Parks In Germany Are The Best...

During the summer we spend our morning doing school work, them head over to our village playground (spielplatz is the German word for playground). One of the things we love best about living in Germany is they build the best playgrounds. They have them everywhere.

Park for our Village.

I love the way the build the playgrounds. I feel like they are made for kids to take risks, learn coordination, and have fun. The playground pictured above has 2 platforms on it (just the tent on the right side). I have seen kids climb up the outside of it, if they fall it would hurt. But no one is telling them to get down, you will hurt yourself. They let the kids learn what is their limits. Thankfully my boys don't want to climb up the outside, they stay in the safer areas. I always say, they design the playgrounds to break an arm. I also love that kids go to the park without parents. The helicopter parent is very rare in Germany. I see kids there without their parents. My boys have learned how to be more independent, and I have learned to let go. I trust them to go the park without me. If I have to get something done, they go on ahead. 

Always have slides and places to climb.

Rock climbing/ bouldering is very big here in Germany. Most of the parks have small bouldering walls. My boys have gotten very good at it. We take them to climbing in gyms in the winter when it is to cold to play outside.

A large bouldering park that the boys love.

Just another place to climb on at a different park.

The fact that there are parks everywhere, even in the cities, makes Germany one of the most kids friendly places to visit. It also adds to the fun and adventure of living here. We never know what kind of park we will find. They are all so different. 

This was a new park that we visited with our homeschool friends yesterday.

It has also been fun to explore new parks with our homeschool friends. During the summer we meet up about once a week at different parks around Stuttgart. German schools only take six week off for the summer, so chances are the parks will be empty if you meet in the early afternoon. 

Always lots of climbing.