Kidlist welcomes Carrie Gonzalez, a Kidlist reader and local mom of four, as a guest contributor.
If your kids are into watching American Ninja warrior like mine are, then they will love Summerlakes Park! This ninja park is located in Warrenville right off a frontage road near the intersection of Route 59 and Butterfield Rd.
Aside from an awesome ninja warrior type obstacle course, this park has tons of other entertainment for all ages. It’s tucked away from the busy streets and backs up to a forest preserve. The park has tennis courts, a baseball field, a skateboard park with fun little ramps for the kids to ride on, or in our case my kids used them as slides. It also has a park geared towards younger kids and batting cages as well. There’s a bike trail going into the forest preserve, so I spotted many families riding their bikes and taking walks.
Everything is in great condition and the parks are well maintained and clean. However, there isn’t any shade, so be prepared if going on a hot day. There are water fountains by the baseball field so you can keep that option in your back pocket.
We spent about two hours at Summerlakes Park, and could’ve stayed longer. The kids kept wanting to try just “one more time” and they never got bored. They were having so much fun and were so determined to beat their previous times or each other’s fastest times through the course!
The obstacle course has a big timer that is perched up high above the park for everyone to see. At the start of the course, there is a post with a start button that you push to begin the timer. At the end of the course, there’s another post with a stop button you race over to when finished. The start of the course has a ramp for the kids to run on and has three different colors on it. Green is the color closest to the ground and is the easier option. Yellow is placed in the middle of the ramps to make it a little harder, and if you’re looking for a challenge, the tops of the ramps are red, which is the toughest route to go.
The course has them jumping through hoops, running sideways on ramps, hopping from pole to pole, running over balance beams, and then using a climbing wall and climbing net. It was fun to watch the kids brainstorm ways to get through faster each time. They tried something a little different every time they went through.
Only one person can go through the course at a time when using the timer, so if you go at peak times the lines may get long. None of the kids seemed to mind waiting though. They all stared at the clock while someone did the course, cheered them on, and were excited when a new fastest time was set. I saw kids as young as three years old going through the course; it’s helpful if an adult is right next to them though in case they slip. A couple of kids even convinced their dads to do the course!
One other very cool thing my kids enjoyed was the two lane 50 yard dash. There’s a separate timer for the dash, so the kids can race against each other or against their own times. This park was loads of free entertainment, and the kids never stopped running around. They absolutely loved it! Kudos to the Warrenville Park District.
Summerlakes Park
3010 Talbot Avenue
Warrenville, IL 60555
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2 Comments. Leave new
Is there a bathroom at the ninja warrior park?
I don’t believe there’s a bathroom, but you can call the Warrenville Park District to check: (630) 393-7279.