Friday night we took the older two kiddos to Discovery Green, Houston’s newest outdoor park and entertainment venue.
The park was hosting a dog jumping competition, a short film festival and a zydeco concert… all for free. We valet parked at one of the restaurants, cruised by the dogs and the kids made a bee-line for the playground area.
This was like no other play structure I had ever seen. The kids loved jumping on the trampoline-like netted area.
It wasn’t long before a group of kids organized a game of tag in there, running from edge to edge. I loved that all the kids played so well together, even though they were from different families and different places. Yet they could all decide on rules and giggle together, jumping, running and chasing. (If only grown-ups could play together so well.)
This structure certainly appealed to a wide age range: tiny toddlers to ‘tweens had plenty of opportunities for sliding, climbing, running, music-making and gliding through the air.
Plus the surface of the entire area was cushy to soften any falls. And, as any mom needs, clean bathrooms were nearby.
My husband quickly found ice cream and we spread a blanket on the grass and enjoyed a perfect summer treat.
Then the kids were ready for more play action, so my husband and I got to (get this) sit back, relax and have adult conversation while the kids had a blast playing with their new friends. We couldn’t help but smile as the kids gallivanted across the structure, trying not to get tagged once again.
Typically, the park has water fountains for the kids to splash in. Unfortunately, they were turned off this evening. Fortunately, the playground offered plenty of entertainment so the guys only complained about the lack of waterplay once. (My husband and the boys had visited this park once before, so they were expecting some waterplay again this time.)
We could hear the zydeco concert through all the playtime. Once it stopped we wandered over to a large hill for the viewing of the movie shorts. After a few films, we decided they weren’t the best for us, and decided to head for our car. (The venue was fantastic, however: lots of room for everyone on a huge hill with a massive inflated screen. )
Along the way we passed several restaurants which were closed for the night and went back to The Grove, where we had parked our car.
We climbed to the rooftop bar for a some lemonade for the kids and a grownup drink for the grownups. The ambiance was perfect… lights twinkled in the trees, a sweet breeze tickled our backs and I felt like I was on vacation, even though I was close to home right in downtown Houston.
As we waited for our car, I took a peek at the restaurant’s menu and decided we would definitely be back… with or without the kiddos.
All in all, a wonderful night any Houston family could enjoy together. If you are in the area, I strongly suggest you give it a try.
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