Canterbury Park is tucked into the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Canterbury, and because it’s a little off the beaten path, you might not have heard about it. However, if you take a stroll down the Monon Trail, the trees and bushes clear around 54th Street, and there you’ll spot a small park, complete with a playground, swings, picnic area and sand volleyball court. Behold: Canterbury Park!
This park does a few things really well, but one of the most important for parents of young kids is: It’s just big enough to keep your kid’s attention for at least an hour, and yet it’s small enough that you can watch your child from wherever you’re standing (or sitting, if you’re like me). You can watch as your kid makes his way over to the playground equipment that includes two slides, a tunnel, a tic-tac-toe game and much more. Kids 5 years old and younger would probably get the most out of this playground setup, but kids of all ages will find something fun to do.
Then, as you continue to sit, you can watch as your kid makes his way over to the swings, of which there are a few baby swings for the younger crowd.
Then (still sitting, because sitting rules) you can watch as your child makes his way over to the sand volleyball court. If no one is playing a game, you can do what we and other families do and bring some sand toys to play at “the beach.” That’s what my kids like to call this little patch of sand. If we can’t actually be at the beach, I guess pretending to be at the beach is the next best thing, right?
Even though it’s a small neighborhood park, Canterbury Park has a restroom shelter, which is located at the back of the park, behind the swings. It also has a shaded picnic shelter with lots of tables, so bring your lunch!
One thing to note: Because Canterbury Park is right off the Monon Trail, you’ll want to watch that your kids don’t find their way over to the trail (some of those bikes travel really fast!).
The Canterbury neighborhood is very active and proud of their park, so during the spring and summer, you’ll often find family-friendly events happening at Canterbury Park, including neighborhood mixers with food trucks and live music. It’s a great little park that gets lots of love!
More Info:
Canterbury Park is located at 5510 Carvel Ave. in Indianapolis. The park is open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
Nicole Sipe is a freelance writer and editor in Indianapolis. A Southern California native, she enjoys exploring Indy with her husband and two sons.
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