Miami Playground Guide: Pinecrest Gardens Playground Review

I'm starting a new regular feature on miamibabymama.com: The Miami Playground Guide. All strictly my opinions, of course, and the categories I'm rating are very me-centric, like: Are there bathrooms? Is the playground surface that glorious spongy stuff or the infernal sand? And of course, Is the equipment shaded? You know, the burning issues that for me, make or break a great playground. Come on, this is important stuff here! So on that note, let's get to the first review!

Pinecrest Gardens Playground Review

Date of Visit: 1/26/2010

Time of Day: 11 AM - 1 PM

Weather: sunny & cool, low 70s (aka "perfect")

Summary of Visit: I'd been to the Pinecrest Gardens playground before, and remembered 2 things--it was one of the few areas inside the Gardens that was not shaded by tree cover (so was miserable in summer), and that it could be empty even at prime playtimes. We headed over on the spur of the moment, when our trip to Kennedy Park was foiled by the Regatta, which had overtaken all the parking near their playground. Turned out, it was a great choice--as usual the playground was uncrowded, but there was a little girl there about the same age as Elle, so she had fun playing while I had fun, well, rough-drafting this review.

Shaded? No

Fenced? No

Surface: Mulch

Parking: Plentiful on weekdays and most weekends.

Swings? Yes, set apart a little from the rest of the play area. Note--The swings here are really weird: low to the ground and over these trenches in the ground (dirt) that have been created by kids dragging their feet. Baby swings aren't a problem, but "big kid" swings are a pain. Try to avoid them, IMHO.

Water fountain: Yes

Bathroom Report: Yes, and only steps away from the play equipment. Kind of yucky, but did have soap and hand dryer worked. No changing table at the super-close bathroom, but another bathroom a short walk away is cleaner and does have a changing table.

Interesting Equipment: ladder with close-set rungs for really little climbers, nice area for play kitchen/restaurant

Parent Vantage Point: Great. From the concrete tables set slightly above the playground, you can see the play equipment.

Snack Attack: to be safe, bring your own. There is a snack bar in Pinecrest Gardens that is not open during the week. Nut sure what the hours are on weekends--I suspect it may only be open for special events. There is a green market in the parking lot on Sundays, so if you're headed over on a Sunday, you can buy a great snack right before entering.

Picnicability: Excellent. There are lots and lots of tables on two levels overlooking the playground.

Grass: Plenty of it, though not visible from the playground. You'll need to pack up and move your stuff if you want to run around in the grass, play soccer, etc.

Animal Activity: No dogs allowed. There is a petting zoo right next to the playground that is open daily at 10, 12, 2, and 4, but you can see the goats and pigs from outside the fence even if the petting zoo is not open. See "Park @ Large" for other animal info.

What to pack: Snacks, wipes, bug repellent, a handheld fan mister if you dare go in the summertime.

Park @ Large: If you're not familiar with Pinecrest Gardens, it is great. The former Parrot Jungle Island site now under ownership of the City of Pinecrest. There are walking trails through jungle-y landscape, ducks, a swan, iguanas, giant goldfish, turtles sunning, fish ponds, and cats wandering the grounds. A Splash N Play area is great in the summer for a very small fee. Big grassy lawns are great for new walkers and wild running toddlers.

What I Loved: Plenty of actual tables. Super-close bathrooms.

What Bugged Me: Sometimes no other kids, and it is located deep inside Pinecrest Gardens, so you won't know if there are other kids to play with until you get there. (This reeeeeally bugs me, because I take Elle to the playground to play with other kids, not with me, and I'm pretty stubborn about this issue, for reasons I won't go into in this post.)

miamybabymama tips:

* Not to sound like a broken record, but go in the winter. This playground is unbearable in the summer, between the heat, no breeze, animal smells, and bugs. Instead, hit their Splash N Play in the summer, and hope they forget the playground even exists.

* It's a bit of a walk to the playground from the lot, so you might want to bring the stroller if you predict that it is going to be an issue for your little one to walk back to the car.

Location & Website:

Pinecrest Gardens 5855 SW 111th St Miami, FL 33156-4103 (305) 669-6942 photo credit: bcsilva/sxc.hu

Top Five Best Ways to Meet Other Moms in Miami

Which Miami mom are you?

A. "None of my friends in Miami have kids yet."

B. "I just moved here and don't know anybody."

C. "I stopped working when I had the baby and all my friends still work."

Whether you're an A, B, C, or All of the Above, finding "mommy friends" in Miami can be a unique challenge. Here are five great ways to meet fellow moms in Miami.

1. Join a meetup group. If you aren't familiar with meetup.com, you should be. This is my number one, gotta do it, absolute best recommendation for meeting other moms in Miami--mostly because I have met my BEST Miami mom friends through my meetup group. Here's how it works: a group organizer or assistant organizer schedules events online, and group members can RSVP, see who else in the group will be attending, chat on message boards, etc. Because meetup is web-based, it is ideal for busy moms with crazy schedules. You can see what is going on with your group at 4AM if you want to (after the baby has fallen back to sleep, but you haven't!) Here in Miami, mommy meetup groups have really flourished, and there are groups for any niche, be it a geographic area (SoBe Mommies), lifestyle (IronMommies), parenting philosophy (South Florida Babywearing), or attitude (Liberal Parents of Little Kids.)

**miamibabymama tip: In my experience, each meetup group has it's own distinct "vibe", so if you join a group and don't click with the other moms after an event or three, don't be discouraged, just try another group.

2. The Right Park at the Right Time. We are blessed with fab weather much of the year and the parks are often packed. Be strategic though--most parks have their "prime times" to meet other moms. I know around here, Kennedy Park on weekday mornings is a great time to meet other moms. On the other hand, Merry Christmas Park, which is right around the corner from my house, is a mommy graveyard on weekday mornings--either empty, or all nannies and their charges, who tend to keep to themselves. Merry Christmas Park is full of mommies to meet in the early evenings on weekdays, though, and most of the larger area parks are full of families on weekends, if you want to get dad in on the action.

3. Classes. Whether it is Gymboree, My Gym, or Baby & Me Yoga, classes are a great place to meet and potentially click with fellow moms. Think about it--if you and your little one are attending weekly classes with the same group each week, you'll have time to check out the various mommies, and strike up a convo with whoever you decide could be future BFF material.

4. The Gym. Let's face it--if you have one or more young kids, chances are you need to be going to the gym anyway. Whether you're still whittling away the baby weight, or you need the stress release, the gym is nothing but a good thing. (And because, well, this IS Miami, girl--gotta keep up with the hotties lurking around every street corner!) So, here's the mom-meeting potential. Gyms with child care centers are great places to meet other moms. At my gym, the moms tend to chat a bit before and after drop-off and pick-up for classes, and kind of get to know each other in a very casual way. Your kids know each other from the gym child care center, you'll know if they get along, so it makes it easy to set up a playdate so the little ones can see each outside of the gym setting.

5. Library Story Times: Most area public libraries have story times tailored to different age groups. Find a library in your area that has a hoppin' story hour and start attending. Like the gym, most moms arrive a bit early, providing an opportunity for a little casual chit-chat before the storytime begins. Find a branch near you!

Final Tip: Be Aggressive, B-E Aggressive! If you meet a mom that is easy to talk to, and that seems cool and funny and like someone you'd want to hang with, get her number, whether you meet her at the park or the supermarket. Then, make the call--ring her up or send a text inviting her to get together, and go from there!

photo credit: sxc.hu/lusi