Harper’s Playground

If you haven’t been to Harper’s Playground in Portland yet, you’re missing one of the most thoughtfully designed parks in the city. The big sandpit alone could keep kids busy for hours — there are actual toys in there, and in summer a water spout turns the whole thing into a mud-making operation parents either love or hate. Swings here are genuinely inclusive, with options for kids with disabilities, which isn’t something you see done this well at most parks. There’s also a climbing wall, a merry go round, a xylophone, and wide slides that even the timid kids tend to warm up to pretty quickly. Shaded seating, clean restrooms, and a grassy field round it out — honestly a solid pick for the full age range from babies to older kids.