this weekend we headed up the coast of California to Carmel-by-the-Sea, a charming little seaside town just south of Monterey. a town flanked by beautiful rocky beaches, cottage style houses and vintage old town charm. during exploration of the area, it was recommended to visit the Dennis the Menace Playground in Monterey, a well-loved playground originally established by Hank Ketcham, the creator of the comic strip Dennis the Menace. and since the boys had already spent a good amount of time in the car driving to Carmel, we felt this was the place we should go to let them run around.
the Dennis the Menace Playground is a pretty fantastical place. children can play to their hearts content, running across suspension bridges, and jungle gyms with the soft breeze of the ocean hitting their faces, which is just a skip and a jump from the playground.
if you get the chance to visit the Dennis the Menace Playground, plan on staying awhile because there are many things to explore and play with in the park…
like wiggly slides… 
garden mazes….
rock climbing walls…
tunnels….
and twirly, whirly, spinning poles.
a large sunshine play structure is the focal point of the park, part of the original playground equipment from when the park first opened in 1956.
a truly awesome roller slide runs down the hill and through the center of the sun. speaking from experience, it is fun for all ages! even adults can enjoy this slide…it is worth the bumpy ride.
when you get tired of playing and need to grab a drink, stick your head into the famous Lion Drinking Fountain. it has been one of the playground’s icons since the beginning.
two more original features of the Dennis the Menace Park still reside onsite. and old lion that was the original lion water fountain, and Steam Engine 1285. park visitors used to be able to climb and play on the steam engine replica, however due to safety concerns, it is currently fenced off. however they are still pretty fun to look at. 
PLUS….i wanted to share this great ball kit we brought with us to play at the Dennis the Menace Playground. it is the Sportime Physical Education package with fold up storage case by School Specialty. it was the perfect park buddy, as it includes everything you need to play all the sports your kiddies love. the kit come with everything you see here, it is playground quality, and a great set to have not only for park play, but home play as well.
we just love this ball kit. especially the bouncy ball and jump ropes.
plus, the fact that is comes with a football, foam soccer ball, foam softball, and a frisbee, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
i highly recommend it, and if you are interested i getting this set for your kids or someone you know. i would recommend it for ages 0-10+. you can purchase it here for a great price. please note that these are fun play balls, not regulation style balls. they are perfect for fun play.
the boys played and played. with the balls, on the swings, on the jungle gyms, in and out the tunnels and though out the entire playground. being able to explore a park with so much history was a real treat. not only is the Dennis the Menace Playground a wonderful place to play, it is located within El Estero Park which also has some awesome amenities like a skate park…
and a lake the wraps around the Dennis the Menace Playground. you can rent a paddle boat and paddle around the lake on a boat shaped like a swan.
visiting this little gem of Monterey was one of the highlights of our trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea. the boys played to their hearts content…even until the sun started to set beyond the oceans of Monterey. i highly recommend stopping at the Dennis the Menace Playground with your little ones if you are in the area. click here for more information about the Dennis the Menace Playground.
So cool, love it thanks for the tip as usual!