Robin Ripley

Nice new playground at thr north entrance to Centennial Park. Not as big as the playground near the main entrance, but parking is more readily available. Lots of ways to make music/sound. There is a kind of dual swing I've never see before that allows a parent and toddler to swing together. The playground is adjacent to a small skate park and multiple tennis courts. This entrance is a little further from the lake than other entrances and seems almost like a separate park. Overall very nice.

Nice hidden playground. Bigger than the typical tot lot with a big rock wall and multiple slides. No real parking. You have to park on the street at a turn in the road.

Fun challenge course supposedly targeted at older kids (over 10) but I mostly see younger kids play here. Encourages running and climbing. There is a timer for the course if the kids want to time themselves. Weirdly, it always seems to be windy here. Not sure if it's bad timing on my part or if there's something about the setup that makes it prone to wind. There is no shade, but of the three Blandair playgrounds it has the closest parking. Even when there are games going on at the fields, parking is readily available. Unlike the other two playgrounds at Blandair, I have not seen any food trucks here on the weekends.

Nice compact climbing structure with a slide built into the hill. Great way to let the kids burn off some energy while you enjoy the view of the lake and the two-level fountain.

Open swim hours a pretty limited. Aside from that, it's pretty good. Kiddie pool is beach entry so kids can go in as deep as they feel comfortable up to 2 feet. Main pool has a diving board which causes some fierce echoing when someone other than a small child jumps off. Haven't had a chance to try Splashdown yet since it is only open Saturday evenings. There are multiple family changing rooms (much better than a few years ago when they only had one) and plenty of lockers. The water is warm but not overly so. There are life vests available if you're more comfortable having your little ones (or yourself) use one. Main pool has step entry and ladder entry.