If you have not noticed, the weather is ever changing in Cincinnati. Just in the past week, our weather has ranged from 70 degrees to tornadoes. My daffodils are coming up but today it sure did not feel like Spring outside. Like most kids, if my daughter does not get to run around she gets irritable. There is only so much running around and jumping she can do in our house and I am not always willing to pay for one of the more than dozen indoor play places in the area when I know there are other options. I had heard that some of the malls had playgrounds but my expectations were exceeded by the playground at Tri-County Mall.
Tri-County Mall sits in the middle of the Greater Cincinnati area right off of I-275. Recently the mall has experienced a lot of positive changes under new management. New restaurants are showing up as well as a Starbucks with a drive-thru! The mall itself is rather large and a lot of people come to “mall walk” the two levels. This being said, not too long ago we were having one of those days when we needed to get out of the house and we needed to do something more than just go to Target or do as many drive-thru errands as possible. Those two activities are great options and I will comment on them at another time, but what we needed to do was play!
Needless to say at this point I did realize how nice this playground was. I was just thinking we could walk around the mall to burn off some energy, ride on the small merry-go-round on the second floor, and go down the slide a few times. I was thinking I could get a Starbucks and my daughter could have a cookie by the mall fountains. My plan was trumped by the new playground and my expectations were exceeded. The best part about this playground is that it is free!
This new playground has a community theme. One section of the playground is a gas station with pumps where kids can pretend they are pumping gasoline, as well as a carwash with flaps that kids can run through. My daughter loved this and kept running through it. The playground is mostly fenced in with openings through which a stroller can fit and long benches line the perimeter for parents to sit on (and drink a Starbucks). The floor has a street pattern and there are also lamp posts around the edges of the playground. The playground resembles a street block. Apart from the carwash, the playground features a multilevel structure that is the Springdale fire and police station. There are several slides, ladders, and even a mini climbing wall. As opposed to being a random playground, the community theme is fun for play and useful for learning about safety.
So as the weather does its unpredictable thing, do not despair as there are options! Maybe you can squeeze in a little shopping too while at the mall!
Monday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday 12 – 6 p.m.