this is a page for

Category: Places to Play

Hands-on Fun at the Brooklyn Park Library

My kids and I are big fans of the Children’s Museum, the Works Museum, and other areas that let kids stretch their imaginations and expand their critical thinking skills through hands-on play. But the unfortunate thing about most of those great attractions in the Twin Cities is that they take so long to get to!

For us, the library in Brooklyn Park is like an oasis in the desert. It’s located fewer than 20 miles from STMA, so if you jump on highway 610, you can get there in about 20–25 minutes. It’s a perfect place to visit all year round, but especially in the winter or on those rainy days when you just need a colorful place to play.

The play area is set up in the center of the library, with the shelves of books and the computer area surrounding it. Unlike some libraries where I feel like I have to keep shushing my kids every time they make a sound, here the kids’ play area was more or less the star attraction, and no one seemed to mind all the running, giggling preschoolers.

There are about a dozen different hands-on activities for kids to engage in, from magnetic shape tiles to an interactive microscope and a giant play house. Most of the activities give kids experience with STEM concepts, while others encourage exploration in reading and pretend play.

My daughter kept running from station to station trying out everything, while my son fixated on the giant wall-sized Lite-Brite (pictured above). We could’ve played here for hours, especially if we came in time for the library’s story time as well.

Have you been here? Tell us about it in the comments.

My recommended age range for the play area is 1 to 8.
Visit the library website (link) for location and hours.

Don’t forget to pin this post!

Save

Save

Save

St. Michael Parks

Time to grab the kids and head to the park! Here is a list of parks in St. Michael for you to check out this season.
(Click here to jump to a list of Albertville parks)

Beebe Lake Park
Southwest St. Michael near Buffalo | 7250 10th Street NE  (map)
– Playground, picnic area, swimming beach, hiking trails, fishing pier, campground  (more info)

Highwoods Park

Frankfort Hills Park
Beebe Lake Road and Jaber Avenue NE | 1210 Jaber Avenue NE (map)
– Baseball field, soccer field, basketball court  (more info)

Gutzwiller Park
On County Road 119, 1/2 mile northwest of County Road 35 | 4455 Kady Ave NE (mapDetails
– Playground, gazebo, picnic table, soccer fields, horseshoe pit, paved trail

Highwoods Park
South side of Frankfort Parkway at Mason Avenue NE  (mapDetails
– Playground, gazebo, picnic table, baseball field, soccer field, basketball court

The Landings Park
(map)
– Paved trail, green space

Swamp Lake Park

The Preserve Park
Near Big Woods Elem. and Middle School East | (map)
– Playground, gazebo, picnic tables, baseball field, soccer field, basketball court, paved trail (more info)

Recreation Center
Adjacent to the Crow River | 32nd Street & Lander Ave NE (map)
– Upper park: softball field, soccer fields, paved trail (more info)
– Lower park: baseball field, softball fields, tennis courts, BMX track, playground, hockey rink, skating area, picnic shelter, horseshoe pit, trails

Walnut Park

Swamp Lake Park
1/4 mile west of Main Street on Heights Road | 398 Heights Road NW (mapDetails
– Playground, basketball court, soccer field, paved trail, green space

Town Center Park   
Adjacent to St. Michael City Hall | 43rd Place NE (map)
– Playground, splash pad, picnic shelter, concessions, pickleball courts, green space

Walnut Park
1/4 mile west of Main Street on Walnut Avenue | 300 Walnut Avenue SW (mapDetails
– Playground, gazebo, picnic tables, baseball field, soccer field, basketball court, paved trail

Welter Playlot
South of Middle School West | 399 Ivory Ave NE (mapDetails
– Playground, basketball court

See also >> Albertville Parks

Albertville Parks

Time to grab the kids and head to your favorite park! Here is a list of parks in Albertville for you to check out this season.
(Click here to jump to a list of St. Michael parks)

Central Park

Central Park
Near Main Ave and St. Albert Catholic Church | 5801 Lander Avenue NE  (map)  Details
– Playground, enclosed shelter, gazebo, picnic tables, skate park, volleyball court, basketball court, softball fields, baseball field, hockey rink, skate rink  (Contact FYCC to reserve shelter or ball fields)

Four Seasons Park
Off of Barthel Industrial Drive NE | 11830 51st Street NE  (map)  Details
– Playground, shelter, gazebo, basketball court, tennis courts

Four Seasons Park

Hunters Park
In the Hunters Pass Estates development | 7040 69th Circle NE  (map)
– Playground, gazebo, basketball court

Linwood Park
Northeast of Albertville Premium Outlets | 11260 West Laketowne Drive NE  (map)
– Playground, gazebo, basketball court, tennis court, soccer field, paved trail, green space

Linfield Park
North of I-94 in Towne Lakes Development | 6450 West Laketowne Drive NE  (map)
– Playground, grand gazebo, paved trail, green space

Oakside Park

Oakside Park
Southwest of Casey’s General Store | 10820 Kantar Court NE  (map)  Details
– Playground, baseball field, soccer field, paved trail, tennis courts

Shady Oak Park
In the Towne Lakes Development | 6832 Lakewood Drive NE  (map)
– Wooded trail

Villas Park
In the Albert Villas development | 10365 Kali Avenue NE  (map)
– Playground, gazebo, baseball field, soccer field, basketball court, paved trail

Winter Park
Across I-94 from Albertville Premium Outlets, south of CSAH 37 | 10381 64th Street NE  (map)  Details
Playground, baseball field, basketball court, soccer field, paved trail, wood chip trail, fenced dog park

Westwind Park
Northwest of Casey’s General Store | 10687 Kalland Drive NE  (map)
– Playground, paved trail, green space

Great River Library in St. Michael

“The world is full of magical places, and the library has always
been one of them for me.”  – Julie Andrews

On any given day, ask my daughter where she’d like to go, and she’ll almost certainly tell you, “the library!” There’s just something about stepping into the library that’s like entering into a different world, full of possibilities. And one of our very favorite libraries is the one right here in St. Michael.