FunKidsActivities

Clarendon Street Tot Lot/Playground

260 Clarendon St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

Overview

Category:Best Outdoor Playgrounds
Location:Boston, MA

Expert Summary

Detailed Insights

The Clarendon Street Tot Lot/Playground is a highly recommended, recently renovated, fenced, and well-shaded outdoor play area designed with a large soft, safe surface. It boasts a sandpit consistently stocked with high-quality toys and diverse structures catering to toddlers through early elementary school-aged children (2-6, up to 5+), making it ideal for extended, engaging play sessions.

Key Highlights

  • Fully fenced perimeter provides enhanced security for children.
  • Extensive natural shading from trees and green shrubbery, creating a pleasant atmosphere even during hot summer months.
  • Large, soft, and safe play surface minimizes injury risk.
  • Sandpit is consistently packed with high-quality, relevant play utensils and toys, encouraging creative play.
  • Recent renovations have significantly improved the playground, offering plenty to explore and encouraging longer visits.
  • Features traditional play structures including climbing frames, slides, and good swings suitable for various ages.
  • Offers a good size of empty space for active free play or ball games.
  • Plenty of seating available for parents and guardians around the play area.

Standout Features

  • Secure metal perimeter fence.
  • Soft, safe play surface throughout the playground.
  • Sandpit generously supplied with high-quality toys and play utensils.
  • Abundant natural shade from mature trees and surrounding green shrubbery.
  • Diverse range of play structures: climbing frames, slides, and swings.
  • Ample seating options for accompanying adults.
  • Spacious open area for free play and ball games.
  • Recently renovated equipment, providing fresh and engaging experiences.

Perfect For

Toddlers: Well-suited with dedicated structures and the sandpit.
Ages 2-6: Explicitly highlighted as 'especially great' with abundant exploration opportunities.
Slightly Older Children (up to 5 years+): Features play structures and swings that cater to this age group as well.

Ideal For

Parents looking to kill an hour to an hour and a half with park time.
Families with toddlers to early elementary-aged children (ages 2-6, or up to 5+ years) seeking a secure and shaded playground.
Playdates where children enjoy sand play and sharing toys.
Extended play sessions due to the variety of exploration opportunities available after renovations.

💡Pro Tips from Reviews

  • Allocate about 1 to 1.5 hours for a visit, as suggested by a reviewer for a satisfying play time.
  • This playground is highly recommended for parents seeking a safe, contained, and shaded environment for young children.
  • While some describe it as quiet, be prepared for potential background noise from car honking if the heavily trafficked area is busy.
  • Children are likely to spend extended time here due to the variety of play options, particularly the well-stocked sandpit.

Things to Consider

  • One review noted significant car honking from a heavily trafficked area nearby, which might contradict another review describing a 'quiet neighborhood.' Parents should be aware of potential background traffic noise.

Price & Value

Assumed to be a free public playground, offering exceptional value given its extensive features, recent renovations, and amenities like high-quality sandpit toys and ample shade.

Accessibility & Special Needs

  • No specific accessibility accommodations were mentioned in the reviews.

🍎Food & Drink Policy

  • No information regarding food and drink policies was mentioned in the reviews.

🚗Parking Info

  • No explicit information about parking was mentioned in the reviews. The proximity to a 'heavily traffic area' might imply street parking could be challenging, but this is not directly stated.

👥Crowd Levels

  • No information regarding crowd levels was mentioned in the reviews.

🛡️Safety Features

  • Fully fenced-in playground with a metal perimeter fence.
  • Features a large soft safe surface to cushion falls.
  • Trees and green shrubbery adorning the outer perimeter create a 'sense of extra security for vigilant parents or guardians'.

When to Avoid

  • Parents who are highly sensitive to traffic noise may want to avoid peak traffic times, as one review noted significant car honking.

Pricing/Package/Events

Events & Schedule

Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)

Fall-o-Ween Children's Festival

October 17, 2025

FREE

Fifth annual Fall-o-Ween Children’s Festival

🛡️Safety Policy

  • Damaged Play Equipment can be reported via BOS:311 service requests.

🚗Parking Information

  • Parking meters are running on their normal schedules (general city information). No specific parking for Clarendon Street Tot Lot/Playground mentioned.
Information extracted from official website • Last updated: Sep 30, 2025

What People Say

What's Great

  • Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 2 reviews)
  • Spacious play areas (mentioned in 6 reviews)

Areas for Improvement

  • Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 2 reviews)

Recent Reviews

Brian Do

Brian Do

a year ago

Fenced in playground and toys the kids can play with! Looks well shaded which is a big bonus! Lots of car honking from all around just in the small amount of time being here since it’s pretty close to a heavily traffic area it would seem.

George Yedinak

George Yedinak

a year ago

Good fenced in playground for 5 years+ & toddlers with a sandbox, good swings and relatively shaded area. Highly recommend if you're looking to kill an hour to an hour and a half with park time.

Chia-Yi Cheng

Chia-Yi Cheng

4 years ago

A tree-shaded playground in a quiet and beautiful neighborhood. There are 2 pieces of traditional play structures for toddlers and older kids and swings. A good size of empty space for balls or free play. The best part of the play ground is that the sand pit is packed with high quality toys, with which kids could easily spend some time here.

Liv

Liv

8 months ago

the renovations are great! we spent much more time than average at this park, plenty to explore! especially great for kids ages 2-6

William Still

William Still

3 years ago

Amazing large soft safe surface playground for tots and slightly older children. Climbing frames, slides, swings, sandpit with relevant play utensils, with plenty of seats also, everything is here to help create a pleasant atmosphere for hours of family fun. Trees and green shrubbery adorn the outer piremeter metal fence, which in turn creates shade during the hot summer months and a sense of extra security for vigilant parents or guardians. This is a fine social neighbourhood space which no doubt will be appreciated by generations of local folks to come.

Contact Information

260 Clarendon St, Boston, MA 02116, USA

View on Google Maps

Opening Hours

Monday: 6:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Thursday: 6:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Friday: 6:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Saturday: 6:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Sunday: 6:00 AM – 11:30 PM

Quick Stats

Overall Rating
4.6
Total Reviews72
Recent Reviews5