This profile of Ann Arbor’s Creal Park Playground is part of our Playground Profiles Series. Are you interested in sponsoring the series? Contact us for details.
Each week Ann Arbor with Kids is profiling a different playground in the Ann Arbor area including Ann Arbor, Saline, Ypsilanti, Dexter, etc. Today we are profiling Creal Park part of the Ann Arbor system.
Ann Arbor’s Creal Park
Creal Park – Playground Features
Playground Profile Last Updated: September 11, 2022
Playground Best for: Kids Under 5, Kids 5-8
Structures: 2
Accessible Structure: No
Slides: 3, Straight Slide, Curved Slide
Monkey Bars: Yes
Zip Line: No
Climbing Apparatus: No
Merry Go Round: Yes
Bouncers: No
See Saw: No
Sandbox: Yes
Natural Play: No
Swings: 2 traditional swings, 2 baby swings, 0 parent/baby swings, 0 adaptive swings, 0 tire swings
Ground Activities: No
Surface: Wooden Mulch
Shade: Partial Shade – Picnic bench and tot structure were in late morning shade on our visit. The larger structure may get some afternoon shade.
Seating: Yes, Benches around playground plus a wooden picnic table
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Creal Park – Park Details
Park Owner: Ann Arbor
Location: Creal Park, Creal Crescent, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Parking: Street Parking –
Bathrooms: No
Walking Trails: Paved – Path through park connects to neighborhood sidewalks.
Water Play: None
Picnic Benches: Yes, At Playground, Shady
Pavilion: No
Sports Fields: Basketball, Open Fields
Creal Park Description
As my daughter has started high school and was busier in the summer, I started doing playground profiles on my own. However, today we had half an hour to spend after arriving early to an event at Forsythe. My teen suggested finding a park and I saw Creal Park on the map and knew we had not yet profiled it. So my 16yo is making a return to photos after a couple of years.
Creal Park has two Little Tykes structures which makes it perfect for toddlers through elementary school children.
The smaller structure is perfectly sized for toddlers. It had a small slide and easy to climb stairs. In the photo below you can also see a little car left at the park for kids to ride on.
The structure also has a tube to crawl through, a built-in bench/window, and spinners.
The larger structure features monkey bars and two slides and a sliding pole. While this is the larger of the two structures, it is still not that tall.
My teen was able to do the monkey bars even if they are a bit low for her. The structure has two sets of stairs, and one small ladder. We recommend the playground through lower elementary.
As we approached the playground, my daughter went straight for the merry go round and took a spin.
Creal Park has a sandbox with plenty of toys available. When we visited the sandbox had recently been refilled. As we were leaving, I heard a young boy comment on the new sand in the box.
The basketball court at Creal Park offers both a full court and a separate half court offering plenty of place to play basketball.
Ann Arbor Playground Profiles
Have you been to Ann Arbor’s Creal Park? If so, what is your favorite part?
Find more Ann Arbor area playgrounds in our Playground Profile series. Then, plan your own playground tour.
