Maddy's Guide to Playgrounds in Burlington - Rahanis Park

 

Basics:

Date of visit: May 26th, 2024

Where can I find it? Just off Mill St. 

Bathrooms? See below.

Parking? Lots, with multiple points of access! 

When open? Daylight hours. 

Review:

Who let the dogs out? Rahanis has become the de facto meeting place for canine companions in Burlington, with a large area for them to run around in. But, as I am not a dog, my focus will remain on the areas designated for smaller persons with indelible curiosities. If you count all the tennis courts and soccer fields, Rahanis has a clear focus on people over dogs, which is my personal preference, but the playground facilities, in terms of acreage, are a bit lacking. 

Ahoy matey, thar be dogs ahead!

The smaller play structure consists of a simple slide and, curiously, the fake bow of a ship. There is no blending of any other nautical themes present that I could see, so I am not entirely sure why this artifact was chosen. My guess is that it was installed circa '97-'98, when everyone wanted to be the King of the World. The choice has not aged well, in my opinion. 

This is actually the tree house of my dreams

The larger structure has much more compelling design choices, with an emphasis on verticality to get into and out of the center space near the top. Between fixed ladders, rope ladders, stairs, two kinds of slide, and a climbing wall, there are innumerable ways for a small child to give their parents a heart attack as they make their way up, and sometimes down in a dramatic fashion. 

Oh, what a tangled web we weave....

The most compelling structure at Rahanis is the spider web. A clever mesh of tensioned ropes creates a maze of infinite obstructions and solutions to allow one to climb up, around, through, or perhaps simply dangle near the center, out of reach of your father, who keeps telling you that it is getting too hot, and we need to head home. There is an achievable Zen to be found listening to the rantings of an overcooked, aged brain, I suppose. 

Above I stated "see below" with respect to the bathrooms. Near the playground is a very nicely equipped bathroom structure with fully functional plumbing. I am happy to report that I also found a single port a potty on the far side of the park, near parking for the soccer fields that also works, though it has not been cleaned in a while, based on the tears on my father's face when he escorted me inside. 

What horrors has this pit of death seen?

One of the odder discoveries is this setup for what can only be a rooster fighting arena. I was shocked to see something so permanently on display adjacent to where children, yes children, play blissfully unaware of what goes down after they go to bed in these things! I cannot believe Burlington actively condones such activities!

Setting aside the illicit activities, Rahanis park is well equipped for entertainment of many ages and species. Just don't bring your pet chicken. I give it four dogs.

Madelyn Hope Lewis is the senior playground tester of Lewis Developments, and a connoisseur of playtime activities. When she's not exploring Massachusetts fun time architecture, she can be found scouting out where is exactly "the line" with her parents. 

Maddy's Guide to Playgrounds in Burlington - Veteran's Park

 

Basics:

Date of visit: May 18th, 2024

Where can I find it? Just off Wilmington Rd. 

Bathrooms? Only 1. It is a Port-A-Potty, and it's seen some 💩

Parking? Limited. 

When open? Daylight hours. 

Review:

We ended up visiting this playground the same day as Pine Glen, due to the technical limitations of that park. This one had a functional play area if a bit dated. 

Equal parts systems for tiny arms and floor is lava afficionados

Veteran's park is an exercise in compactness. Every decision appears to have been made to compromise for the limited footprint available in the park. Despite having a full baseball diamond, there is very limited seating for any spectators, relegating this to largely a practice field. The playground is for entertaining the younger siblings while big bro' or big sis' goes to hit a ball with a stick. That is the only explanation for the limited parking and even more limited toilet facilities. 

Those restrictions understood, there is plenty to enjoy oneself in the playground area itself. While not as many swings as I might prefer, they are sufficient, if a bit on the silent side. 

My father tells me to pump my legs. I tell him to earn his pay and give me a push.

One interesting aspect of the structure is the space theme employed, complete with a rocket that can fly to various parts of the solar systems. Other children should be cautioned, however, that it was clearly not designed by a professional to have an accurate placement of planets in proximity to the sun or even each other! 

Clearly a pre-2006 design. #ripPluto

I'm not sure why they wanted a geocentric model, as that was largely abandoned thanks to the work of researcher like Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo. That is what my father tells me. I think he knew them. 

One might think that this is a silly space with no placement for education, but that is contrasted with the opposing wall that contains the alphabet with its corresponding braille equivalents, so that one can spend time broadening their skillsets. Perhaps there is an intentional dichotomy between the fantastical and the practical, with the hope of creating a natural experiment to see which one the children naturally gravitate to. Alas, such an experiment is likely doomed to fail, because the placement of the letters is taller than can be reached by expected users of the play structure. 

I'll need another 12 inches of height before I'll learn what 'a' feels like. 

Well endowed with natural wood chips to soften all landings, Veteran's park is a fun place to stop and stay for an hour or so, before moving on to larger, greater play systems that can be found elsewhere. All in all, I give it 4 Plutos.

Madelyn Hope Lewis is the senior playground tester of Lewis Developments, and a connoisseur of playtime activities. When she's not exploring Massachusetts fun time architecture, she can be found scouting out where is exactly "the line" with her parents. 

Maddy's Guide to Playgrounds in Burlington - Pine Glen Elementary

 

Basics:

Date of visit: May 18th, 2024

Where can I find it? Behind the school. 

Bathrooms? None

Parking? Plenty, though a bit of a walk from the parking lot. 

When open? When there is no school. 

Review:

The Pine Glen playground is easily one of the most compelling playgrounds I have visited to date. We almost did not find it, as the play area is tucked away behind the school, with nary a piece of signage to indicate if one is headed in the right direction, or simply trespassing. 

I am happy to report that the swings are plentiful, and sufficiently squeaky to satisfy the needs of active goers seeking cacophonous accompaniment. 

So much swing! So much squeak!

Upon approach, I was surprised by the choice of fencing surrounding the area, especially given the wonderful green all around, and its placement very far from all but the most four wheeled drive of vehicles seeking to void their extended warranties. But, upon close inspection, the choices all became clear when we arrived at the centerpiece of the setup: the art installation!

The crime is art!

At first glance, it looks like a pretty standard play structure, but once you get up close, you'll find the stairs, the ladders, the slides, truly all points of egress have been blocked off in a variety of manners. Caution tape has been used as a reminder that this installation is not to be considered interactive, but there are playful uses of jump ropes, and other pieces of children's playground equipment to properly sequester access as well. The possible interpretations are vast and meaningful, from the ephemeral state of being one must be in to normally access such playgrounds before the unavoidable "growing up" makes one too large to appreciate such beauty, to the natural state of decay that eventually comes for us all. 

No matter where you swing, the installation is front and center.

My father believes that the structure is supposed to be a regular play structure, and that the central bridge appears to have broken, which is why it's cordoned off. But his aging engineering mind full of logic and Ockham's Razor is trapped in a limited, pragmatist perspective that prevents him from seeing the beauty that this piece offers. I do not doubt that some of the children at the school were involved in its creation. Either from the wrapping of the tape, or perhaps the artist put it up in real time as children tried to bypass the restrictions to gain access to the piece. What more evidence do you need than the fact that there is a special chair for children to sit and gaze upon the structure, while contemplating its meanings?

The viewing chair is a nice touch.

Ultimately, while it is compelling, the size of the installation has dramatically reduced the amount of available play systems, which I think is what a playground should truly satisfy. To that end, I will score this one with four caution tapes.

Madelyn Hope Lewis is the senior playground tester of Lewis Developments, and a connoisseur of playtime activities. When she's not exploring Massachusetts fun time architecture, she can be found scouting out where is exactly "the line" with her parents. 

Maddy's Guide to Playgrounds in Burlington - Francis Wyman Elementary

 

Basics:

Date of visit: May 11th, 2024

Where can I find it? Behind the school. 

Bathrooms? None

Parking? Plenty. 

When open? When there's no school. 

Review:

As elementary schools go, Pine Glen appears to be the largest in the district, judging by the acreage of available play equipment. It would also appear that the primary audience of this equipment tends to have greater verticality than yours truly. That being said, I still managed to climb up and over most things. 

I approve of the choice of organic turf, risk of splinters notwithstanding.

Set back from the school and the athletic fields, the play structure follows a more modern aesthetic, emphasizing function over form, which suits me fine. The yellow handrails contrast nicely with the largely blue structures, though I wonder if visibility is ever strained on a bright, sunny day. Thankfully, I did not have to worry about that during my visit. My father prefers days with a melancholier overtone. 

Slides this steep deserve a pool at the bottom, but I am not complaining. Not about this, at least.

Beyond the gymnastic challenges, including one that appears to have melted, there are more swings per potential child here than I have ever seen! They do not squeak a lot, which I do not care for, but my father prefers. 

There is also a merry go round. My father tells me that the older ones were mounted above the ground, and that it was possible for kids to roll under and sometimes get hurt. I believe he imparted this knowledge to reinforce my understanding that he is old. 

He also insisted on spinning me counterclockwise, demonstrating his strong affinity to the Coriolis effect, even though it should not apply here. 

Behold, the modern centrifugal acceleration machine!

Overall, I give this playground a score of 4 carousels. 

Madelyn Hope Lewis is the senior playground tester of Lewis Developments, and a connoisseur of playtime activities. When she's not exploring Massachusetts fun time architecture, she can be found scouting out where is exactly "the line" with her parents.