There are several playgrounds around Cincinnati with at least partial shade to help keep you cool during the summer months. Not all of them have total coverage, but the playgrounds in this list have enough shade for kids to be able to play without being directly in the sun the entire time. Here are some of our favorite Cincinnati shaded playgrounds.
Looking for more ideas of fun things to do around Cincinnati? Check out my playground reviews and my splash pad guide for endless summer fun!
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Dogwood Park
A playground just for toddlers in Mariemont
One of our favorite toddler playgrounds is Dogwood Park in Mariemont. This playground was designed for ages 2 to 5, and is completely fenced-in!
Dogwood Park
Highlights
Best for ages 2 to 5
Features include a playground, swings, ride on toys, play house, green space, and more
The playground is fully fenced in!
Very easy for a toddler to navigate
Baby Ben doing the slides all by himself!
Playground
The playground at Dogwood Park was designed for ages 2 to 5, and it’s very easy for that age group to navigate without too much help. The main playground structure has several levels and slides, all which are connected by stairs – rather than something more difficult like a ladder.
The Dogwood Park playground
There are several ride-on toys, as well as a row of swings. A cute little playhouse was added to the playground in 2022.
The ride on toys The ride on toys at Dogwood Park
Other Features
On the other side of the playground fence, you’ll find a picnic shelter, a bell tower (where the bathrooms are!), and ball fields. There’s a small parking lot next to the playground, street parking, and another, larger lot further down.
At the back of the playground you will find another gate and steps leading down into the woods. Here you’ll find the old Boathouse that used to house boats and canoes for a lagoon over 200 years ago. You can read more about it here.
The play house
The Not So Greats
While Dogwood Park is a must visit if you’ve got a toddler, there are a few things I don’t love. The bathroom is all the way in the nearby bell tower, and it isn’t always open (during the winter). There are only a handful few parking spots right next to the playground. There is ample street parking and a larger lot further down, but it’s nice to be right next to the playground when you’re schlepping a bunch of little kid stuff with you.
Also, there is mulch thorough the playground. Mulch isn’t my favorite in general, but especially not with toddlers. And since the playground was designed for 2 to 5 year olds, there’s not much to do for bigger kids or babies.
Overall, Dogwood Park in Mariemont is an awesome playground for toddlers. My son always has a blast on the playground, and I love how it’s fully fenced-in! The playground at Dogwood Park is not too big, but still has plenty of room to run around!
And for more fun things to do with your toddler, check out our favorite toddler-friendly places around Cincinnati!
Reopened in May 2022, Gorman Park in Sharonville is a great spot for summer fun with a new playground, a splash pad, picnic shelter, and more.
Gorman Park
Highlights
Good for ages 2 and up
There is a large splash pad on one side of the park and a large playground on the other
The playground consists of a large big kid jungle gym, smaller toddler jungle gym, and swings
The splash pad is open from 10am to 8pm during the summer
There’s a large picnic shelter next to the splash pad with plenty of picnic tables, bathrooms and water fountains
Playground
The playground at Gorman Park is great for ages 2 and up. There is a large playground for bigger kids with different levels, slides, a rock wall, and ropes course. This part of the playground is nicely shaded.
The big kid playgroundThe big kid playground
The swings are located between the big kid playground and the toddler playground, and include an accessible swing and a two-seater swing.
The swings and toddler playgroundThe big kid playground and swings
The toddler playground is located closest to the parking lot, and is a smaller version of the big kid playground. It is not shaded, and was not as popular as the big kid playground during our visit. The playground has mulch throughout.
The toddler playground
I found that the playground complimented the splash pad well, however, I personally wouldn’t visit this park only for the playground if I wasn’t nearby.
The Splash Pad
The splash pad at Gorman Park is huge, and can accommodate a lot of kids. There are a variety of sprayers, and a large dump bucket in the center. It is easy to see the entire splash pad from one of the many nearby benches, as well as from the large picnic shelter behind it.
Gorman Park splash pad is open from 10am to 8pm from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. To activate the splash pad, press the Start button in the middle of the splash pad.
The splash pad at Gorman ParkThe splash pad at Gorman ParkThe view of the Gorman Park splash pad from the picnic shelter
Other Features
I really liked the large picnic shelter, located behind the splash pad. It has plenty of picnic tables, bathrooms and water fountains. The nearby parking lot made it very convenient to get from the car to the splash pad and playground quickly. There is also a walking path around the perimeter of Gorman Park.
The large picnic shelter with bathrooms and water fountainsThe walking path
The Not So Greats
While Gorman Park has been beautifully updated, there were a few things about the playground that I didn’t love. The entire playground is mulch, and I personally prefer a solid surface or artificial turf ground. I also feel that mulch limits the playground from children who are still crawling or need a wheelchair to get around. The toddler playground did not have much shade, which isn’t great on a hot summer day. And while there there is a barrier between the toddler playground and the road, it’s always nice when a playground is fully fenced in.
Overall, Gorman Park in Sharonville is a really fun park to check out in the summer. Pack a lunch (or a snack!) so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy both the splash pad and the playground.
A great playground for the littlest and biggest of kids
This newer playground in Deerfield Township is a great spot for crawlers and bigger kids. This playground has artificial turf, but it’s also somewhat shaded by the large oak trees throughout the park. Schappacher Park also has a dog run park for your furry kids.
Schappacher Park
Schappacher Park Highlights
Playground was recently renovated
It has a little play house structure for crawlers
There’s also a large play structure for bigger kids
Artificial turf throughout the play area
A variety of swings
Nearby dog run for your furry kids
Schappacher Park rope globe merry go round
Overview
The playground at Schappacher Park was recently renovated about a year ago with brand new playground equipment. There are several parking spots along the street. There are several paths throughout this park, along with a restroom building, two picnic shelters, and a dog run park. The playground is located towards the back of the park. There are trees throughout this park, and I would consider the playground to be semi-shaded.
The playground
I love that this playground also has the same little play house structure that you can find at West Fork Park. This little house is great for kids who are still crawling and young toddlers. It can definitely feel difficult to find a playground that kids under 2 can enjoy. If you have a little little one, Schappacher Park is a great spot to check out.
The bigger kid play structure reminds me of a ninja course. It’s got several ladders that require a decent amount of strength and skill to scale. The top part of the structure has bigger openings, and there’s a rope bridge walkway between the two slides. I would say this structure is most appropriate for kids age 5 and up. We last took our son to Schappacher Park when he was 2.5 years old, and he couldn’t navigate this play structure.
Schappacher Park big play structure
Schappacher Park
There is also a piece of playground equipment that can best be described as a rope globe merry go round. It’s big, it’s round, it’s got a bunch of ropes, and it spins. This could be fun for a toddler, but not for more than 10-15 minutes.
Schappacher Park has a set of 6 swings. There are 4 regular swings, one bucket swing, and one two-seater swing.
Schappacher Park swings
The not so greats
There are very few things for older toddlers and preschool-aged kids to enjoy at at this playground. The little play house would get boring fast, and the bigger play structure is too complex and open for this age group to easily navigate.
Overall, if you have a 1 year old and a 5 year old, Schappacher Park would be a great park to check out. But if your kiddo falls within the 2-4 age range, you’ll likely find that there isn’t much here to hold their attention for long.
Blue Ash Nature Park is a great choice if you’re looking for some pretty scenery, easy walking trails, and a variety of playgrounds. Located behind the Blue Ash Recreation Center, this park has 5 playgrounds, 6 picnic shelters, 2 restrooms, an amphitheater, and both paved and gravel walking paths. It’s a great spot to take the kids to play or go on a walk with the dog – or both!
Blue Ash Nature Park
Blue Ash Nature Park Highlights
This park has variety – two larger and one smaller playground for bigger kids, one playground for toddlers, swings, and a sandbox
2 on-site restrooms – one near the front of the park and one towards the back near the creek
The park is mostly shaded, including the playgrounds
The trails can be easily navigated, including the gravel paths through the woods
The large amphitheater hosts events in the summer, but is also a great spot for kids to put on their own week day afternoon performance
Overview
The main parking lot for Blue Ash Nature Park is located to the back of the Blue Ash Recreation Center parking lot. There is also a secondary entrance and parking lot located on the other side of the city building. When you enter the park by the rec center, you will see the largest playground to your right and a picnic shelter to your left. Next to the picnic shelter are the swings. Keep walking down the paved path and you will see the restrooms and concession stand building before you reach the amphitheater.
The next section back under the tree line is the toddler playground and sandbox to your left and a second playground to your right. Keep on the path to pass picnic shelters, a built-in corn hole set, and the other restrooms. In the woods, before you reach the other parking lot, you will see the last of the playgrounds.
Playgrounds
There are three playgrounds designed for older kids. The playgrounds can be navigated by older toddlers, but these play structures have large open spaces higher up, making it not ideal for smaller ones who aren’t as steady on their feet. As a high-strung mom, these playgrounds would make me super nervous when my son was younger and a bit woobly on his toes.
The first and largest playground is right off of the rec center entrance. It consists of two main levels, with several slides and ladders to access each level. A younger kid could have fun on the lower level of this structure, but I would recommend the higher level for older kids. There are also a few smaller structures around this playground.
The second playground is located towards the back of Blue Ash Park and across from the sandbox. This playground has a transportation theme, with pretend vehicles to drive on the ground level. It’s a similar layout to the first playground, but smaller. There are several big openings up top towards the curly slide.
The last playground is located in the woods and is the smallest of the three. This playground consists of a climbing wall, a ladder and a slide. This playground is fun because it feels a bit secluded, but there aren’t very many features.
Blue Ash Nature Park Large Playground
Blue Ash Nature Park Large Playground
Blue Ash Nature Park Vehicle Playground
Blue Ash Nature Park Smaller Playground
Toddler Playground and Sandbox
The toddler playground at Blue Ash Nature Park is dinosaur themed. It has a ride-on dinosaur, a smaller climbing structure, and my son’s all time favorite – a big, green dinosaur slide. The flooring is mulch, so this is not the play space for crawlers, but an 18 month old would have fun.
Next to the toddler playground is a covered sandbox. The sandbox is big enough for 5-6 kids comfortably. This is a sandbox at a park in a wooded area, so there are lots of twigs and leaves and sometimes bugs in the sand.
Blue Ash Nature Park Toddler Playground
Blue Ash Nature Park Sandbox
Blue Ash Nature Park Toddler Playground
Swings
Located towards the rec center entrance at Blue Ash Nature Park are the swings. There are only four – two regular and two bucket, but there are so many playgrounds at this park that the lack of swings doesn’t seem to pose a huge problem. There is also a tire swing further back in the park.
Blue Ash Nature Park Swings
Trails
There is a long paved path that stretches back to the amphitheater. From there, the paths form two looped trails – essentially creating a funky-looking figure eight. The paths through the woods are gravel, but these are some of the easily trails to navigate in the area. The trails are short and are relatively flat. There is also currently a story walk (pages from a children’s book displayed along a pathway), which is always a fun activity with kids.
There’s a cute little bridge over a creek that makes the perfect spot for taking photos. The creek isn’t easily accessed from the trails, but it’s not the spot for creeking. There is an area where you can stand near the creek and admire the little waterfall.
Blue Ash Nature Park Main Path
Blue Ash Nature Park Bridge
Story Walk at Blue Ash Nature Park
Blue Ash Nature Park Map
The not so greats
Blue Ash Nature Park is, as the name suggests, a nature park. It has trees, leaves, twigs, mulch, bugs and other nature-y stuff. If this isn’t your jam, than this probably isn’t your spot.
Playground wise, I’m not a huge fan that most of the playgrounds have big openings way up high, and that there are only a handful of swings. All of the playgrounds have mulch, and there really isn’t much for crawlers.
Overall, Blue Ash Nature Park is a great spot with a variety of shaded playgrounds to choose from. It’s best for toddler-aged kids and up. This is also a great park to find easy beginner trails to explore with your kids.
