Oakton Manor

Another Unilocal success story! Thanks to Mike O. for introducing me to this beautiful playground/​park (gasp!) in my own hometown. I guess I don’t get out much.
My toddler explored everything in the little kids play section (there is another for big kids). See-​saw, swings, slides, jungle gym. All the structures seemed sturdy; they even held my weight! I also saw a sticker on the big piece indicating that the structure was designed for kids 2 – 5 years old and urging parental supervision at all times.
The one item that was iffy was the red/​blue-​block climbing structure; as Mike O. said, it is treacherous and an open invitation for small kids to fall off of (of course, mine had to climb all the way to the top — me forming a protective shield with my body.)
There is also a baseball field, tennis court and a Niles Park District-​run preschool adjoining to the playground. Well-​maintained lawns, easy street parking. I had to drag my daughter away, with promises that we’ll return on another day.

In my continuing quest to find fun places for my kids to play, here is another hidden gem among play-​parks. Out of sight of major traffic, between Oakton and Milwaukee, this park runs from Ozark to Ozanam, smack-​dab in a quiet residential Niles neighborhood. It has not one, but two playgrounds.
In the «big kids» playground, there are three tall slides, with multi-​level platforms, a climbing wall with footholds, swings, and a rickety bridge made up of «mushrooms» for walking on carefully. My 3-​year old can navigate it quite well despite it being for older children.
The second playground has easier obstacles and smaller slides, baby swings, a seesaw, and well-​groomed shrubbery. An interesting construct of red and blue blocks is there for climbing, but it seems kind of treacherous for small kids to fall through. Still, it’s fun to walk on it.
There are frequent baseball or soccer games here, so it can be crowded. The lawn is beautifully well-​kept, excellent for perfecting grass-​rolling techniques by small children and grownups feeling equally silly.