13 Playgrounds Around Fenton for Summer Fun

School’s out and the last thing mom and dad needs are a bunch of couch potato children playing video games all day. Planning exciting activities for the whole summer can be a challenge to both your creativity and your wallet. Why not visit a local playground—kids love and need unstructured time to play. Besides, public parks are free.

Here’s a list of local playgrounds, both indoors and out, perfect for whiling away a summer afternoon.

This park has two playgrounds to visit, a paved trail for bike and trike riding and open fields for kite flying or picnics. This is one of the nicer playgrounds in Fenton and always popular when the weather is nice. Seating for adults is limited, so bring a chair.

Westside Park: Tucked inside Woodridge Trails Subdivision is Westside Park, a small but interesting place to play. The playground is very simple and aimed at smaller kids with just two low slides and a platform. The park has a fishing pond with a one mile loop of paved trail perfect for strolls or peddling a trike. The path connects to Fenton’s larger trail system, which cuts through park land all the way to the Meramec River.

Buder Park: This county park was split in two by the construction of Hwy 44 years ago. “Buder South,” on the Fenton side of the highway, is a thin sliver of park with a decent playground for smaller kids and a tennis court that has been converted into a play area for skates, RC cars or trikes. There are plenty of shaded benches for parents.

School yards: Every elementary school has a playground that residents can use when school is not in session. Just remember that school playgrounds are built for elementary-aged children and may be too challenging (or just too tall) for pre-school children.

Fort Spooky: The home of Stuckmeyer’s fall pumpkin festival is actually open all year long and  the fort’s Rainbow playground is still a nice place to play in the off-season. Just be polite and stop inside the country store to buy a few fresh vegetables or garden plants when you visit.

McDonald’s Playland: Sometimes it’s just too hot to be outside when the kids need to burn off some energy. The McDonald’s at 2109 Smitzer Station Road still has an indoor play ground as long as you don’t mind the exposure to cheeseburgers and fries. Plus there’s free Wi-Fi while you wait.

Another indoor option for play is the playland inside Riverchase, next to the Stay and Play room. Little kids love the two-level padded playground with slides, climbing platforms and obstacles. Couches are nearby for parents to wait while the kids play. Parents with older kids might want to borrow a ball and head down to the gym for a game of HORSE. The play land is free for members and can be used by visitors with a day pass. Non-members who just want to visit the playland are charged $3 per child.

Swing-A-Round Fun Town: Though technically not a playground, Swing-A-Round does have an indoor soft play area with tunnels and slides for parents desperate for air conditioned playtime. The soft play area is $3 per child for unlimited play. This might be a good option for parents with both older and younger children to entertain—big brother can play the arcade games while a little one screams around the play area. Then take everyone outside for a round of mini-golf or cool off in the bumper boats.

DYI playground: Why drive around town when you can shoo your children into the backyard to play anytime they need it? You can add a simple sand box or tire swing to your yard, or go whole hog and build a play fort. has kits ready to assemble, or just the hardware if you want to use your own plans.

Nearby Parks Worth the Drive

Fenton only has a few parks with playgrounds, and High Ridge doesn’t have any public parks. Sometimes it’s worth the drive to visit the playground at a neighboring community. Here’s a few to check out.

Kirkwood City Park: Well worth the drive into Kirkwood, this gem has twin playgrounds for two different age groups. The under five playground has a sandpit and water table, swings, plus a playhouse, ride on dinosaur and race car. The older kid zone has a more challenging play equipment with tall slides, things to climb and balance on, and a splash zone. Parents have plenty of shaded park side seating.

Minnie Ha Ha Park: This Sunset Hills park is directly across the Meramec River from Old Towne Fenton and will be easy to access once the bridge is completed. There is a playground, paved walking trails and a river access perfect for throwing stones into the Meramec.

Simpson Park: This county park is located just inside Valley Park and is the home of 72-acre Simpson Lake--so bring a fishing pole. The park has a cool three story playset that is fun for older kids and not so hard for pre-schoolers. It’s inappropriate for toddlers, so be warned.  The park has open fields for soccer, a picnic pavilion and a mile of paved hike and bike trail.

Suson Park: This county park in South County was once a family farm. Now it has a modern playground for mixed ages with tons of equipment to explore. The barn is still there, so plan to drop by the pigs, goats, horses and cows.