The next few months I’ll be highlighting some ways in which I’ve been successful in tiring out my child. I mean, isn’t that one of the goals of raising small humans?
About six months ago, I was picking up my 6-year-old son from an overnight stay at my parent’s house. It wa
s roughly 8:00 am and he was literally running circles around the living room. I could feel the life sucking out of my body instantly. My Dad turns to me and asks, “Is he always like this?”
“Yes Dad, yes he is.”
Here in lies the dilemma of so many mamas: How do I tire this child out with minimal discomfort to myself?
To tire out a child of any age, I would suggest parking at the foot of “the steps” at Creve Coeur Park, the first right from the Dorsett/Marine entrance. Park and let your child run up the 220 steps. The steps are busy with adults using them for exercise mostly on evenings and weekends. Weekday mornings when he was a toddler we usually had the place to ourselves. Just be respectful and stay to the far right so people can go around you easily. An awesome playground and splash padawaits you at the top. Unfortunately, the splash pad is only open on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day, but per the website there is another one at the Branwood shelter. I have not visited that splash pad as of yet.
If the child you are bringing still needs to burn off energy after the steps and playground, the 6-mile loop around the lake should do the trick. Be warned: on sunny days, you will need sunscreen, a hat and water. There are not many shaded areas on said 6-mile loop. We have never completely tackled the six miles, and I always wished I had brought a scooter/wagon/bike when he was younger because he would always peter out.
A blanket and sand toys are a plus. My favorite place to sit is under a cluster of trees close to the Tremaine shelter with access to the sand. I would not encourage anyone to let their child actually play in the water. Every time I’m there, I find at least one fishing line with a hook close to shore. There are also dead fish several times a year for reasons I’m not sure I want to know. They also have a problem with invasive Asian Carp right now. Per the website: These fish can top 50 pounds and can leap 10 feet into the air when startled by boaters, which can cause serious injuries to passengers in moving boats and tear up gear.
You totally want to go here now, don’t you?
There are only two bathrooms that I know of and a few Johnny-On-The-Spots here and there. A soda machine is near the Tremaine shelter, as well as water fountains. A sno cone shack is open sometimes near the Tremaine shelter as well.
Lately our trips to Creve Coeur Park involve him throwing rocks into the lake for as long as I will let him (flipping HOURS!!!), running the steps and playing at the playground. He still won’t nap after all this,but he’s not quite as amped for a few hours afterwards.
There are many other amenities at Creve Coeur Park I encourage you to explore for yourself with or without children.
