The Tot Lot @ Sandringham - Cherry Hill, NJ - Public Playgrounds on Waymarking.com

Well, this is my playground. It has undergone countless changes since it was first built in 1975 that I can hardly recognize it anymore. I once built a tree fort with my friends Keith, Ian and Glen in 1976 but all that remain is one ratty looking piece of wood which has been grown over by the tree. It looks alien, like a tumor.

In the summer, we would walk into the wood, fumble down the slope and play in the creek (pronounced crick). We were able to fish back then, catch turtles and play with the frogs. There was also a concrete water tunnel we used to play in if properly dared. Beer bottles have replaced the fish, and other unmentionables have replaced the frogs and turtles. The deer have finally returned, however.

My Uncle Jack, who passed away a few years ago, used to play baseball with me here in the 90s. I remember we used to play catch. This was just after my dad passed. We would come here to talk about things and muse about life. I would pitch to him and he would squat down and be the best darn catcher he could be! I remember all the passed palls and wild pitches would smash into the neighbors fence in back of him. We bashed the heck out of it! Good times. Very therapeutic.

In grammar school, we would jump from our buses, run inside our houses and grab our gear and run over to the tot lot for our daily pick up game of baseball. We played with a tennis ball and we had the time of our lives. I was a terrible hitter and usually was picked last. I do remember the home runs flying high over new wooden fences into the yards of angry new home owners. We scoffed at them. They were after all the new to our town and New Section people, unworthy of our sympathies. This was also the meeting place for when someone called you "out". So, we would come here to fight, shake hands, then play ball.

There used to be a siren which I think was near Olga's diner which would signal us to go home at 5:00 PM for dinner. After dinner, we all would come back here to play some more. Today, new generations of children come here to play and I suppose, learn about life like we did.

The playground has a swing set off to the right side, a sandbox with a couple of "mommy benches". There is of course the standard piece of crawling around and sliding equipment now found all over the planet. All originality has been removed. Ain't progress swell?

The actual playground is listed as: 38) SANDRINGHAM, Sandringham Drive (off Brick Road) *p on our Cherry Hill Recreation web page. Our recreational areas are sometimes listed by street name or complex name. This is listed by street name.

This is map of our town. Look for 38, that is where the playground is located.