Play & Pastries: A Family Afternoon

After spending hours at the Jamestown Community Playground, I can say it is one of the best playgrounds I have been to. The only downside is convincing your children that it is time to go home! If you are looking for a fun afternoon activity with children and want to stay local, I recommended heading over to this one-of-a-kind playground.

Aside from an exciting experience for your children, the playground has a unique design and story. Partnering with American Forest, the park was recently renovated with a focus on using recycled and post-consumer materials to help offset the carbon footprint. This project was a grassroot effort and included collecting input from local children and students. It is filled with fun and surprises for younger and older children including a safe zipline, rock walls, ship climber, corkscrew slide, monkey bars and much more. The playground is clean and has soft rubber walkways and a mulch ground cover. Don’t worry parents, there are also well-kept porta potties to avoid those accidents that we have all experienced.

For a snack or to end the outing with an amazing lunch, cross the street to the kid-friendly Village Hearth Bakery & Cafe where you’ll find artisan bread, pastries and more, all crafted from stone-milled whole grains and local ingredients. Whether you’re having lunch or craving a sweet treat, you can be assured that the food is made from scratch on the premises. Their lunch menu includes health conscious-salads, sandwiches and soup. With a great kid’s menu, there is something for everyone. The kid’s menu includes PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese and hummus with veggies. If you are a coffee drinker like me, you may be ready for one of their cold iced lattes. Make sure to bring cash, credit cards are not accepted.

Cafe details

The Village Hearth Bakery & Café

2 Watson Ave., Jamestown

(401) 423-9282, villagehearthbakerycafe.com.

Hours: Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then pizza night 4 to 7 p.m