Chaldecott Park takes me for a walk down memory lane

 Playgrounds
May 192010
 

Walk with me down memory lane for a moment…

Ahhhh… Chaldecott Park, home field of my old soccer team, the Dunbar Dazzlers (yah, that name was embarrassing even back then); the woods were inhabited by my brownie pack; and the wading pool (now filled in with cement and transformed into a water park) was used by my family on hot summer days. I haven’t set foot in this park in over 20 years…ouch!

Standing in the park with my husband and son, I was overwhelmed by good feelings! Even the air smelled good…and the daisies in the grass….oh, the daisy chains we used to make… “snap out of it, woman!”

Ok…sorry, here are the facts:

  • 1 big kid swing set (5 swings)
  • 1 toddler swing set (4 swings)
  • 1 tire swing
  • 1 fort/slide for big kids
  • 1 fort/slide for toddlers
  • 2 sad looking springy horses
  • 4 picnic tables
  • 1 water park
  • 2 baseball diamond with very old bleachers

 

This park is good fun. My 21 month old son sat on the bleachers with Daddy, mesmerized by the baseball practice in session.

The fort/slide targeting toddlers is the smallest I’ve ever seen and a great starting place for timid kids.
There’s only one thing that drives me “batty”. Why, oh why, do they make it so difficult for little kids to access the slides? What’s wrong with using good ole fashioned steps…why the crazy ladders? This design flaw is the cause of my sore shoulders and upper back from lifting Caden up to the slide every time he signs “more”, “more”, “more”. It’s tough being a Mommy (but you get ripped arms).

Rant aside, we will return to this park. Besides, now I  have a new, wonderful memory here. Caden blowing his first dandelion seeds into the air. So sweet.

Chaldecott Park
4175 Wallace Street
(@ King Edward Avenue)

Vancouver College Mayfair puts bouncy castle to shame

 Entertainment, Shopping
May 162010
 

    

The VC Mayfair is not your everyday school fair. Yes, they have the obligatory baked goods, toys, books, sporting goods, and clothing for sale but they also have an International Food Fair and an “inflated playground” for kids.

Once again, I was first in line at the Toys and “man oh man” did I clean up. I nabbed a Fisher-Price Rock, Roll ‘N Ride Trike (reg $45), a Fisher Price Radio/Alarm Clock that talks, a battery operated fire engine, some toy cars, a Kawasaki Digital Drum Set (reg $45), a Kawasaki Musical Keyboard (reg $34), a cute wooden growth chart, a Crayola Crayon Maker (Reg $60), and a brand new (never opened) Fisher Price Fun to Imagine Power Sounds Workshop Tool Bench (reg $40). The kicker…I think I paid $35 for everything. Isn’t that just crazy? The trike was 6 bucks. That’s it, I’m never paying retail  for toys again.

The Internation Food Fair is unique. Here, you can buy Latin, Filipino, Korean, Greek, Indian, Japanese and Chinese food. There are also the typical hamburgers, hotdogs and pizza lurking around plus pancakes to be had in the morning.

Around back, beside O’Hagan field was every kids’ fantasy; a bright, bouncy village that included a farm, gianormous pirate ship, huge slide, and jungle. There was even an obstacle course with kids racing from within huge, clear plastic balls. I’ve never seen anyone so happy to be zipped inside a huge, inflated plastic bubble. These kids were hysterical. There were 2 areas appropriate for toddlers but the rest was definitely for bigger kids.

Talk about cheap entertainment for the kids, the entry fee was only $2. The fair is well-organized and the people volunteering are friendly and laid back. This is a fun way to spend part of your Saturday. The fair is usually held the second Saturday in May.

Vancouver College School
5400 Cartier Street,
Vancouver, BC

Kitsilano Community Centre Kids’ Swap Meet Review

 Shopping
May 152010
 

This was my second visit to the Kits Kids’ Swap and I must say, there’s good stuff to be had there. A kids’ swap, for those that don’t know, is a place to buy cheap, second-hand toys and kids clothes (sold by Mommies and Daddies). I actually intend to sell excess clothes and toys via a swap in the next 6 months. Tables are $15. Even though I won’t get rich, it will help me support my latte habit (plus think of the closet space I could free up….yeeHA!)

Swaps are held in the gym (the entrance closest to 12th avenue) and entry fee was 50¢. The gym isn’t very big and gets overcrowded quickly. I try to leave my toddler with Grandma or Daddy so I can move quickly. Lots of people bring their kids, babies and strollers which makes it difficult to move so I suggest getting there early, doing the rounds and getting out with your sanity intact.

Most of my best finds were lying under the tables. So, don’t forget to look underneath the tables and be prepared to dig through a few boxes. This trip resulted in a couple books, 1 Elmo (and it was a Gund too!), 4 toy cars, a Fisher Price Little People Train, a Fisher Price Little People Jungle Set, and a brand new Mickey Mouse baseball cap. Caden’s response was better than the one we got at Christmas (Hurray for Mommy!).

There are some smok’in good deals to be found at these sales. So why would you buy new, when your kids wear their clothes and play with their toys for such a short time….right Elmo?

Kitsilano Community Centre
2690 Larch Street
Vancouver, BC

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