When school began, Pebble and I started our mommy and Pebble solo adventures. We began with Watkins Park down in Upper Marlboro. Pebble had been here for the Christmas lights, but never to play on the playgrounds thanks to the pandemic. Watkins Park is home to not one, but two of Prince George’s County’s Imagination Playgrounds. Most people only know about the Wizard of Oz-themed playground, which was what we were there for, but there is a second one with a horse racing theme back in the picnic area. I’ll blog about that one after Pebble and I visit it. The horse racing playground is an old favorite of Stormy and Rainbow. Pebble has never seen the movie Wizard of Oz, but she was entranced by this playground and the detail put into it. She loved the rainbow arch you walk under to reach the playground, and happily followed the yellow brick road.
There are slides that look like giant ruby red slippers, playsets that resemble hot air balloons, a barn, and the Emerald City. There are climbing domes to represent Munchkin Land, and a playhouse that looks like Auntie Em’s farmhouse. It is an amazing playground, and Pebble didn’t know where to begin. She loved riding on the tractor, and trying the slides that jutted from the barn structure. Pebble spent a lot of time on the swings, one of her favorite aspects of any playground. There is a musical area back by the hot air balloon playset, but we didn’t make it over there. She was too busy exploring the Emerald City, climbing the trees where the winged monkeys live, running in and out of the climbing domes, and riding on the spring loaded farm animals.
This playground is one of the best known ones in the area, and it is often busy. We avoid it during the summer months due to the summer camps that come to use it. With so many play structures, it is hard to keep track of kids when one has three that go three different directions! Fortunately, Pebble and I visited on a school morning when there weren’t many other children playing here. After Pebble had explored most of the playground, she asked to check out the Nature Center. The pathway to the Nature Center is right next to the playground, and it winds past the restrooms through the woods. The pathway has been painted since we last saw it. The first section we came to dealt with the life cycle of frogs. I had Pebble trying to jump from egg cluster to egg cluster, then tadpole to frog, trying to stay out of the “water.” The next painted area represented the sky with different types of birds flying high. Here, I got Pebble to pretend she was a bird flying high, and she soared along the pathway until it ended at the Aviary outside the Nature Center. This outdoor area is home to a raven, a few hawks, crows, and owls, and there are signs up requesting that visitors observe a quiet zone. Birds have sharp hearing, and we don’t want to scare them!
After looking at the birds, we checked out the mini-ponds for frogs, there were tons, and then headed inside. Pebble made a bee-line for the deep enclosure well in the middle of the Center where turtles and koi live. Watch your kids around this enclosure, I’m always afraid one of mine is going to fall in! In other enclosures, the Nature Center houses owls, snakes, hissing cockroaches, frogs, turtles, a bearded dragon, and more! There is even a rabbit now living in the Center. Pebble’s favorites were the rabbit, turtles, and owls. It is a wonderful little Nature Center, and they have a corner of it set up as a kids area with books, blocks, puzzles, etc. Pebble played here happily with some other children for quite a while.
When Pebble was done visiting the Center, we walked back on the pathway toward the playground. We didn’t stop at the playground, but continued onward into the parking lot where the car was, and then crossed the street. Why? We were off to see the farm animals at the Old Maryland Farm! The pathway is well marked and paved so it is easy for strollers to use. We followed the path past a miniature golf course and the carousel, both closed for the season, along with a train one can ride during the summer for a small fee. The farm is small, but cute. We saw rabbits, peacocks, alpacas, chickens, ducks, and cows.
By the time we finished our circuit of the farm, Pebble was done. I air-lifted her back to the car, where she settled into her seat with a big cup of water and a snack. We drove to the back of the park so I could show her the other playground. Watkins Park packs a punch as there is so much to do! Definitely, check the website in advance to see what the hours are for the farm and Nature Center. I know that both the Nature Center and Farm are closed on Mondays, and the days they are open, they don’t open until 10am. The carousel, train, and mini golf are seasonal, summer only. I don’t know anything about the campsites or tennis courts, nor have I done the walking trails that circle the park, but would love to sometime. If you haven’t been to this wonderful park yet, please go! It is worth it! Happy trails!
https://www.mncppc.org/3204/Watkins-Regional-Park
