My all-time favorite place to take the boys with their bikes is Oval Drive Park off of Club Boulevard near Hillandale. It has some great equipment to play on, like a boat that rocks, swings, a slide, a jungle gym, a field to run in and rocks to climb. The neighborhood also leaves ride-on toys and pushers in the playground for everyone to use, which is great if you forget to bring your own. Our favorite part of this park is definitely the sidewalk all the way around. It's safely within the park, and you can view the whole circuit from any spot in the park. Either walk the sidewalk with your little ones or watch your older kids ride in circuits without having to chase after them.
Rockwood Park is one that is always on the top of every poll that I do on my Stir Crazy Mom's website, so it's definitely a fun place to go. It's tucked back off the road in the cover of some huge, shady trees. There are swings, two play structures and ride-on bouncy cars. The main draw for my kids is always the trail. It's short, so it's definitely bike-able for the little ones, and makes a circuit around the park. The trail also goes over two bridges and that makes it especially entertaining for all small children.
Next on my list is one that we just discovered way up in North Durham. Little River Park is about 11 miles north of Guess Road's intersection with I-85, but it is well worth the drive up there. It has a nice little play structure, a butterfly garden, plenty of hiking trails and a dirt bike trail. What makes this a great place for bike riding is a quarter-mile paved loop trail through the woods. It's short enough for the little ones, and, being paved, it's definitely great for biking.
This last playground is a little bit different than our previous choices. New Hope Church in south Durham off of Fayetteville Road has a great little playground with a play structure, several sets of swings and a lovely fence around it. We've also discovered that it has a HUGE parking lot. The part next to the playground is rarely being used on the weekdays when we stop by, and is perfect for kids on bikes. While you do have to keep an eye out for possible cars, it's a great place for the kids to practice their biking without having to worry about going anywhere.
