Apart from some late afternoon shade, this toddler playground is in full sun during the day and can be a scorcher in the summer.

Located on the northwest corner of a large field, this old style playground is plunked in the middle of some pea gravel and features a double slide and a wide slide. The slides are a tad steep and could use an extra foot of extension at the end to prevent one’s child from falling off. So, be ready at the bottom to slow them down if need be.

The top platform is a hexagon and has two small ledges for benches. There’s also a scratched up circular window to peek out of and an excessive amount of steering wheels to satisfy any backseat driver. Four steering wheels to be exact.

We enjoyed a lot of dump truck action during our visit as the street was a loading zone for trucks to transfer new material to a nearby construction site. Perhaps a common sight for the next couple of years as Oakridge area continues plans to develop and densify.

Lastly, on the other side of the field are some medium-small slopes that look good for sledding in the winter. Probably not a useful tidbit if you’re reading this during a scorching summer, but something to keep in mind.

Ever had the sudden urge to work out while your kids played at the playground? Me neither. So ignore that fitness circuit here at Tisdall Park because you don’t need to feel even more guilty about eating that whole bag of chips last night.

The playground here is a climber, with signage indicating it’s been specifically designed for the 5-12 years old range. It’s very vertical structure has four options for getting up to the twisty slide – steps, curved ladder, climbing wall, or a cylinder rope climber that’s interestingly called a Chimney Climber. The play system is reminiscence of the one at Kaslo Park but simplified.

Next to this is a freestanding spinner, called a TopsyTurny that can hold a number of friends between the vertical cables. It’s slimmer and has a smaller surface area than the popular cone or pyramid spinners and therefore spins a little faster.

The aforementioned fitness area, or wellness circuit, was created in 2009 for seniors and includes 13 activity stations. Exercise on equipment like a cardio stepper, ab crunch or leg lift, squat/chest/back press, balance steps and more. Even though this portion of the park is named the “Vancouver Senior’s Community Park”, there’s no reverse ageism here as it’s wide open for the public to use. This includes your kids who might want a shot at bench pressing a hundy. Everyone can hulk out here as much as they please.

Lastly, there’s a stone circle nearby for a nice communal place to sit. A perfect spot to converse with other families while flexing biceps and say jokes like, “Call the vet, because these pythons are sick!”