As the father of a toddler, I’m starting to become quite the expert at what makes a good playground.

There needs to be a variety of slides: short ones, steep ones, not-steep ones, high ones and tubes.

There needs to be a variety of swings: standard, tire and baby.

There needs to be at least one unique feature: a climbing wall, a cool theme, those springy stool things, the world’s largest wagon, a sandbox, etc.

There needs to be a bathroom nearby.

And there needs to be shade.

If your playground can check off all of those things, then it is a pretty good playground.

If it can do all of that and have an amazing view of the Puget Sound, then it’s probably called The Playground by the Sound.

Our family goes to the Chambers Bay regional park in University Place nearly every day, if only to get some daily exercise on the walking path, but once a week or so, we try to take Catarina down to the playground to give her some fun time.

And this playground is pretty amazing. With the Chambers Bay golf course and the blue waters of the Sound in the distance, the playground has a “little kids” area and a “big kids” area with toys catering each age group.

It has cool Northwest features like a lighthouse, orca whales, boats and more. It has every type of swing imaginable, even ones that allow the adult to sit in them and hold a child on their lap. It has all kinds of slides, a sandbox, and much more.

The only thing to complain about, if you want to nitpick, is that the bathrooms are across a big field. But that is a pretty weak complaint.

So, if you are looking for an awesome place to take the kiddos some weekend, hightail it to Chambers Bay. It has more than just a golf course, walking path and stunning vista.

– Craig Craker