City Break: Manderach Playground

 Manderach Memorial Playground

For a playground well outside the city limits but not the realm of possibility you want to check out Manderach Memorial Playground at the Limerick Community Park. 50 minutes and 36 miles outside the city doesn’t exactly make this a simple outing but this little spot is six minutes from the Philadelphia Premium Outlets which I am sure you have been too, heard of or are planning a trip to. This spot might be a great break on a long car ride or an excellent compromise that lets you shop and your significant other spend time with the tikes.

The playground sits on 70 acre park and has a castle theme. There are two playground sets with the castle theme but what really, really stands out and is hard to miss is the giant tower that has two super long tube slides that snake to the bottom. The tubes were big enough for me to go down with Henry the first couple of times before he got the hang of it. After that he was all about doing it on his own. I was kind of surprised how well he did going up the tower because the “stairs” stick with the whole castle theme and are tough to climb. The “stairs” are basically horizontal 2×4′s attached to ramps that take you up each level. At 3 years old Henry did great but I would have either had to carry 20 month old Ollie or have a painfully long climb up that tower if he would have been with us.

The tubes are really long and most kids can climb the stairs by themselves so there are no grown ups at the top…meaning it is a big free for all as far as traffic flow goes. No sooner do you push-off from the top then you hear the excited screams of a toddler coming in hot behind you. Most kids were really good at using their shoes to slow themselves down but be prepared to get a little bump from behind on at least one of your trips down.

At one point the little boy who went down before us decided to stop midway down the tunnel and just hang out. Hot summer heat and trapped in a red tube I got a 2 second wave of claustrophobia before I gently encouraged our little road block to keep scooting his way to the bottom. Also it is hard to see your child climb to the top of the tower and between that and the times it take to get down the slide you get a little antsy. But if you wait long enough they always pop out at the bottom.

If you have ever been to Freedom Playground in Havertown this is kinda like that but on steroids. Pack lunch and grab a bite on the grass or in the giant pavilion right next to the playground. I think if you are out that way it is worth the trip and once again your kids will be totally impressed by you. The playground surface is mulch. They ask that you keep all food and drink (in breakable bottles) outside the playground and there are porta potties.

More pictures on HipsterHenry.com Flickr

*Manderach Memorial Playground is CLOSED on the first Monday of each month from 7 am – 2 pm so that inspections and maintenace can be performed to keep the playground in good working condition.