Saturday, October 10, 2020

Journey to 100 Parks #2 - Mission Hills Park - Plymouth, MN

Our second park is Mission Hills in Plymouth.  I used to drive past this every day on my way to Bible School back in 2004-2005.  I like that it is set back pretty far from the road, making it much safer.  There is a little creek that runs along the north side as well.
Key Features
This playground had a really cool treehouse themed structure with logs and trees to climb, a rock wall, and some inclusive features.  More parks are starting to add structures for kids with physical and intellectual disabilities.  The great thing about these is that all kids and adults can enjoy them.  I have shared our visit to Madison's Place in the past and have been seeing lots of these parks popping up around the metro.
Parker found a wheel, but it was not a very good one.  He made his disdain known as well.  Not sure if it was just a poor design or if it needed to be tightened, but it didn't freely spin.  It also didn't have a handle or hole to grip.
My favorite part by far was a friend that Parker made.  Kids will often approach him, but lose interest quickly when he doesn't speak back to them in a traditional manner.  This boy asked a few questions, but just kept playing when Parker didn't answer.  He followed Parker around and played tag with him even though Parker didn't know he was playing.  I was able to chat with his grandpa for a few minutes and share our story.  We exchanged numbers and will try to meet up at another park before it gets too cold.  Warms my mama heart and gives me hope for the future.
This one gets 8 swings out of 10.  I loved the creative play structure and grounds were well kept.  I also love that Parker found a friend, even for just a moment.
Bonus: Here is a video of Jimmy on the rings.  He's done a great job getting in shape this year and is starting to work on more strength building now that he's reached a healthy weight.

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