Playground Reviews: Plymouth, Kingston, and Duxbury
Last summer, when my son was old enough to begin going to playgrounds, I found it incredibly difficult to find information about good ones in our area. Too often, I would find one on a map, drive there, and realize it was a total bust. And let’s face it, no mom enjoys a wasted car trip. So I will be doing periodic playground reviews, and to kick off the series, here are a few of my favorites in Plymouth, Kingston, and Duxbury, Massachusetts!
Plymouth:
Nelson Park - Score: 10/10 - This playground rules supreme, in my book. It’s new and clean, always full of kids, and has a range of activities for kids of all ages. The playground is at the beach, features a large open field, a splash pad, and a few picnic tables in the shade.
Rubberized flooring
Free parking
Bathrooms on-site
Seasonal snack stand
The Playground at Siever Field - Score: 7/10 - I found this playground by accident, while on a run one day. The good: features a great structure for young toddlers. It’s also got free parking and a basketball court. The bad: It’s always empty, and usually has a bit of trash lying around from older kids who use the basketball court.
Rubberized flooring
Free parking
No bathrooms
No snack stand
Forges Field Playground - Score: 8/10 - This playground is on the older side and has a few areas that could use some fixing, but has a really great assortment of activities for kids of all ages. It’s not as busy as Nelson Park, but there are usually other kids playing at any given time. It’s also great because Forges Field has a winding path system thats great for running, or letting little kids do some bike riding. They also have a monthly interactive story walk!
Rubberized flooring
Free parking
Porta potties on site
No snack stand
Kingston:
Grey’s Beach Playground - Score: 7/10 - The bad news is that this playground will be torn down sometime in the coming year, but the good news is that the townspeople of Kingston (myself included!) voted to replace it with an incredible new structure that will likely be one of the best new playgrounds in the South Shore. Grey’s Beach is an amazing little park with an open field, a small stage for concerts, pickle ball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, and of course the beach! The only downside is that during the busy season a Kingston beach sticker is required.
Mulch flooring
Beach pass required for spring/summer parking
Bathrooms on-site
No snack stand
Bailey Memorial Playfield - Score: 7/10 - The highlight of this playground is its proximity to the train tracks because my son gets so excited to watch trains go by. This one is interesting because it’s a very advanced play structure, lots of very tall climbing areas. There is a smaller piece of equipment for toddlers, and swings for all ages.
Mulch flooring
Free parking
No bathrooms
No snack stand
Duxbury:
Alden Street Playground - Score: 9/10 - The actual playground equipment at this one is T’s favorite. It’s not the best for very young toddlers, but at 1.5 years old, there is plenty for my son to do, and we have a blast here. There are always other kids around, but because this playground is fenced in, sometimes it gets a little crowded. It’s located at the Duxbury Free Library so is a great option for pre/post story time!
Mulch flooring
Free parking
No bathrooms (unsure about Library bathroom access)
No snack stand
