Ashley Park

Location: 534 Ashley Park, Schertz, TX 78154

Amenities: basketball, soccer, playgrounds, swings, restrooms, picnic tables, trail

Ground cover: wood chips

This is a fantastic park with a lot of amenities.  I wouldn't recommend it in the summer because there is NO SHADE whatsoever.  But for all the other seasons, it's a fun place.  There's a paved trail that circles the park, good for walking/jogging while the kids play, or for riding bikes.  The lack of trees makes it a good place to fly kites.

Here's the soccer field with the basketball court in the distance.

There are two playgrounds; one for toddlers and one for older kids.  This is the larger one.  some parts of it are toddler friendly, but it has enough challenges for preschool and school aged children.

 Here are a few more pictures of it.  My three year old was a little intimidated by the bridge in the middle (can I even call it a bridge?  It's kind of like stepping stones but suspended in the air), but there are stairs at either end of the structure so all the slides can be accessed without going across it.

The swings are located near the bigger of the two playgrounds.  A bucket swing was missing when we visited...

Here's the smaller playground.  It's a great size for toddlers and there's really nothing to fall off of (always a plus!).  One of the things I really like about this park is that everything is close enough together that you can easily see your kids on either playground/swings/etc. if they want to play in separate areas. 

Converse City Park

Location: 307 School St. Converse, TX 78109

Amenities: baseball, volleyball, playgrounds, walking trail, bathroom, pool, pavilion, bbq, sand box

Ground cover: wood chips, poured rubber, sand

This was our first visit to Converse City Park.  We definitely did not get to see it all!  This place is enormous, and loads of fun.  The highlight for my 2 year old was the "old school" playground, with plenty of swings and a stand-alone slide.  She had never seen one before and was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.  We tried out just about all of the playground equipment.  There are two playground areas, the "old school" one near the pavilion and a brand new one at the south end of the park.  If you prefer the newer playground, there is parking available from an entrance off of 78.  It was a bit of a trek between the playground areas, but definitely manageable (probably even more manageable if someone hadn't insisted on being carried).  It was overcast on our visit, but I imagine on a sunny day it could be pretty hot, as there's not much shade.  There are many trees, just not in a position to shade the playgrounds.  However, the toddler playscape is covered. 

 There are SIX bucket swings!  Several of them need some repair, but I was still pleased with how many they are.  Definitely didn't have to wait our turn!

 Sling swings, stand-alone metal slide, and monkey bars.  This area has wood chips.

Pretty sure this was her favorite part.  I don't often see these slides, which were so common in my childhood, so I'm glad my daughter could experience it.

As you can see, there are plenty of sling swings as well. 

 Here's the pavilion.  There are plenty of picnic tables both under the pavilion and throughout the park. 

 Near the swings is a small toddler playscape, with sand underneath.  There is an additional sandbox elsewhere in the park that I did not photograph.

 This is the second, newer, playground. I love these climbing rocks but could not convince my daughter to try them out.  Springy poured rubber underneath.  It's nice to have a break from wood chips (keeping them out of shoes...and mouths)!

 Here is the rest of the playground

 From all the angles

There is a walking trail through the woods that we did not explore. 

Veteran's Memorial Park

Location:  Cibolo Valley Dr. behind the fire station (there is no street address according to Google)

Amenities: play structure, basketball court, soccer field, bathroom

Ground cover: wood chips

Veteran's Memorial Park is a great place for kids of all ages.  The play structure is a good height for toddlers and young children, with few openings out of which to fall.  It may not be very entertaining or challenging for school age children.  However, there is also a soccer field, basketball court, and swings (both sling and bucket).  There is no shade on the play structure itself, but there is a small covered area with picnic tables that offers shade on hot days.  It also always seems to be windy here, so it is a great spot for flying kites. 

 Swings

 Covered picnic tables

 Part of the play structure--small slide is great for those kids who are a bit scared of heights

 The bumpy blue part is a rock wall that is easier for young toddlers to do than traditional ones are.

The tallest slide is still not very high off the ground, which is what makes this park so great for the very little ones.

 Half the soccer field

More soccer field and the basketball court beyond it.