This is part of a series photographing and reviewing playgrounds and parks in the Boston Metro Area; playgrounds and parks are an important part of the infrastructure that promotes healthy early childhood development; they should be celebrated and invested in to support young children and their families. (unfortunately, parks are currently closed due to COVID-19)

So far, we have looked at:

1.     Perkins School For The Blind’s Playground (Watertown)

2.     Pat and Gabriel Farren Playground (Watertown)

3.     Transportation Children Center’s Playground (Boston)

4.     Irving Park (Watertown)

5.     Smith Playground in Allston

6.     Watertown’s 552 Main St Playground

7.     Mother’s Rest Playground along The Muddy River

8.    Clifford Playground (Boston)

9. Dorothy Curran Playground at Joe Moakley Park (South Boston)

10. Martin Richard’s Part at The Smith Family Waterfront (Boston)

11. Filippello Playground (Watertown)

12: Artesani Playground (Brighton/Along Charles River)

13. Lowell Playground in Waltham

14: Bemis Playground (Watertown)

15. Beaver Brook Reservation Playground (Belmont)

This post will focus on Stanley A. Ringer Playground (Ringer Park for short) in Boston’s Allston neighborhood. Allston is known for its college students, live music, and Korean restaurant and being densely populated. It is no wonder that Ringer Park has been described as an oasis in Allston. The park was named after an Allston native. “Stanley A. Ringer was born in Allston in 1897. He graduated from the Washington Allston Grammar School and attended Mechanics Arts High School for two years and then worked for the Exchange Trust Company. Ringer enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps on May 2, 1917 as the first volunteer from Allston for the armed services in World War I. Within three months Ringer was overseas, serving in France with the 43rd Company, 5th Regiment, U. S. Marines, where he achieved the rank of corporal. Stanley Ringer was killed in France in action on June 11, 1918, at the age of 21. The French government awarded Ringer the Croix de Guerre.” The playground and park is next to the Jackson Mann School and The New Balance Foundation Pavilion.

The playground has a few stand out features. The first thing that pops out to you is that the playground is up on a hill that overlooks the larger park and baseball field. This gives an adventurous type feel to any climbing the many stares or going up the hill to reach the playground; however, that could make it harder to get to for people with disabilities. One of the things I love about this park is that it has two chess tables. I am not a great chess player, but I love the game and always like to see public chess tables in parks; they do not seem as possible as they used to be. I also like the rock-climbing style climber in the playground structure. We need more opportunities for kids to build upper body strength. Aside from that, the playground is standard with a soft surface, slides, monkey bars, and swings. Below are pictures of the Stanley A. Ringer Playground.