Category : Parks and Playplaces
What: Touch-a-Truck; When: July 23rd from 10am to 1pm; Where: Roger Scott Athletic Complex: Cost: FREE with a donation to the Manna Food Pantries
If your kids love cars, trucks, and fire engines, they will love to visit this annual event, Touch-A-Truck. Children are encouraged to touch, climb and discover construction vehicles, police cars, fire trucks, semi-trucks, buses, and more. Home Depot will be conducting their Kid’s Workshop, too! The event is free with a donation to the Manna Food Pantries.
Things to Know Before You Go:
- We didn’t go last year, but we got several messages that the event was a lot of fun but that it was HOT! Bring a cooler full of water and drinks for after the event.
- Roger Scott Athletic Complex is home to the Roger Scott Pool. If you time it right, you can attend one of the swim sessions and make this a full day outing!
According to the new Sunsets at Plaza de Luna Facebook page, the splash pad is now open for business:
The interactive fountain is now operating on its “fun season” hours: Monday – Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday – Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Connect with them on Facebook by searching Sunsets at Plaza de Luna for any additional questions you might have about the splash pad. There is both a page and a group. According to the group page, they will be phasing out the group and moving to the FB page.
Don’t forget that Sunsets at Plaza de Luna have already gotten started!
What: Mini Golf and Batting Cages; Where: Batter’s Box Family Fun Center in Pace, FL; When: Mon-Thurs 3pm-8pm, Fri 3pm-9pm, Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 12pm-7pm; Cost: Mini Golf – $5 adult, $4 child, Batting Cages vary by hour
We had seen the blue barn that belongs to the Batter’s Box Family Fun Center several times but have never taken the time to visit. Soccer is more my son’s sport and we had no idea that they have a great mini golf course until I saw a Groupon for it. I figured that for $9 (we saved $9 by purchasing the Groupon) for my family to try our hand at mini golf, we couldn’t go wrong!
We ventured out on a Saturday and were pleasantly surprised that the crowds were minimal so we were able to take our time on the mini golf course. The course is 18 holes and was just the right size for my kids. As we were walking to the last hole, they both wanted to know when we were going to be finished! It took us about an hour to complete a round of golf.
We didn’t stop to play at the playset but I was excited to see something to entertain the younger children while the older ones practiced in the batting cages.
There are also batting cages and the Batter’s Box can hold your birthday party or other event. If you want a treat after your game, you can get an ice cream from the blue barn!
Things to Know Before You Go:
- Although the mini golf area is shaded in some areas, a lot of it is not. The kids got hot very quickly and we all came home with slight sunburns. It is time to remember sunscreen on all of our outings!
The Batter’s Box Family Fun Center is located at 5566 Woodbine Road in Pace. The contact number is 850.995.9295. You can also connect with them on their Facebook page.
What: Lions Park; Where: 1201 East LaRua Street; Cost: FREE
Lions Park is a small park with not much to it but we spent a morning here with several other children and nobody complained once! We walked down there from a friend’s house and played for about an hour. There is a baseball/softball field, a couple of swings, and an older metal slide. There are a couple of benches but there isn’t any shade. The kids loved running up and down the little hill inside the fence.
One of our favorite family friendly events is starting back up again April 7, 2011.
Sunsets at Plaza de Luna at Palafox Pier are a great way to get the family out of the house and spend some time together! Bring a picnic lunch, listen to the band, let the kids run through the splash pad and enjoy the sunset!
The schedule is as follows:
Date-Band-Type of Music-Character
Apr 7-Hotcakes- Pop-Woody
Apr 14-Mr. Fahrenheit-Rock/Funk-Dora
Apr 21-Steve Perry-Precussion-Spongebob
Apr 28-Pensacola Steel-Steel Drum-Winnie Pooh
May 5-Reflections-Country-Elmo
May 12-Night Shift-Folk/Pop-Barney
May 19-Kathy Lyon-Jazz-Scooby
May 26-EHS Jazz Band-Clifford the Big Red Dog
Jun 2-Cary Laine-New Country-Jack Sparrow
Jun 16-Knee Deep-Rock/Funk-Strawberry Shortcake
Jun 23-Bella Orange-Rock/Funk-Buzz Lightyear
Jun 30-James Askins-Rock/Pop- Ariel
What: Regency Park; Where: 8245 Fathom Road; Cost: FREE
In keeping with our mission to try to find a new park every two weeks (it used to be every week but that was just too much work to get out there that often!), last weekend we decided to visit Regency Park. It came recommended from a few friends and we thought we would check it out.
Regency Park has a decent sized playground that kept both of my kids busy for about 20 minutes. The playground includes some climbing equipment, slides, and a bridge.
There are also a couple of swings.
We were pleased to see a walking path that would be handy for a little bike ride. According to the sign painted on the pavement, one mile equals three laps around.
There is also a small pavilion with a couple of picnic tables as well as benches scattered around.
There is a tennis court and a basketball court.
Things to Know Before You Go:
- We saw five or six bees while we were there. If you or your child are allergic, please be aware.
- This is a neighborhood park but there are several parking spaces and street parking.
- When we typed in Regency Park, our GPS took us to a house that was nowhere near the park. When we looked up the official address, we were taken to the park!
Regency Park is located at 8245 Fathom Road.
**At least that is what I think it is called. There is no sign naming the park and the only information I could find on My Escambia was a park listing Beulah Regional Park in this spot but the amenities were not listed. The form hasn’t been updated since April 15, 2010 and I am not sure if this park had been built by then. I do know that there is also a Beulah Park located at Woodside Road. If you know the official name of this park, please let me know!**
What: Beulah Regional Park; Where: Located on Mobile Highway next to the Escambia Equestrian Center; Cost: FREE
Beulah Regional Park is a great park to take the kids. It offers a fabulous playground with different structures for varying abilities. You couldn’t pull my kids off of the balance area where they hopped from little stools to beams trying not to fall down. There are two swings and two infant swings. There are slides and a small climbing wall.
There is a very small pavilion with two picnic benches but other than that there is no seating near the playground. There is a basketball court that was full of teenagers playing a game. My favorite part was the walking path. Three laps around the walking path equals one mile according to the writing at the starting point. The path is perfect for bike rides as well. When we were out there, we saw lots of children on bikes of all sizes!
We also saw lots of people with dogs on leashes and it looked like there might be a fenced in dog park towards the back of the park grounds. With me still being on crutches, we didn’t check it out though. I will be sure to update this when I find out!
Things to Know before You Go:
- There are no restrooms at this park.
- Bring your lawn chairs with you because seating is limited to two picnic tables.
Beulah Regional Park is located off of Mobile Highway and Thomley Trail and is next to the Equestrian Center.
**The Fun Zone has permanently closed.
What: a giant indoor playplace; Where: off of Creighton and 9th Avenue; When: Monday – CLOSED, Tues – Thurs 2 pm - 6 pm, Friday 2 pm – 9 pm, Saturday 10 am - 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm - 6 pm; Cost: Children 2 and under – $5 and children ages 2 and up – $9.25
The Fun Zone opened up a few months ago but we only recently got over there to visit. We took advantage of a special discount they had New Year’s weekend. The Fun Zone is much larger than I expected it to be. The kids had a great time jumping on the different inflatables, trying their hand at baseball in the batting cages, and climbing the little rockwall. Daddy J and I enjoyed sitting at the table with our books while they played!
The Fun Zone has a Tot Land with toys that are appropriate for the 1-3 year old children. There are all different kinds of inflatables for all different levels of jumping and sliding as well as an obstacle course inflatable. There is a small climbing wall that even my four year old was able to climb. There are a couple of rope swings that were very popular with the kids and the log roll kept my kids laughing the whole time they played on it. There is a snack bar as well as a Parent’s section with television, Wii, and wifi. We were very happy with the way the owners and staff were constantly visible and helping when needed.
The Fun Zone offers birthday parties and Parent’s Night Out. They offer a 10% discount to active military with an ID, groups of 20 or more, and on Sundays with your church bulletin.
Before you go to the Fun Zone, stop by the website for deals and coupons. The Fun Zone also posts information and coupons on their Facebook page.
Things to Know Before You Go:
- They take cash or check. NO credit cards at this time. There is an ATM on site.
- Parents have to pay $9.25 if you would like to play with your kids. If not, parent admission is free.
- Don’t forget your socks. You must wear socks.
- During school holiday breaks, the Fun Zone is open longer. Call ahead for the exact hours.
- On Sundays, they open at 2!
- There is a lot to do, but it did get very crowded.
The Fun Zone is located at 6931 North 9th Avenue next to Party City and their contact number is 850.471.2345.
What: Bryan Park; Where: Located behind the Tryon Library on Langley; Cost: FREE
Bryan Park recently opened up and is ready for playing! Bryan Park is located behind the Tryon Library on Langley. We were so sad when the new library opened but the land behind it sat empty and uninviting. Recently we were driving by, and saw that they have started installing playground equipment so we stopped by to play.
As you can see, the park isn’t finished yet. According to the Play Pensacola site, there is a lot more park coming in the future but right now they just have swings and a rope web structure. This was their favorite part of the park.
There is also a wooden play stepper. There is a lovely gazebo for picnics or meetings. The sidewalk would be good for a walk or a bike ride.
Bryan Park is located at 1200 Langley Avenue.
As part of our Find a New Park Each Week series, I want to share our latest find. The EPH Lions Club Park is located in the East Hill area off of Pickens Avenue and Brainerd Street. There is parking on the street all around this park which takes up about a block. There are two large play structures.
And some swings.
There is a huge field perfect for a soccer game, freeze tag, or Red Light, Green Light. There is also a baseball field and covered shelter. These big beautiful trees are the perfect place for a picnic, don’t you think?!
The official address of the EPH Lions Club Park is located on 2900 Gonzalez Street.
