For Pebble’s birthday, we were visiting family in New York for spring break, and we wanted to make the day special. I discovered that an old playground that I’d visited when I was a child had been renovated just a few years ago by the Junior League of Kingston, and we decided to check it out. Kinderland II Park is located at 157 Lucas Avenue Extension, Kingston, NY 12401. Once you pull into the park, there is a lot there with some parking right next to the playground. You could also turn right, and park closer down to Forsyth Nature Center. There was at least one porta-potty that I saw, as well as a small bathroom between the playground and the Nature Center. We had our trusty travel potty in the backpack to pull out if needed.
Once we let the kids out of the car, they made a break for the playground and all three went three different ways. FYI, there is a wooden fence that surrounds the playground, and the only opening is at the front entrance. This helps prevent the kids from running out onto Lucas Ave. Inside the fence line there are two distinct areas. There is a big kid side of the playground that has a large wooden playset with multiple slides. There is also a rope climb, rock wall, jumping stools, monkey bars, swings including a tire swing, and so much more!
The younger kiddos area is to the right as you pass through the entrance to the playground. There is a fence and wall in the middle of the playground that partially divide the two distinct playing areas so older kiddos don’t roam into the younger area as much. There are two ways to access the different sides of the playground. One is an opening right near playground entrance, and the other is at the back of the playground near the older kids’ swing set. There is a toddler swing set, rainbow bridge, slides, sand pit, and more in the preschool / toddler area. Pebble had fun playing over here, and loved running across the rainbow bridge. Stormy and Rainbow weren’t over here as much. Stormy spent a lot of time on the monkey bars, and Rainbow wanted me to spin her like crazy on the tire swing.
The renovation of this playground is amazing! It is nice to see a wooden playground again, even if the wood is actually plastic made to look like wood, and the mature pine trees surrounding it provide some needed shade during the morning hours. The girls played for quite a while before we walked down the parking lot to Forsyth Nature Center. When I hear the words Nature Center, I think an indoor building with info on the local animals, flora and fauna. This is not a traditional Nature Center, and there are no buildings to enter. The place is enclosed with a metal fence, and the rules of the place are clearly listed. It is more zoo than Nature Center.
We turned right as we entered the gate, and the first enclosure we came to was for the peacocks. Sadly, due to avian flu and an abundance of caution, the keepers had decided to keep the birds indoors. Maybe on our next visit, it will be safe to let them out. We continued on to the ducks area. That is when we discovered certain animals had signs outside their enclosures stating what they liked to eat. Popcorn, carrots, apples, and lettuce appear to be favorites. My girls were sad we didn’t have any food to feed the animals. Then a very nice lady shared her bag of carrots with my girls and their faces lit up!
After we visited with the birds, we moved on to a cow, and then the alpacas. Other families generously shared their veggies with us so my girls could experience feeding the animals.
Near the alpacas, there was a small turtle house where we could watch turtles and tortoises, and a reptile house that had a few snakes and an Australian bearded dragon. We couldn’t go into these houses, but rather walked around them looking in at the animals. There was also a tiny pond that was home to fish and turtles. Past these areas were the goats, pigs, rabbits, and a small garden area.
The girls had a blast in the Nature Center. It wasn’t big, and it was set up so that one could easily walk in a circle past each habitat. There are also picnic tables and benches if one wants to relax and watch the animals. For those that feed the animals, there are a few spots to get some much needed hand sanitizer. The Nature Center does host events, so be sure to check out their FB page to see what is happening. They update their FB page fairly regularly, especially if they need to remain closed for the day. All 3 girls have said they want to come back for another visit on our next trip to New York, and this time bring veggies for the animals. The park is well worth a visit if you are in town with littles who need to burn off energy. Happy trails!