Three Bears Acres

A few months ago we headed north with a friend and her daughter to Creedmoor to visit Three Bears Acres, an outdoor recreational park for kids.  We thought it reminded us of summer camp on crack!  Three Bears Acres is located at 711 Beaver Dam Road in Creedmoor.  Even though it was a bit of hike from North Raleigh, we arrived right when they opened and happened to go on a Thursday when adults are free and kids are only $10.

The girls started off playing on the giant jumping pillow, which was super fun for them once they figured out how to climb up.  Toddlers under 2 might have trouble walking up, but parents are allowed to assist them.  After the jumping pillow we headed over to the graffiti wall where they finger painted on a giant white wall.  They have stencils for the more sophisticated artists, but our toddlers loved dipping the paint brushes in and out of the various colors and sweeping them across the wall (and themselves).  Next up was the water garden where the kids pour buckets of water into various funnels and watch the water makes its way to the ground.  This would be a fun activity for toddlers who are taller, so our girls more or less splashed in the water buckets.

One of the biggest hits of the day was the mud kitchen.  Having a two year old means they are just starting to play pretend and I felt like this was a great introduction to mimicking what mommy and daddy do in the kitchen.  The mud kitchen area has stoves, fridges, baking supplies, counters, sinks, and a large bath tub of dirt for the kids to mix with water.  They enjoyed stirring mud batter, making mud pies and cooking them in the oven.  Parents, not to worry – there is a water supply nearby for cleaning up.  After the mud kitchen, we headed over to the picnic area for a yummy lunch.  Food is not available for purchase at the park, so be sure to bring lots of water, snacks and a lunch.  The picnic area is nicely shaded with plenty of tables and nearby bathrooms that were in great condition.  The sling shot area is also close to the picnic spot, but we didn’t venture over there knowing the girls would be a bit too young for it.

After lunch we walked to the other side of the park where the toboggan and tree house playground are located.  Tobogganing was amazing!  All you do is grab a plastic toboggan, choose a ramp, and fly down the slide.  A staff member works the top of the ramp to help push you down the detergent-soaked slide.  We did the toboggan slide twice and Ashley would’ve kept going all day if I hadn’t nudged her towards the playground area.

Our last stop before leaving for naps was at the enchanting tree house playground area.  The girls had a fun time walking from one end to the other and going down the slides, but really enjoyed being pushed on the various swings below.  The tire swing and spider-looking rope swing were the big hits for them.  They also spent quite a bit of time swinging on the bear tot swings nearby.

Unfortunately we didn’t have time to explore the large pond for fishing and paddle boating, but it gives us something to do next time!

Thumbs up: outdoor fun, unique recreational activities, creative play, picnic areas, bathroom facilities, play equipment, shady playground and toboggan areas

Thumbs down: rather pricy so try to go on Thursdays when they have discounts, lack of shade on one side of the park so don’t forget sunscreen and hats