Kanow Park

Kanow Park is a Jefferson County park. 

It is a nice big park right on the river.  It is mostly wooded, but there is a large covered picnic area.

 

There is also a playground.  It is older, but the kids still had fun.

Supposedly, there is some sketchy past to this park, but when we were there, there was not another soul to be seen.  It is definitely a nice quiet park, but it is a bit of a drive away from everything.

There are bathrooms.

Kanow Park
N8248 Rock River Road ~ Ixonia, WI

Ixonia Fireman's Park

We visited the Ixonia Fireman's Park and enjoyed playing on the playground.  It's not huge, but plenty of fun.

The main playground felt a little bit old-fashioned, but it didn't seem to bother any of the kids that were there.

There is also a small handicapped-accessible addition.  This equipment looked fairly new, and my non-handicapped children enjoyed that too.  We were able to have a nice discussion about how other kids might be able to use the items at that playground too.

We lucked out and found the bookmobile there!  We got to listen to a guest reader at the park!  They set up under a very large covered picnic area.

All in all, we enjoyed the Ixonia Fireman's Park.

 Ixonia Fireman's Park
N8345 Park St ~ Ixonia, WI

River Bend RV Resort

River Bend RV Resort just outside of Watertown is more than just a campground.  It is actually a great place to hang out for a day!  To be honest, we were really only interested in their water park.

Now, if you're looking for a Wisconsin-Dells-caliber water park, this is not it.  But if you are looking for a swimming hole with some fun extras, River Bend is a great place to try.

First off, there IS an old-fashioned swimming hole.  Well, maybe not exactly traditional.

They have a shallow, sandy beach on one side.  Across the buoy line is much deeper with inflatable water equipment, like jumping pads and slides.  We did not venture that far with two little ones, but we did enjoy the floating lounges the resort puts out.  They are pretty sturdy and fun to float around on.

 The main attraction, though, is the pool area.  River Bend has a nice splash pad/kiddie pool.  We had to hold both of our kids (ages 5 & 2) back from racing in as soon as they saw it.  There are fountains, a spray arch, and a slide with a nice pad at the bottom, as well as plenty of open water for playing.

And then we ventured to the big pool!  I would say the main draw to River Bend is probably the big green water slides.  However, both of ours were still too small for those ones.  It is also worth noting that they do not run the entire time the pool is open.

Although the kiddo was a little disappointed she couldn't go on the big slides, they BOTH had a blast flying down the little slides.  There is a smaller frog slide (above, at the right) as well as a pretty decent-sized eagle slide (below, at the left).  We did lots of swimming practice and sliding.  The eagle slide was the definite favorite, but they are both good and fast.

We visited as soon as the pool opened in the morning, so we worked up quite an appetite by the time we dragged the kids out a few hours later.  We opted to order some lunch to-go from their restaurant.  It was reasonably priced and gone before we got home!

One thing I really appreciated about River Bend was that they allowed us to use our own floaties.  For some reason some places don't, but I always feel more comfortable when the kids have them on.

River Bend has nice bathrooms with coin-operated showers.

River Bend RV Resort
 W6940 Rubidell Rd ~ Watertown, WI ~ (920) 261-7505
Admission: 3&under free, Monday-Thursday $5/person, Friday-Sunday $10/person

Busy Barns Adventure Farm

This year the Wisconsin for Kids family decided to try pumpkin-ing at Busy Barns Adventure Farm.  It is located near Fort Atkinson, right on the highway.

We went the first weekend in October, and while there were a lot of people there, there was also a lot to do.  It felt busy, but not overcrowded. 

Our adventure started with the animals.  The kiddos loved the baby animals.  They got to climb right into the pen with them!

We also had fun trying many of the physical activities around the farm.

From coffee can stilts, to underground slides, the possibilities felt endless!

Busy Barns also has an obstacle course you can race.

I was a bit surprised at how well the kiddos were able to tackle some of the activities.  I would say they definitely provide fun for a broad range of age groups.  On the tricycle track, there are regular-sized trikes and over-sized.  The tractor tire play area can be climbed on or through.  The hayloft has big slides and little slides.  Busy Barns does a really nice job of making sure there is something for everyone.

The part I was less impressed with was their food selection.  There was really not anything special, and they had NO CARAMEL APPLES!!  Personally, that is my favorite part about our annual pumpkin trip.  But, honestly, if you just need a snack or a bit of lunch, you could.  We chose to leave a little earlier than we might have and eat lunch a little later than usual - we just stopped and got something in town.

While we did enjoy ourselves, it felt a little expensive.  Adults and kids all had to pay, and the QUANTITY of activities was definitely not lacking, there wasn't really anything that stood out to us as special or outstanding.  It was the first time I remembered feeling like it was really expensive to visit the pumpkin patch, even though it's in the ballpark for other similar places in the area.  Maybe if the kids were a little older, and we spent the whole day there it would have seemed better?

All said and done, I don't think it's the first place I would think of, but if someone says they're going, I wouldn't try to talk them out of it!

One other word of warning: our GPS did not drop us at the right spot!  We had to go a few extra miles on Hwy 12 to find it.

Be sure to visit their website for dates and a complete list of available activities!

Busy Barns Adventure Farm
W7675 Highway 12 ~ Fort Atkinson, WI ~ 920-691-6742
Admission: $10 per person, under 1 free; some activities cost extra

Tivoli Island Natural Park

Tivoli Island Natural Park is a nice quiet place to enjoy nature.

Feed the ducks from the bridge, but be careful!  There is no railing on the bridge, so it is easy lose a kid off the side!

We enjoyed a nature walk.  Bring the bug spray!

I don't remember coming across any bathrooms.

Tivoli Island Natural Park
S Concord Avenue ~ Watertown, WI

Riverside Park

Riverside Park is the main park in Watertown.  The prize feature is the community-built playground.

There are areas designated for different age groups, but really both of my two were very able to enjoy the whole thing.  There are slides, ramps, swings, bridges, stairs, and more!

Aside from this playground, there are paths to walk and ducks to feed.  There is also another smaller playground in a different area of the park.

There are bathrooms as well.

Riverside Park
812 Labaree Street ~ Watertown, WI

Grinwald Park

There is not much to Grinwald Park in Watertown.  It is really just a soccer park.

This is pretty much it.  If you are looking for big open grass, this is your place.  If you are looking for an hour of time where YOU don't have to entertain the kids, try somewhere else!

Grinwald Park
760 Milford Street ~ Watertown, WI

Timothy Johnson Park

Timothy Johnson Park is in Watertown.  It is a fairly generic park, but we had fun there.

It was well-visited while we were there.  It definitely wasn't overrun with children, but I get the idea that when you are there playing, chances are you will get to interact with other kids too.

Timothy Johnson has two climbers, one designed for young children, one for older.  There is also a nice covered picnic shelter with bathrooms and a bubbler! 

Timothy Johnson Park
1115 Oak Street ~ Watertown, WI

Schaller Park

Schaller Park is a riverfront park in Watertown.  It was slightly hard to find unless you know it's there.  There is no parking to speak of, but it is definitely peaceful.  It reminded me of a giant, fancy backyard.

The park has a climber and swings.  There is also a lot of waterfront (read: goose poop).  We had a nice little snack picnic, and then about a half hour of play was enough.

There is a port-a-potty.

Schaller Park
1200 Riverview Lane ~ Watertown, WI

Deer Trail Park

Deer Trail Park in Watertown is a neighborhood park in the middle of a subdivision.

 There are two play sets (one larger, one smaller), along with a couple of more unique features, such as this ball maze.

It definitely was entertaining for my little guy, but this park struck me as a lot of fun for older kids.  There were quite a few different climbing apparatuses.

This park also has a very ample lawn area.

If you're lucky enough to be there on the right day, you may even get the bonus entertainment of watching a TRUCK come and pump out the port-a-potty!  Highlight of the trip for my toddler:)

Obviously, there is a port-a-potty onsite.

Deer Trail Park
603 Deer Trail ~ Watertown, WI

Rock River Gymnastics Center

Rock River Gymnastics Center offers lots of gymnastics lesson, but they also hold regular open gyms when anyone can go play.  Both of my kiddos love to go run and jump!

It is actually inside a warehouse.

They built a platform where the trampolines are.

Rock River also has certain open gyms times just for young children.  There can play without getting trampled!

Here's my little tyke getting ready to run & "jump" (aka "fall") into the foam pit.  He loved having run of the place!

Rock River Gymnastics Center
1202 Wakoka St ~ Watertown, WI ~ 920-390-4562
Admission: $5-$9 depending on membership & age

Hunter Oaks Park

If you are looking for a step into suburbia, this is it!  Hunter Oaks is a very nice, well-kept park in Watertown.  It is a green space in the middle of a subdivision.  There are two large climbers, a walking/biking path, and lots of grass.

This park has some nice, unique features as well, such as this adaptive seat swing.

When my kiddo and I were there, there were some neighborhood kids who had biked there to play.  Families were in and out.  It really did have a nice neighborhood feel, and there was plenty to keep my four year old entertained.

Be warned, though: there are no bathrooms!!

Hunter Oaks Park (also known on Google Maps as Arlington Park)

600 Arlington Way ~ Watertown, WI

Jelli's Market

Our clan took a trip out Jelli's Market to pick some apples.  Aside from pick-your-own apples, they also set up a few fun activities to make the trip a little more interesting.  One of my kiddo's favorite was the lawn Jenga game.

Another big hit seemed to be the "real life" Angry Birds.  They have an actual slingshot and rubber duckies:)

There are other fruit selections when in season as well as a market.  It's a nice little place to spend a couple of hours.

Jelli's Market
N5648 S. Farmington Rd. ~ Helenville, WI ~ (262) 593-5133

Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park in Watertown is your typical park.  We had fun playing on the two playsets.  There is also a sandbox and some swings.

The park also has lots of green space and a picnic shelter with bathrooms.

Lincoln Park
Elm Street & Union Street ~ Watertown, WI

Union Park

Union Park in Watertown is on a dead-end street in an out-of-the-way part of town.  It is home to two blue and white play structures.

We had lots of fun trying both!  There are some unique features, like this fun tv featuring your very own programming.

There is quite a bit of open space as well as a picnic shelter with bathrooms.

Union Park
South Monroe Street & Lafayette Street ~ Watertown, WI

Mary Rose Park

 Mary Rose Park is a small park in a quiet Watertown neighborhood near the hospital.

They have some really unique equipment.  There is a large climber and one a bit smaller.  There is also some green space with a volleyball net and soccer field.  There is a port-a-potty.

Mary Rose Park
Meadowbrook Drive ~ Watertown, WI

Brandenstein Park

Brandenstein Park in Watertown is your typical neighborhood park.  There is a sand-padded playground.

There is also a volleyball net and a baseball diamond.  When we were at Brandenstein Park, there was a pile of bikes with a group of kids playing a game of kickball.  There is plenty of green space for picnics as well.

There is a port-a-potty.

Brandenstein Park
30 West Spaulding Street ~ Watertown, WI

Brandt/Quirk Park

 Brandt/Quirk Park is Watertown's largest park...without a playground!

That being said, it really is a nice park.  There are soccer fields, a frisbee golf course, and baseball diamonds.

There are also walking trails throughout the park, which is what we did when we visited.  We've also been for a couple of baseball games.  There was a sand and water play area near the ball diamonds at one point, but I did not notice that when we were there for a game last night, so either they got rid of it or I just got lucky that my kiddo didn't find it:)

Dogs are allowed, but I have not come across any enclosures.  Anyone know if they have one?

The park has actual restrooms.

Brandt/Quirk Park
800 Carriage Hill Drive ~ Watertown, WI

Skate Express

Ah, a good old-fashioned roller rink!  My kiddo had such fun skating for the first time!  She's been taking ice skating lessons, so I was curious how the roller skates would go.

Let's just say she appreciated when a "walker" became available :)

And, yes, in case you were wondering, they do have the requisite roller rink carpet.

Skate Express
 N9668 Frohling Drive ~ Watertown, WI ~ (920) 206-0555
Admission: $4-$7 depending on the session you choose, roller skate rental included