Travelogue - Day 1

Is there anything more exhilarating than the first day of a road trip? The road opens up, you hit play on the playlist you've been itching to hear, and you don't yet know what you've forgotten to pack.

Our first stop after leaving Toronto was Kingston, where we officially began our tour of Jumpstart playgrounds by hitting up the newest one: the inclusive playground at Shannon Park.

Opened on July 24th of this year, the inclusive playground at Shannon Park in Kingston features full fencing, a communication board to help non-verbal kids communicate with caregivers, and some of our favourite equipment by Landscape Structures: the Rollerslide, Skyport Climber, and Global Motion spinner.

Add two ziplines and a skate park right next door and you’ve got a fantastic spot.

So excited for the lucky Kingston kids who get to play here every day!

From Kingston, we headed north towards Ottawa. We took a break in Carleton Place to visit the train-themed Carleton Junction playground.

Nowhere near as extensive as the one in Kingston, this one stands out for its theming. And it comes by that theme honestly; it's built on a former rail path that is now a popular spot for joggers and bikers.

The recent addition of a combination pump track and skate park made this one a hit with our kids.

From there, we headed into Ottawa to meet up with friends and visit one of the most iconic playgrounds in the whole country: the Canada-themed (and Canada-shaped) playground at Mooney's Bay Park.

And yes, I did say "Canada-shaped."

The huge playground at Mooney’s Bay Park was built in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th, and its construction was documented on a TV show.

Each province and territory has equipment themed around that part of the country: lighthouses and boats on the east coast, parliament buildings in Ontario, farmhouses in the prairies, and so on from coast to coast to coast.

The place is certainly well-loved and well-used; a few elements could use some care. But it was the absolute best place for us to wrap up day one. After all, where else but here could we say that Canada was LITERALLY our playground?

We're still feeling the day one buzz, and can't wait to share more adventures.

But before you go...if you believe in the power of play (and if you're here you probably do) please consider donating to our cross-Canada road trip by clicking here. It would mean a lot!