Bob Cooke Park

We were delighted to find this newly rennovated park in North-Central Arlington.  The playground structures were large and entertaining, there was plenty of shade (both arboreal and man-made), and the park had lots of 'extras'.  It has two baby swings and two regular swings.  The ground covering is soft wood chips, and there are benches everywhere.  There is not a restroom on the playground, but there are (clean) restrooms on the other side of the park.

Swings!

Shady spots to sit - under a tree or a pergola

The 'baby' playground (1-5 years) is small, but full of low-risk activities.  There were three little slides (one straight, one spiral, and one bumpy).  There are stairs, a tiny (low-slope) climbing wall, and an activity wall.  The entire thing is shaded.

This playground is for little kids

The 'big kid' playground (5-12 years) was enough to keep my 5 year olds busy for over an hour.  It has endless ways to climb up, including three different climbing walls and several climbing bars and ladders.  It has two really big slides and three levels of climbing platforms.  There were also several spinning platforms for some dizzy fun.

Big kids will love this side!

The park has a small pond (but we didn't see any ducks).  The pond has a bridge spanning it, which little kids would love, and is a part of a nice little walking/biking trail.  There also basketball courts, tennis courts, and a big field you could play soccer on.  On the other side of the park, there is a recreation center with an indoor pool and a senior citizens center.

Bob Cooke Park:
2025 Craig Hanking Drive
Arlington, Texas 76010

The closest large streets are New York and Pioneer Parkway.

Burl L. Wilkes Park **Under Construction!**

Don't make the mistake of going to this park for a few months... we intended on trying it and it is being renovated.  

We can't wait to see the new park!

W.O. & Zeta Workman Park

This park is a hidden gem.  I wish we had found it sooner.

It is a newer park, with smaller trees but plenty of green space.  It has two play areas (one for big kids and another for littles) separated by a great seating area for Mommies to sit and keep an eye on their  charges.  The ground cover for the playground is wood chips, and there are benches all around the park for weary park patrons.

A shady place to sit (directly between the two playspaces)

The larger play area (labeled for children ages 5-12) has three large slides, a tower, and three different climbing apparatuses.
It also boasts a merry-go-round globe, circular rotating monkey bars (that actually seem more the height of an adult) and two swings.

For big kids! 

Extras - a merry go round, spinning monkey bars, and swings

The smaller play area (labeled for children 1-5) has three small slides, stairs to practice climbing on, a little alphabet wall for early learners, and a low, gradual grade toddler climbing ramp.
It also boasts a tiny bouncing elephant sit-on, a sandbox (that needs to be refilled), a spinning chair, and two baby swings.

For little kids

Extras - a bouncy elephant, a spinning chair, sandbox, and baby swings

The park has a large practice field (with football goal posts) with a bike path all the way around (great visibility for letting small bike riders take an independent loop) and a baseball practice field and basketball court farther away.

Fields

W.O. & Zeta Workman Park is located at 6701 Tabor Drive.  If you are looking for a park near the Mansfield city line, this is a great one to visit!  It is tucked in the neighborhood behind Ashworth Elementary at Eden and Silo Rd with easy access to Matlock too.

Cravens Park

Cravens Park is one of our favorites.  It is large, has a restroom, a pond, and an excellent playground.

The play structure for bigger kids (labeled 5-12) is massive.  It has two huge tunnel slides, a double slide, a climbing wall, three levels of play, spinners, monkey bars, and climbing ropes.

Big kids play here!

The play area for little kids (labeled 2-5) is larger than most baby playgrounds, and is probably geared towards older toddlers and preschoolers.  It has two (low) climbing walls, several more difficult climbing areas, three slides, and a cute little pretend car area (with gear shifts and steering wheel)

A playplace for little kids

There are two regular swings, two toddler swings, and a tire swing.  The ground covering is mostly wood chips with small areas of rubber matting.  There are built in sun shades on the playground.

Plenty of stationary extras in this playground.  There is a globe-shaped merry-go-round, a bouncy see-saw, a spinning seat, a bouncy horse, some drums, and a huge sandbox.  It had rained for a few days before our last visit, so the sandbox was a bit of a lake.  Even so, it looked fun, with a couple of backhoe toys and a little sand table.

The baseball fields, basketball courts, and tennis courts are all within easy walking distance of the playground.  Our playgroup has used the baseball fields for some impromptu games.  There is also a large pavilion - great for picnics or parties.  I was struck by the recycling bins - one near every single trash can.  Good job, Arlington!

Cravens Park is located at the juncture of Matlock and Green Oaks, and can be accessed from either road.
400 Cravens Park Dr.
Arlington, Texas 76018

Helen Wessler Park

This little neighborhood park could use a facelift.  It is a fun, well shaded park, but is a little run down.
Wessler Park has two separate structures for big and little kids, a covered sand box, a shaded covered bench for caregivers to sit, two baby swings and two regular swings, a small bike/walking path, and plenty of room to run around.

The baby playground is fairly small, but would keep a toddler occupied for a little while.  It has a doubleslide and a small tube slide, a miniature tunnel, and a little 'truck' wheel inside.

The 'big kid' playground would also be fairly safe for older toddlers, and has the much coveted bouncy bridge that my own kids love so much.

Helen Wessler Park backs directly up to Veda Knox Elementary school's playground, so you could walk there (as long as it's not during school hours) when your little ones tire of this playground.

The playground is a mixture of wood chip covering and a small area of rubber surfacing.  This is an old park, so there are several beautiful oak trees which provide shade.  It has a lot of potential, but needs to be revamped.  It is located at 2200 Greenway Street, Arlington, Texas 76010, at the intersection of Sherry and Greenway.  The Sherry street entrance has a large practice field that we didn't visit, since we are playground seekers.

Cliff Nelson Park

This is without a doubt, one of our favorite parks!  It has a massive shaded playground, clean bathrooms (inside Cliff Nelson Rec Center), and an irresistable walking trail.

The playground is all connected, and while there is a small structure for little children, they aren't really separated.  This play structure has tons of climbing activities, bridges, tunnels, more slides than you can count, monkey bars, a pretend store front, lots of spinning apparatus, and four swings (two infant, two regular).

Larger structure

Smaller structure 

Spinning! 

Awesome playground!

A wooded path off of the playground leads you to a pond with fish and turtles.  It makes for a nice shaded walk.

Pond and fountain

Since we generally are only going to a park to play, I won't review all of the 'extras' at this park, but the rec center is just feet away from the playground and has restrooms.  One of our best friends held a birthday there last year, and it is a nice facility.

Cliff Nelson Center

Cliff Nelson Park is located on West Bardin, between Green Oaks and Kelly Elliot.
4600 West Bardin Rd
Arlington, Texas 76017

Treepoint Park

Treepoint is one of the newer parks in Arlington - small and packed with family usability.  Many people call this neighborhood playground the butterfly park, and it's easy to see why.

As you walk up, you encounter a huge caterpillar walkway that turns into some climbing hills (his head).  Just past the entrance is an irresistable to climb butterfly.

The play structure itself is geared for younger children (no monkey bars or high falls).  It has several climbing structures with slides and poles.  It, too is butterfly themed, with 

There are several spinning apparatuses and a two-person teeter totter.  Also, two baby swings and two big kid swings.  There is also a tiny walking trail (paved) and a little three-station work-out area for grown ups, so you could do some sit-ups while supervising playtime.  :)

The piece of equipment that my own children (and the friends that met us there) wanted to repeatedly be on was the 'giant swing' - a sort of conical trash-can lid attached to ropes.  Three or four kids could lay on it and swing or we got 7 kids easily sitting on it.  What fun!

The only drawbacks to this fantastic park is lack of bathroom and substantial shade.  The structures have shade built in, but there are no trees, and the shade moves depending upon times.  This park is out of the question in the summer!

Treepoint Park is a neighborhood park, located near 287 and Little School Road - kind of on the edge of Arlington and Kennedale.  

Treepoint Park

5403 Treepoint Drive

Arlington, Texas 76017