Blueberry Hill Park is an 87 acre park and Franklin Park Borough’s premier community park. The park is home to many facilities; 4 ballfields, 2 sand volleyball courts, picnic shelters, a historic log house and a large meadow area.

The park is a favorite around the Pittsburgh region for toddler and elementary ages kids and their caregivers. There are four playground areas, as well as a large (shaded) sandbox within a fenced in area that makes it ideal for young children.

Real Mom Review: Blueberry Patch Playground

Blueberry Hill Park scored 92% on the Pittsburgh Playground Rating System. Here are some of the things I was looking for:

• How was the quality, diversity, and accessibility of the playgrounds equipment?
• Is the area free of hazards (i.e. free of defects, equipment in good repair, no traffic hazards, etc.)?
• Did the playground encourage play and curiosity through a variety of spaces, age appropriate materials flexible equipment?

 

Pros

There’s ample parking nearby but no worries about kids playing in the parking lot as the playground is completely fenced in. Benches and pavilions offer seating if you’d like to pack an afternoon picnic to enjoy in the park. The large, shaded sandbox is filled with donated sand toys that are free to use by guests.  There are also a variety of playgrounds including a large wooden, easily accessible playground. Smaller slides and ramped entrances make it great for toddler play.

There’s also another playground located just down the hill (great for older children) next to the historic log cabin. The cabin was built in the 1800s and re-assembled in its current location. While visitors cannot go inside, it is worth walking up and taking a gander. A large pavilion nearby would make a prime location for a summer birthday party or family get-together.

Cons

This well-loved park is showing a few laugh lines. The wooden playground is fading and splintering. While kids can enjoy sand between their toes in the sandbox, I highly recommend tennis shoes (not sandals and especially not bare feet) while playing through the rest of the park. Instead of a squishy composite ground, the playground floored with mulch. We couldn’t find any restrooms other than a porta-potty located next to the park (not ideal bathroom situation with children).

Overall, we really loved this park and will certainly be heading back this summer (with tennis shoes this time)! Have you visited this park? We’d love to you to share your thoughts and comments below!

Blueberry Hill Park || Blaine’s Way, Sewickley, PA 15143