"Same hurt in every heart Same trailer, different park"…read more(Kacey Musgraves) Charter Oak Park was unexpectedly one of the biggest and best parks we've seen in Connecticut. When you pull into the parking lot the park doesn't look that big, but as we walked around we were so surprised to see it keeps going and going on and on like a peaceful Energizer Bunny. We saw a playground, a dog park, basketball courts, murals, the East Coast Greenway walking/biking path, a waterfall, and a bridge to name just a few. The Greenway was beautiful, very flat, very wide with lots of pretty scenery and water views. If you want a low impact place to walk, its perfect. We saw a second path up to the Dog Park, but that was on a rather steep incline, so we passed on it. But the two very coolest things we saw were a student decorated fence and a Rotary Musical Garden. The fence project involved a five foot high vinyl chain link fence collaboration between the Cheney Tech Carpentry Program, Country Carpenters of Hebron, and Home Depot. Students had painted squares of wood to represent their interests, so we saw hockey, music, nature and books among the hundreds of miniature works of art. The squares were mechanically attached through the fence into a second square on the other side of the fence, essentially locking them into place, The musical Garden has multiple big xylophones in all kinds of shapes and sizes and big colorful bongo drums. You can have a blast making cool noises as you engage with each of the music stations. Truth be told, Charter Oak Park was fantastic.

Charter Oak Park is definitely a diamond in the rough. Though it's not located in the most…read morebeautiful neighborhood, it's new and has so much to do! The park has a playground with 2 main play structures (one for 2-5 year olds, one for 5-12 year olds), baby and regular swings, a music garden, 4 basketball courts, 2 tennis courts, 3 baseball fields, a great paved walking path, several picnic tables, real restrooms, and a big empty field. I visited on a Wednesday morning with my toddler and we had a blast! We spend most of our time on the playground and in the music garden. The play structure for younger kids is on the small side but still has some fun features. It has a rock they can climb up, ladders, some fake stumps, and 2 slides (including a side-by-side). There's also a cool thing about 4 kids can sit in while it is being spun by an adult or another child from outside. My almost 2 year old navigated this whole structure with ease. The second play structure for older kids was very fun. It had a lot of different obstacles to climb including rock walls, different nets and webs, ladders, a balance beam... the list goes on. It also had a very cool swing that was almost like a zip line with a seat to sit on. The two play structures are not divided by anything, so my toddler moved back and forth between the two. He could navigate some of it by himself but I definitely had to stay close by or climb with him. There are many places for a smaller child to fall from and climbing obstacles that were just too big. However, this playground would definitely have more for a 12 year old to do than many I have seen for this same age. Finally, we visited the music garden. It was beautiful, even with the cooler weather setting in. The landscaping and shrubbery was well done and kept and all the instruments were still in great shape.

This playground is perfect for kids of all ages, but I especially love that it's appropriate for my…read moretwo year old AND six year old. There's plenty of variety but I also feel that it's a safe environment for both kids to play without resorting to being a helicopter parent. It's also nice that there's the adjacent track, if one feels like taking a stroll or run. This is one of our favorite playgrounds!

This is an excellent park that is next to a large outdoor field that serves for many sports and…read morelocal events. the park has the distinction of being design to be accessible to special needs (i.e. wheelchair bound) children, but that in no way deters from the fun. There are two areas, one is designed for the younger children, and the other area for older kids, but most children over 4-5 should be able to play in either area. There are two drawbacks to this playground. 1) there are sometime porta potties available, but the park restrooms are not too close, and locked for the most part. and 2) there is no fence around the area, so you need to pay attention to make sure your kids don't wander. Overall, a very nice park

The splash pad is the big draw to this park, but it has so much more to offer! This park also has a…read moreskate park, playground, basketball court & soccer field! There is a large "tent" set up for the shade seekers. There is also a small pavilion with benches for gatherings. We brought our son here today to beat the heat with a little water play. He opted to change into his suit in the car, but there are also restrooms available. There are a handful of of benches circling the splash pad. They're far enough away that you aren't under direct fire (there are large water guns), but you may get a refreshing spray now and then. This would be a great spot to meet up with some friends for a picnic and to let the kids run wild!

Always such a blast for the little guy. Has definitely helped us cool down this summer. Thanks…read moreCromwell for providing such a great spot!

Trails, a rose garden, water, a playground, and a dog pound(?). This a little gem of a place…read more Think lincoln woods for those from RI like me. This place is huge and one could easily spend hours here. Very quaint and peaceful.

Beautiful park, lots of trails to walk and the water fountains are a nice touch too! We were able…read moreto sit on a bench and watch the ducks and a few turtles too! Beautiful atmosphere and they even have a playground for the kids.

Beautiful park to walk or hike in. They have an amazing history trail that uses braille. Historic…read morelands! Also has a beautiful waterfalls running through it.

Had fun taking the brisk day to walk with my daughter down the walking path at Valley Falls. I…read morealways get neat pictures and great exercise.

Love taking the dogs for a walk here. Lots of parking and there's typically families at the…read moreplayground. You can't let the dogs onto the field, but you don't need to because there's plenty of space to walk them. There are also tennis courts here there are garbage cans, but no facilities.

Clean. Quiet. Nice family park. Brand new tennis courts, brand new basketball courts. 2 baseball…read morefields. A brand new large playground. Older playground structure is also still there. They also have a few "work out" structures. They say 12 & Up - but the kids are always drawn to them. 3 swings- one infant 2 kid sized swings. Nice/tucked away in Hope Village. Somewhat hard to find- there is a small green Sign that says "Hope Park" where you need to turn.

Wow wow wow- this is the playground of all play grounds. I met another mom who travels to this…read moreplayground because it is one that her child's unique abilities are considered. So many unique structure to play and be in the outdoors. Both my boys said this is their new favorite park. Their favorite features were the basketball hoops and the circular merrigo-round made for one person. There's so much more- a braille reading library. Safety fence with a safety lock to keep kids inside. Huge parking lot. There's also motivational quotes all around with so much color. The buddy beach is bright and there's also a rock sharing area. This park has thought of everything to make everyone have a sense of belonging. The only negative was the picnic tables that are covered are also used for parties. They may come out to ask you to move to accommodate a birthday party. Which was a major pain for us as we had a full on picnic spread out. The staff was very kind and allowed us to stay when they recognized we had a bunch to move.

A very large and nice playground. There is a mini basketball court, climbing playscape, zipline…read moreunder a fake airplane, etc. The playground is located in the back parking lot area of the Mandell Jewish Community Center. It opens everyday from 8 am to sunset. There is a porta potty available. This was built in 1996 and was the first all inclusive playground for children of all abilities in the area. We went on a Saturday and it was super busy. You have to keep a hawk eye on your babies because they can get lost in the crowd. There is a pavilion with picnic tables. The play area is fenced in and has plenty of parking. In the end, I can't wait to come back on a weekday when it's less busy.

Amazing playground. Clean, wheelchair accessible, they have playground toys I didn't even know…read moreexisted, but I wish they did when I was a child!! They use rubber playground matting and the playground is easily accessible for parents and or grandparents to navigate around the different play areas with their kids.

It's truly a blessing living less than a five minute drive away from this playground. My daughter…read moreloves to go here and always has a blast. The amazing thing about this park is that it is ENTIRELY capable of allowing handicap children and children in strollers. How beautiful!!! My heart aches for the Martin family who this park was constructed for, they're all so nice. Honestly you'll find my daughter and I here 4/7 days a week, it's THAT nice. There's hardly ever any trash there. The ONLY thing I would change well-- suggest about the park is I think they should have installed a water fountain for when it's hot during summer. Then again, I don't have any clue on how difficult that would have been!