Remember when you were a little kid and going to the playground was so much fun? Where I grew up, the only playground was on the grounds of the Catholic orphanage. We weren’t supposed to go there, but we did. Then came the day I fell off the monkey bars and landed on my face. By the time I ran home, my face and hands were covered with blood. Standing at the foot of the stairs in our duplex yelling for my mother was a disaster. Of course, she freaked out. Needless to say, my best friend and I were forbidden to go back. Our mothers reinforced this order by telling us if we got caught then we could be put in the orphanage and our parents wouldn’t be able to get us out. We were only seven — we believed them.
Fortunately, children in Marion don’t have to sneak in anywhere. There is a new playground by Silvershell Beach. There are swings and two sets of slides. One is your basic slide, but will accommodate two sliders at the same time. The other slide is a child’s dream come true. There are multiple ways to get to the top. Daring little climbers will love the options. There are two slides attached. One is your basic straight down; the other one spirals down. There are bells to ring so everyone will know you are there. In addition, the merry-go-round and the “jumpy chipmunk” are still there.
The two little guys I watched today were having the time of their lives. Climbing, sliding, running between the two slides. Their mom and I talked about how exhausted they would be when they got home. That has to be a plus for parents. If you haven’t visited the playground at Silver Shell yet, please do. Your children will love it and you will love watching how much fun they have.