Doc Manget Memorial Aviation Park (Chamblee)

Commonly known as “The Airport Park” or “PDK Park”, Doc Manget Memorial Aviation Park is located at Dekalb Peachtree Airport with the exact address being 2000 Airport Rd, Atlanta GA 30341.

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Overview: If you or your child are fascinated by planes, then look no further than the playground at PDK. We very much enjoyed riding on the swings and watching private planes take off and land on the nearby runway. The sound of the propellers and the radio chatter from the tower above make this place a real treat. There is a small playground here and there are two nearby restaurants that face the tarmac so you can have a bite to eat and watch the planes.

The playground itself is rather small – with one simple slide, three climbing walls, monkey bars, a couple of map activities and a microphone like toy. There are two infant swings and two belt swings that overlook the runway.  This is a popular park and people travel from all over the area to come see it.

There is a covered pavilion nearby in the shape of a hanger with several picnic tables as well as a uncovered seating area to watch the planes take off and land.  You can reserve the hanger pavilion for parties as well.  There is a magnolia tree nearby with picnic tables beneath that also offers adequate shade.

Parking: Dedicated lot

Surrounding Area: Airport, with parking lot nearby. Watch your runners!

Wheelchair/Stroller Accessible:  Yes

Ground Cover: Rubber mulch

Seating: Park benches and picnic tables, a seating area to watch planes as well

Pavilion: Yes

Restroom: Unsure

Direct Sun or Shade : Direct Sun

Fenced in? :  No

Infant Swings: Yes, 2. Can be very popular

Quality of Playground Equipment:  Good. In some areas, the wood is coming away though

Ball Fields: No

Overall:  We’re a plane loving family so we visit a lot. This playground is really popular and for good reason. Kids love watching planes take off and land. My son waved good-bye to every one. We haven’t visited the nearby restaurants but plan to soon!

Zoo Atlanta Playground

The Zoo Atlanta playground is located within the zoo boundaries.  When entering the zoo, make a right and follow the path. The playground will be located on your right. It is located near the carousel, train ride and splash pad.

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Overview: This playground is quite popular no matter what time of day you visit but especially so on weekends or when there is a field trip going on. The playground is fully fenced in and my runner of a son still found lots of interesting things to challenge himself with. We have a Zoo membership and find a trip to the playground is always fun for my son. When you combine the playground with a trip to the splashpad or carousel, he’s a happy camper.  Access to the splash pad is free once you enter the park. Access to the train and carousel, require additional payment.

This playground features slides, climbing walls, a school bus for imaginary play, signs with playtime animal activities on them, a tic tac toe game, and a teeter totter that can fit 4. There are no swings of any kind at this playground. There is a large climbing area in the rear of the playground that overlooks the train ride.

 

Parking:  Ample

Surrounding Area: Zoo, city

Wheelchair/Stroller Accessible: Yes

Ground Cover: Wood chips

Seating: Benches

Pavilion: No

Pay to enter: Yes, playground is located within the zoo

Restroom: Yes, near entrance to zoo

Direct Sun or Shade : Somewhat shady

Fenced in? :  Yes

Infant Swings: No

Quality of Playground Equipment:  Good

Splashpad: Yes

Overall:  We thoroughly enjoy this park. My son can safely manage everything here including the spiral slide. Even on rainy days, this is still a popular area. Even it is full of older kids, it can feel a bit small. There is no grass at this playground either. While it is a bit small, we enjoy it but I think we visit mostly for the other zoo amenities.

Free Activities

We’re always looking for something budget friendly to do – especially during the day. Here’s some solutions we’ve come up with so far to keep us entertained! I will continue to add to this article as more ideas come to mind! Check back

• A trip to your local bookstore – we’re big fans of the Barnes and Noble at the Edgewood Retail Center in Atlanta.  The exact address is 1250 Caroline Street, Atlanta GA 30307. We love this particular store because it has a dedicated children’s area, a train table and it’s within walking distance of Petco. Some bookstores even have their own story times.
• A trip to your local pet store – Trips to pet stores with animals are always fun for children – especially if you can interact with the animals. Although children over a certain age may think this is a trip to get a new pet. Uh-oh.
• Going for Hikes or nature walks – Going for a hike or a nature walk with a new walker sounds like a daunting challenge but it’s actually really a ton of fun. If you go for walks with a group called Hike It Baby, it’s even more fun. There are chapters in different areas of the city with hikes in many of the different parks. Some hikes are short, some are day-trips and some are toddler-led. Many of the hikes can be taken with a baby in a carrier which makes it a great escape for the parents too. You can learn more about Hike It Baby here.
• Splashpads – A great way to cool off in the summer are splashpads. There are many splashpads located throughout the Atlanta area with new ones being constructed as well. Access to Splashpads are usually free (the splashpad at the zoo, for instance, requires a fee) and usually located within a park. That’s a two for one!
• Children’s Museum of Atlanta – On the second Tuesday of every month, the Children’s Museum admission is free from 1pm – 6pm.  Please note that parking is not free for this museum.
• Plane Watching – Watching the planes take off at Doc Magnet Memorial Aviation Park at the Dekalb Peachtree Airport (PDK) is very fun. Small planes take off within excellent viewing range of the small playground. If you’re hungry there is even a restaurant nearby overlooking the runway.
• Library Story Time – Story times happen at all different hours at all different locations throughout the city. Some story times are fit for younger (just crawling, for instance) all the way up to preschoolers. Story time is a great way to interact with other children and for parents to meet other parents.  The best way to find times and dates for storytime is to check with your local library.
• Mall Events – Some malls have special children only events that happen on set days and times of the week. Atlantic Station has something called Tot Spot that happens every Tuesday throughout the summer from 10-12pm. With the events, come specials for children at neighboring restaurants. Avalon in Alpharetta has a similar event from March-October.
• Indoor Playgrounds – While most indoor playgrounds have a fee to enter, Superior Play Systems offers free access to their play equipment two days a week – Wednesday and Friday between 10am – 1pm. You can find Superior Play Systems in Norcross and Alpharetta. More information is located here
• Farmers Markets – A great way to get your shopping done and let your children experience new things is to show them the farmers markets. Our favorite is the Your Dekalb Farmers Market (YDFM) which has every piece of produce you can imagine. There are many different sights, smells and lots of action. Plus it’s also very budget friendly! Lots of farmers markets happen on the weekend mornings with times and locations varying by town.
• Walking around the Mall:  The usual standby idea for new moms, many malls in the area are much less crowded during the week during the day. Many malls also have play areas for little ones  like the Mall of Georgia for instance.
• Church playgroups – check with your local church regarding free playgroups. Our local playgroup, for instance, meets every Wednesday at 9:30am.
• Playdates – Looking for playdates can sometimes be difficult. Meetup.com is great website that can connect you with other parents in your area looking to set up playdates. You can also search by common interests, religion, lifestyle or location.

Orme Park (Atlanta)

The approximate location of Orme Park is 774 Brookridge Drive NE, Atlanta GA 30306. It is located in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta.

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Overview: Tucked away in a very nice neighborhood is Orme Park. Upon first glance at this park, you’ll notice the push toys and toy trucks and cars that were donated by parents in the neighborhood. This park consists of a large playground structure, 2 sites with swings, a sandbox and a creek with small bridge.

The playground is fit for all ages with small and large slides, rotatable blocks with X’s and O’s, monkey bars and climbing/balance beams and areas for imaginary play like a toy kitchen. There is a circular sand box that is usually full of digging toys.

Parking: Street, free

Surrounding Area: Residential, park is beneath street level

Wheelchair/Stroller Accessible: Yes upon entry. May be inaccessible in certain areas

Ground Cover: Wood Chips

Seating: Park benches, picnic tables and a small wall that many parents sit on

Pavilion: No

Restroom: No

Direct Sun or Shade : Reasonably shady depending on time of day. Lots of tall, old trees nearby.

Fenced in? :  No

Infant Swings: Yes, 4

Quality of Playground Equipment: Good

Ball Fields: No

Overall: This park is a great park for children as it boasts a great playground, many ride-on toys, swings and a sandbox. I have visited this park many times and always find it busy with children and their parent or caregiver. The push toys are a little weathered but that doesn’t bother the children. Due to the sandbox, this is one of my son’s favorite parks. Lack of a restroom and water fountain are the only real cons.

Willis Park (Avondale Estates)

The approximate address of Willis Park  is 51 Dartmouth Avenue, Avondale Estates GA.

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Overview: This park was recently renovated in the Spring of 2016, the first renovation in its 92 year history. The park contains a large green-space area, newly paved walking paths, ample benches and seating, a pavilion with picnic tables, several areas to swing for both infants and children including a tire swing, a large merry-go-round, a smaller play structure for children aged 2-5 and a larger play structure for children aged 5-12  which includes a large spiral slide, many climbing structures and a balance beam. The play equipment is brand new as of Spring 2016.

I visited this park on a weekend morning in the Spring with my husband and nearly 2-year-old son. It was moderately crowded with average children age ranges between 2-8.

Parking: Street, free

Surrounding Area: Residential with close proximity to a school and members only pool

Wheelchair/Stroller Accessible: Yes

Ground Cover: Wood Chips

Seating: Park benches, adult swings, and picnic tables

Pavilion: Yes

Restroom: No

Direct Sun or Shade : Park is for the most part, very shady. Play equipment also has some sun/rain protection.

Fenced in? :  No, but playground is set back farther from the street

Infant Swings: Yes, 4 plus a Mommy and Me swing

Quality of Playground Equipment: As of 2016, brand new.

Ball Fields: No but there is a large open green-space for informal soccer or football games

Overall: This park is brand new, very clean and safe. It has something for every kind of child whether they prefer swings or climbing. The landscaping is excellent with freshly laid sod. Downsides include lack of restrooms. I will definitely return again to this park.