Best Parks for Big Kids in the Monterey Bay Area

The Monterey Bay area is a beautiful place to live, and a perfect location for families with children. There are plenty of parks in the area and fun activities to do, but it can be difficult to find age-appropriate activities for a child. Outlined are three of the best parks in the area for children five and up. All of the parks discussed are free to the public and geared toward older children.

1. El Estero Park
El Estero, or "The Dennis The Menace Park," is located in central Monterey off of Del Monte Boulevard. This park has a snack shop (the shop accepts cash only), a lake with ducks to feed, paddle boats, and a play area. The play area of this park is incredibly unique. It contains a rock wall to climb, a life-size train engine to play on, and a large bridge that kids can run and jump on. It also has huge, 20-foot slides, sure to please any thrill-seeker. There are several separate play structures that have slides and monkey bars for kids to play on. This park is very hilly, and is partially fenced-in. It has a sanded floor. El Estero Park is usually very crowded and busy, but is empty early in the mornings before 10:00.

2. Laguna Grande Park
This park is located near Embassy Suites in Seaside, off of Del Monte and Canon Del Rey Boulevard. The biggest downside to this park is that it's located very close to a busy road, which makes it better for older children who understand the importance of staying away from the road. This park is not fenced in, so younger children may not be the best visitors to this park. Laguna Grande has slides and all sorts of fun play structures. There are picnic tables for moms and dads to sit on, and it is within walking distance of several eateries, such as Chili's and McDonalds.

3. Haye's Park
Haye's Park is located near Old Ft. Ord in Seaside, off of Monterey Road. This park has tennis courts, basketball courts, and three soccer fields. The park also has two play structures. One of the play structures contains slides and different things to climb on. The other play structure has a modified tire swing, several large slides, and a 10-foot rock wall to climb. This park has cedar chips and sawdust in lieu of sand, and is never very busy. The park also has sidewalks that go around it, making it the perfect place for moms and dads to walk around while their children play.