Update: (10/6/2013) Hi folks, it’s Sheila, and we just got back from Holmdel’s Hilltop Playground, with the kids (ages 4,7 and 8) and their friends (ages 3 and 9). Â Fun time! Â I’m adding a few more photos:
Panoramic view
Ahhhh, fall foliage
44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ.
(Hilltop Playground and Longstreet Farm Section)
For official website, click here…
Can I say I’m loving twitter?
I keep getting great photos and recommendations from people
…and they are sharing like crazy.
So here is a great guest post from Donna R. who has some really cute kids.
It looks like you can pet the pigs, and also chase some chickens.
I hope she’ll comment, because I’m posting her photos and could use a little narrative.
This is our 2nd post on Holmdel Park, because I didn’t fully explore it the first time, but that’s why we are all about the feedback. The spongy floor looks awesome for young crawlers, and I’m looking forward to going when my 3rd is ready to get out of precious lil lump mode 🙂
Here are some pictures, and would greatly appreciate comments! Also here’s a link for the Forest Edge section of Holmdel Park (with wood chips, but still lots of fun)
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- Ahhhh, fall foliage
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- Panoramic view
We LOVE the newly renovated Hilltop Playground at Holmdel Park. Not only is it a beautiful play space but it truly has something for every family member. We visited the park early on a Saturday morning for a breakfast picnic and found it to be just delightful. There’s lots of shade and comfy spots for caregivers to sit and watch the kids play. There is a tiny tot area for those who are just crawling or learning to walk, a medium sized area for preschool age tots and a larger play structure for the more experienced climbers. The giant rope sphere is the highlight of the playground. There are also two baby bucket swigs as well as a super cool giant disc swing (see photos.) And to top it all off, the entire playground has the soft, cushy floor we parents all love. The structures both challenge a child’s physical abilities and provide endless enjoyment. We were there for nearly three hours and my oldest (5) didn’t want to leave.
We ended our park day with a short jaunt around Longstreet Farm (just down the hill from the playground) which is always a treat. On this trip we got to see 12 or so baby pigs and a very busy momma pig all rolling in the mud. The kids were thrilled.
I love the park and go there often. There are two playgrounds. One that you can see from Longstreet Farm and the other Hilltop (pictured above), which you cannot.
When you drive into the park, the first parking lot on the is for Longstreet Farm.
The farm is great, but it is an actual working farm (circa 1880s), not a petting zoo, and you cannot feed or pet the animals. The rooster in the photo got out of the pen; they are normally not loose. I would hate for someone to promise their child to pet animals and then get there an be disappointed. But there is plenty to do. If you are there at milking time, you can help milk the cow. In the spring are baby pigs and chicks. Occasionally, there will be horse-drawn carriage or sleigh rides and there are often free demonstrations on the farm, such as a blacksmith.
There is a nearby shelter building where you can buy snacks. (I think there are limited times for this) During the winter, there may be a fire burning in the fireplace and there is a sledding hill and ice skating in the lake.
Drive further uphill and the next parking lot is for the Forest Edge playground. There is a bathroom, water fountain and picnic tables nearby.
Further uphill is the Hilltop playground. This is a much cooler playground, but there are no bathrooms or water fountains. I think there is a porta potty.
There are also many trails.