New column: Katelyn Floyd: Where to take your toddler to play
There is nothing so discouraging as sitting inside and vegging with your young child when you live in paradise.
That's how I feel around the third hour of Sesame Street while my own little one practices putting her shirt on or floats through the house with a bowl of her just before-lunch snack.
So I try, at least once a week, to get my Charlie and myself out of the house and to a local park. If I time it right, I might even get a good solid nap out of her so I can get some work done (or catch up on some American Horror Story).
Charlie is still small -- just under two -- so my favorite park choices revolve around her ability to use and enjoy the equipment there with little reliance on me. After all, I intend to raise a self-sufficient woman and this is just a small way I can reinforce that.
Here are some of our favorite local parks.
DuBois Park - 48 Boundary Street, Bluffton
DuBois Park is right smack in the middle of Bluffton and only a block from the Farmers Market that opens every Thursday. If you're looking for a park bursting with playmates and other parents, this is it.
Charlie has always been adventurous so after a couple turns on the small structure, she insisted on risking her young life and limb on the giant shrimp boat while older kids rushed past her, always just barely missing her and waiting impatiently while she scoots her little body to the edge of the slide. Once she started asking for crackers with her trademark "Gah Gah" (a sure sign it's time to leave), we walked back through the Farmer's Market, bought a tomato (because she simply can't resist a juicy red tomato for some reason) and loaded up for home.
Crossings Park - 4 Haig Point Circle, Hilton Head Island
When I am having an unkempt or a grumpy day, I take Charlie to the playground here. Tucked away at the end of a scenic trail yet next to a parking lot, we usually have the place to ourselves.
Maybe that's just perfect planning by me, but it gives me the opportunity to sit in the wood chips and be lazy while she climbs to her heart's content. With a couple of "Good Job"s and a few "Watch your brains," she really doesn't need much help from me with the structures there.
Coligny Beach Park - 1 South Forest Beach Drive, Hilton Head Island
I spent most of our summer weekdays at the splash pad here. I saved the full-day beach trips for the weekend when I am not the only adult there to do all the adulting.
You can sit on the bench, you can splash and run with your little one, you can also play on your phone with the beach wifi. What you don't have to do is lug a cooler full of food and drinks, chairs, blankets, umbrellas or tents. It's just you in your water gear with plenty of sunscreen and towels. That light load means you are all set. Restrooms and a water fountain are steps away, shops and restaurants are within sight and the ocean is just out of view so tiny brains don't get distracted.
Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park - Bay Street, Beaufort
This is where the party is -- home of the water and shrimp festivals as well as many others. The park has a gorgeous view and draws in the crowds. I'm only there for the festivals but the playground holds Charlie's attention, at least for awhile, and the riverside walk draws many "Wow!"s and "What's that?" from her.
Chaplin Community Park - 11 Cast Net Drive, Hilton Head Island
It's a playground -- and a dog park.
Though the playground is great, Charlie is firmly attached to her furry friend Bentley and loves following him around while he sniffs and explores. Yes there are stinky presents around and that's a concern, but with ball to toss, I can keep both dog and child occupied for at least an hour in a place with so much more room than the average backyard.
Katelyn Floyd is the mother of a toddler who lives in Bluffton. She can be reached at katelyn.j.floyd@gmail.com.
This story was originally published December 7, 2015 at 3:50 PM with the headline "New column: Katelyn Floyd: Where to take your toddler to play."