In June we visited family in Utah and spent a day at Liberty Park. It is in the heart of Salt Lake City. The park has recently undergone a renovation. They have added a wading area and new playground equipment to the existing bird aviary and carnival rides. The police are patrolling more often and now families are visiting the park again. Before it was too scary, with drunks and drug users frequenting the park for parents to bring their children. We had such a great day that I want to share it. Maybe it will encourage you to take your child to the park and spend an enjoyable day together too.
Playing at the Playground
We began by playing at the playground designed for children of all abilities. The play structure has ramps for children in wheelchairs, a sprinkler area, sand box, and music area containing a large xylophone and musical pipes. There are also swings that are large plastic chairs on chains. There are similar parks around the country. Between the slides and swings we ate a picnic lunch.
Riding the Rides
Since my mother was a child (she grew up just a few blocks from the park) there have been rides at the park. For a small charge the kids rode a merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, airplanes, and cars. As we went around the first time my two-year-old hid her face in my arm, but by the end she wanted to go again.
Feeding the Ducks
Liberty Park has a large pond that is used by paddleboats and is home to many ducks and geese. We brought some bread and the kids enjoyed throwing the bread into the water and watching the birds gobble it up. I loved watching their faces light up when their piece of bread was eaten. They were so sad when all the bread was gone.
Wading in the Pools
We finished up the day by changing the kids into their swimming suits and letting them wade in the Seven Canyons pool. The wading pool has seven small streams that run into it representing the seven canyons that feed the Great Salt Lake. The kids had a great time walking down the canyons and splashing in the wading pool.
As we left I wished that the park had been nicer when I was a child. But at least I get to see the joy on my children’s faces as they explore the wonders of Liberty Park.