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My daughter loves it outside and we don't have much of a yard so I'm thinking of having her birthday party at a park with a sheltered area that people can rent, but I'd like to find a place that has a playground with toddler swings. I live in Wake Forest and most family lives east of Raleigh so I'd like to find a place somewhere between North Raleigh and Zebulon. Any suggestions? I'd also be interested in other fun places that are similar to Chuck e Cheese but I think she'd prefer to do something outside.
We did this years ago at the park near the Airport. I'm pretty sure it was called Lake Crabtree Park. They had shelters and a large playground. They also have lakes so you do need to keep your eyes on the kids.
A month or so ago we went to a young child's party at Pullen Park. Never had been there & not sure if it is in an area convient for your party, BUT, looked like a blast for the little ones (train ride, etc). The mother had it under a shelter. Not having a small child of my own, I'm just commenting on what I observed.
Definitely check out Baileywick rd. park. You can rent the shelter which has 8 picnic tables for $9/hr. My daughter loves that park.
I'd probably second this option. Baileywick has a nice, newer park with a good amount of space under the sheltered area right next to the playground area. I have a 7, 5 and 3 year old, and I'd say the playground is definitely geared towards the younger kids. Nothing too fancy, but it has different things to climb on, swings, etc. - it's also easy to get to and plenty of parking just steps from the picnic tables.
I was just at a 2-year old party at Pullen Park a few weeks back. I love Pullen Park, but it's definitely a little more intense across the board - at least on a Saturday. Parking can take a while, and it's been BUSY! Kids everywhere in the playground area by the train. My head was on a swivel trying to keep track of my kids, neighbor's kids, etc. It's kind of an open area with kids of all ages buzzing every which way. The park/picnic areas are awesome, the rides are a blast, but expect very long lines on a weekend. Most of our group did the train ride, but bailed on the carousel because taking on another big wait was going to be too much.
For a 2-year-old, I'd lean towards Baileywick or something more like that. Durant Nature Park is supposed to have a playground, and that's a bit closer to your area - may be worth checking out.
We did an impromptu birthday party for my son there (Pullen Park) yesterday. It was just a family party with siblings and a couple of cousins (plus the grandparents and an aunt and uncle). It is really crowded but we didn't have any trouble getting on the train, boats, or merry go round. We didn't rent a shelter, we just brought our cooler of cupcakes and drinks and sat on the grass and some rocks. It was great! There is also an awesome playground there.
Make sure you make it clear in the invitation that the parents need to stay. That's probably not as much of an issue with 2-year olds, but we have had some parties in the past where the parents left, and we ended up managing a bunch of kids by ourselves. It's one thing if the party is at your home, but a whole other issue if you are in public, and especially at somewhere like Pullen Park, where the kids could get hurt or lost easily.
Laurel Hills Park is also nice and there is a nice park at the corner of Leadmine and Lynn Road too.
As others have said, Baileywick is a good option. I've been to a birthday party for a 6 year old at the park and all the children had a fantastic time. In addition to swings, there is a play set geared toward 2-5 year olds and one for older children, baseball fields, and a a paved walking path.
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