6 Montreal playgrounds you need to check out

Old-timey Montreal is a beautiful spot to explore. If you're toting young kids, there are a handful of lovely playgrounds worth visiting. Check out a few of our favourites below.

1. Salamander Playground This elaborate play centre is inspired by the blue-spotted salamander, which visitors often spot in Mount Royal Park. If you look down from a bird's-eye view of the playground, it's the shape of a slithering salamander—so cool! The large splash pad features timed water jets that spray from stationary nozzles in the pavement, leaving a perfect place for splashing and cooling off. A large globe-like sphere in the centre of the pad is ideal for climbing, and the teeter-totter, balance beam and sandbox are sure to entertain little explorers. A short walk away is Beaver Lake Pavilion, where families can find washrooms with change tables, benches, lockers and a cafeteria. The pavilion is open from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Go play: 1260 Remembrance Rd., Montreal 514-843-8240 ville.montreal.gc.ca

2. Parc Jeanne-Mance Named after Jeanne Mance, a French woman who is credited with co-founding the great city of Montreal. The park is at the base of popular Mount Royal and boasts two baseball diamonds, a full-size football field, tennis courts, a sandy beach, lovely tree-lined jogging paths, and, of course, an awesome playground. The sand-based play yard is packed with a myriad of equipment to climb over, under and through. A smaller, bulkier play structure caters to exploring toddlers. Benches are scattered throughout for parents to sit back and watch, and a cluster of hulking mature trees provide shade from the sun.

Go play:  Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montreal ville.montreal.gc.ca

3. Westmount Park The equipment-packed playground on the island suburb of Westmount is a child's dream locale for a play-date. The spread is a hodgepodge of styles and themes, with a climbable choo choo train, multi-seat teeter-totter and springy bouncers for little ones to ride back and forth on. There are colourful tubes to crawl through, swing sets for big and little kids and a large castle-shaped climber that includes a suspension bridge that wiggles as you run over it. And don't forget your shovel! There's a large sandbox for digging. Washrooms on site.

Go play: Sherbrooke St W, Westmount 514-989-5389 westmount.org/westmount-park

4. Mohawk Park Monkeying around isn't hard to do when there's a bevy of playground equipment at your disposal. Kids can run around the climber and slither down the multiple slides. Beside the play gear is a simple, but totally fun, splash pad. Get your dose of H2O from squirting hydrants with cute elephant faces or stand by the in-ground jets that propel water high in the air. There's even a park bench that has jets on the backrest to shower anyone brave enough to sit under its spray.

Go play: 1080 Chemin Dumfries, Mont-Royal, Montreal

5. Jarry Park A great playground that offers challenging fun for both older and younger kids. This park once housed Jarry Park Stadium, which served as the original stomping grounds for Canada's first professional baseball team, the Montreal Expos. Bigger kids will love the swinging hammock (parents might like to relax on it, too, if the kids will share!) and scaling the sloping metal pyramids then sliding down. If you've got preteens, be sure to check out this gem of a playground!

Go play: 285 Rue Gary-Carter, Montreal ville.montreal.gc.ca

6. John F. Kennedy Park Along a busy city street, kids will feel safe and sound in this fenced-in playground/pool combo. There are loads of trees that offer a shady place to sit. The play area includes a large swing set and a long twisty slide that's connected to a tall climbing structure, complete with monkey bars, a moveable wall of blocks and a pole to slither down. On-site change rooms create an easy transition from playground to wading pool (there's also a full-size pool for older or advanced swimmers).

Go play: 860 Outremont Ave., Montreal 514-495-6253 (pool number) ville.montreal.gc.ca

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