Tacoma, WA

Like most people, I look forward to Saturday all week. This is especially true in the summer time when the weather is nice and it creates the perfect opportunity to venture out with my two year old and enjoy the sunshine after a long winter cooped up indoors.

We have a routine that we both really enjoy and I would like to share it with other families so that everyone can get the most out of a fun outing to downtown Puyallup’s Pioneer Park. Although we are now residents of Tacoma, we lived in downtown Puyallup for the last two years and found it to be a wonderful place to live with kids. Now even though there are quite a few parks closer, we have maintained our routine and continue to frequent Pioneer Park for all that it has to offer. Let me tell you, any activity that is fun for both mommy and baby is a winner in my book.

We will wake up on Saturday morning and head down to the park. First a quick stop into Forza, the coffee shop located right next to the park with a great atmosphere to hang out for a while on the big comfy couches to read the morning paper and drink coffee and have warm toasted bagels. I can even almost ignore my toddler sticking straws up his nose for a few minutes . . . almost. After we finish our breakfast, we are off to the swings!

The park offers a great playground with swings that are safe for babies and toddler slides that are separate from the big kid structures which make it a great park for mothers of little ones such as me. There are big open grassy areas to play soccer, football and Frisbee. We like to take a blanket and have a nice picnic or just lie out and relax for a while in the afternoon.

If your family is not the picnic type there are some great places to eat lunch in the parks walking vicinity. Comfort Food Café is a great place to buy organic soups, salads, and my son’s personal favorite- macaroni and cheese. DeCaterina’s Market Grill and bar is a sit-down restaurant that has a covered porch area to be able to eat outside, which is a luxury that most Washingtonians can truly appreciate. If the toddler wading pool is open during nice weather my son will jump in and entertain himself for hours running and splashing around. (We always make sure to bring the sunscreen and bathing suits just in case!)

This is the weekend routine that I have come to look forward to all the way from the time I was a new mom and wanted to just get out of the house but didn’t know where to go with a baby to now that I have a rambunctious toddler who needs to be able to go outside and run off some steam. The park is truly a wonderful place to be and is perfect for any family who loves to get outside and enjoy a variety of family friendly activities all in one location.

Pioneer Park is located in Downtown Puyallup at: 324 S. Meridian Puyallup, WA 98372