Cardigan Park

If you’ve got a toddler in Iowa City, Cardigan Park is one of those spots the locals quietly love. The playground is sized just right for the 2-5 crowd — slides, swings, a climbing structure, and a play train that little kids absolutely lose their minds over. The shaded pavilion with picnic tables and a BBQ area makes it genuinely easy to spend a few hours here without melting in the summer heat. It’s a calm neighborhood park, not a zoo, so you can actually keep an eye on your kid without the chaos of a bigger facility. There’s open grass for running and a walking path that loops around — solid for burning off energy before the drive home.