Log Park along the Mississippi River - A big treehouse!

I recently asked for advice on great places to take kids in the neighborhood on a local online forum (e-democracy.org), and the local Parks and Rec Commission member recommended the North Loop Park (also known as the Fourth Ave. North Playground) in downtown Minneapolis. Or, as it is more commonly known these days, the Log Park.

Right at 4th Ave. and West Riverside Parkway, you can glimpse the river and skyscrapers through the trees. But the feeling there is serene.

And is it ever fun!

The whole thing feels like a big treehouse with fun slides.

There were so many things for the kids to climb on, including a (fake) tree trunk up to a slide that was shaped like a hollowed-out tree trunk. There was also a slide made of a conveyor belt, and no kid came down it without making noise.

Various animals (such as a raccoon) peek out from beneath the play structure. There are leaves pressed into the concrete sidewalk, and The Girl immediately recognized a maple leaf!

I love that they have some log chunks that are real and not just made of plastic!

Our only disappointment today (on a day before Memorial Day weekend) is that the popular water pumps with the streambed weren't on and working. It was sunny and hot (near 80º) and the kiddos were ready to cool off. I had to promise The Girl that we'll be back later this summer because she really REALLY wanted to try those pumps out.

This is one of our favorite parks in Minneapolis.

I want a backyard like this

I want a backyard like this children's garden at the U of Minnesota Arboretum.

What a fun stage! The curtains are made of burlap. We also had tons of fun using paint brushes and water to "paint" the walls.

Who doesn't like to climb on logs? Reminds me of my childhood.

This use bent rebar and burlap to create a changing hideaway.

What an easy ship to create.

I love how simple this fence is to create. Twigs and grapevines.

A Little Free Library makes this space perfect.

I absolutely LOVE this idea. My kids would have stayed here forever and played if I would have let them. They preferred having this box to catch the sand in part because then they could dig it out from there, as well. The other option was to have the PVC pipe empty right out onto the ground. In another area, water was hooked up to PVC like this to create a fun sand and water play area.

The perfect size stoop for a 15-month-old.

Consider planting easy-to-care-for vegetables and flowers in a Children's Garden. I'd like to plant these around my other plantings.

A living hideout!

Really, aren't you inspired?

With all the data out there about how kids benefit from natural play areas, it makes sense to create them in a small city backyard, doesn't it? I just so happen to have lots of downed trees and branches from the storms of the summer. With a little rebar and some PVC, I can envision a wonderful playzone for my kids.