonald’s. They accepted it [...]
these look great! can someone please post the address of the playgrounds??
i want to visit them!
danke
[...] Annie’s photos of a playground in Berlin leave me with complete playground envy as do these photos of playgrounds in Prenzlauer Berg by Cindy. I can imagine spending hours watching Charlie on this slide and this one and those rope bridges. Too much fun. [...]
[...] and social play every day. Tour the playgrounds of every town you drive through. See how foreign playgrounds are different from the ones you’re used to. Let kids be kids. In our case, 30 minutes spent running and [...]
Hey, love the pictures! Where in berlin is the biergarten by the playground. My wife, two daughters and I are in Berlin for the year and have been searching for one. Thanks!
Andy: The biergarten is Burg am See in Kreuzberg: http://www.burg-am-see.de/
That's how I feel about this playground in Montpellier, France. My kids spent hours climbing up and down these poles like circus performers! http://michaelraupach.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/img_2295.jpg