Horiai Park

A very grassy little park

Recently, my kids and I have discovered Horiai Park, an oddly shaped and very grassy park out the back of a nearby Coco’s restaurant. It’s not particularly big, but my kids have decided they really like it. Let’s get the obvious issue out of the way first - it’s seriously overgrown. Perhaps saying that is a bit harsh, since most places kind of are in this season. But the first thing you notice is the sheer height and alarming, slightly threatening volume of grass. That said, I think that’s a major part of why my kids like it so much; unlike the gravel-covered places they more often end up frequenting, it has a bit of a jungle, adventure vibe going. They’ve even nicknamed it “the grass park”. The other thing I think they like is the interesting play equipment. There’s a fairly stock swing set and a sand pit, but there’s also a bunch of curious table-looking things surrounded by “chairs”. There is a row of stumps to jump across too, and an ivy-covered sitting area with more chairs, these ones being actually possible to sit on. Finally, an old frog statue guards what looks like the front entrance to the park. It’s older and a bit different to the newer parks with more standard play equipment on offer. It’s not the sort of park where you could make a day of it or anything, but it’s an excellent place to pass the time if you happen to be in the area and have found parking at one of the nearby restaurants or shops. Some might feel a little wary of the construction sites nearby, and I’m not sure I’d take very young (under three year olds) there, but it’s great for my children’s age group and a place we are likely to visit again.