Parks of The Woodlands - Alden Place Park
Alden Place Park is a small neighborhood park located within the Village of Alden Bridge, in The Woodlands Township, Texas.
My 3 year old is fascinated by the dog-friendly drinking fountain at this park. This model of water fountain seems like a common feature for parks within The Village of Alden Bridge. There is a short fountain, a tall fountain, and a puppy fountain. I am grateful that the water fountains work, even on the coldest winter days.
Here is a link to the official website for this park: https://www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Alden-Place-Park-50
This park has picnic tables, a water fountain, a bike rack, modest street parking, and is accessible with walking paths. This park does not have restroom facilities on-site. The substrate of the playground is wood mulch.
There are a few marked parking spaces for this park, just on the side of the street in this residential neighborhood. It makes this park more accessible for those of us who live a little too far away to walk.
The flora at Alden Place Park is beautiful. We talked about the different layers of the forest: Canopy, Shrub, and Ground. The canopy of the forested margins surrounding the park are made up of pine trees (Pinus elliottii.), water oaks (Quercus nigra), and sweet gums (Liquidambar styraciflua). Shrubs surrounding the park include yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) and dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor). The trees have some lichen, and the ground shows occasional patches of moss popping through the leaf litter.
We counted bundles of pine needles (fascicles) and the number of needles within each bundle (always 3 in this case). We counted 2 fascicles, each with 3 needles. We then said 2 x 3 = 6. We played with multiples of three and kept talking about multiplication until it made sense. 5 x 3 = 15 is pictured. She had a lot of fun pulling apart the bundles of pine needles and counting each individual needle. She also had fun running around collecting pine needles for this activity.
This park is divided into two major playground areas, one which is designed for toddlers and preschoolers, and another for older children and adults. These distinct play areas are what my 3 year old refers to as a "Double Park." She loves that she can run through the grassy patch that divides these two parks, and she feels like she is visiting two different parks in one afternoon.
There are two sets of swings at the park, each with two swings. Two of the swings are bucket swings and two are belt swings. The bucket swings are located in the play area designed for younger children, and the belt swings are beside the playground for adults and older children.
In the playground for preschoolers, there is a spyglass. Unfortunately the optics were not functional. Still, it's fun to pretend to be a pirate from the lookout.
Notice all the drums on this playground? There are so many great ways to pound out repeating rhythmic patterns on this play structure.
What a fun little tower! She had a great time climbing this little rock wall. It was a great way to get her comfortable with rock climbing grips without feeling too far from the ground.
There's also a taller tower! She did not feel confident climbing this one to the top, but she found a path to the top elsewhere on the playground.
Do you like running across bouncy bridges? She does. We sang and counted each step as she made her way across.
Here's a fun way to climb up to the slide - this ladder made us feel like we were climbing up the opposite leaves on a mint plant.
Do you like going down the slide at the same time as your kiddo? I do. Here's a fun double slide that allowed us to do just that! "Three, two, one, go!" Counting backwards is a tricky skill, but when you make it a game, it's easier to learn.
She thought this slide looked like a funny foot. I agreed.
This little playground had so many fun and interesting slides! Everywhere we turned there was another one to try, and they were just the right size for a young child.
Sports fans! Do you like playing baseball? And tic-tac-toe? Why not put them together? Our kiddo loved spinning these in circles once she won the game.
Now here's a fun ladder. And it's actually kinda tricky to get to - since it's in the middle of the play structure!
There is a grassy area that separates the "little kid playground" from the "big kid playground". This little hill looks like it would be fun for gentle sledding, if only there were snow!
Here's a glimpse of the "Big Kid Playground". It has two belt swings, an obstacle course, and several slides.
Here's a standing swing where I had fun testing my balance.
Our kiddo loved spinning in circles on this toy.
These monkey bars are too tall for my little kiddo, but they are just right for a daring teen or adult.
This part of the obstacle course was a lot of fun! She called these "stick swings." She moved from one to the next, and they swung a little bit as she moved. It was quite tricky and fun.
Do you like learning the scientific nomenclature for zoo animals? We do! Check out these fun spinners. You can read all about each animal on one side, and see their picture on the other.
A steering wheel made this big kid park especially memorable.
Do you like riding your bicycle to the park? Lots of people do! There's a great bike rack at this little neighborhood park. And with easy access to the township's extensive trail system, you can get here from anywhere in town.
There are a few marked parking spaces for this park, just on the side of the street in this residential neighborhood. It makes this park more accessible for those of us who live a little too far away to walk.
The flora at Alden Place Park is beautiful. We talked about the different layers of the forest: Canopy, Shrub, and Ground. The canopy of the forested margins surrounding the park are made up of pine trees (Pinus elliottii.), water oaks (Quercus nigra), and sweet gums (Liquidambar styraciflua). Shrubs surrounding the park include yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) and dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor). The trees have some lichen, and the ground shows occasional patches of moss popping through the leaf litter.
We counted bundles of pine needles (fascicles) and the number of needles within each bundle (always 3 in this case). We counted 2 fascicles, each with 3 needles. We then said 2 x 3 = 6. We played with multiples of three and kept talking about multiplication until it made sense. 5 x 3 = 15 is pictured. She had a lot of fun pulling apart the bundles of pine needles and counting each individual needle. She also had fun running around collecting pine needles for this activity.This park is divided into two major playground areas, one which is designed for toddlers and preschoolers, and another for older children and adults. These distinct play areas are what my 3 year old refers to as a "Double Park." She loves that she can run through the grassy patch that divides these two parks, and she feels like she is visiting two different parks in one afternoon.
Here's a glimpse of the "Big Kid Playground". It has two belt swings, an obstacle course, and several slides.
Here's a standing swing where I had fun testing my balance.
Our kiddo loved spinning in circles on this toy.
These monkey bars are too tall for my little kiddo, but they are just right for a daring teen or adult.
Do you like learning the scientific nomenclature for zoo animals? We do! Check out these fun spinners. You can read all about each animal on one side, and see their picture on the other.
A steering wheel made this big kid park especially memorable.
This park has picnic tables throughout. This is a picture of a wheelchair accessible picnic table. The path to the table is continuous with the accessible parking, and is within close proximity to the playground. While the playground itself is not wheelchair accessible, the paths surrounding the playground are smooth and should be easy to navigate with wheels. This particular setup is great for parents with toddlers who don't want to take their sleeping babies out of their strollers, and want someplace to sit while their mobile kids play.
Have you visited a park recently?
What are your favorite features to have in a neighborhood park?
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