Playing With the Giants

My 3-year-old daughter, Kaila, and I decided to enjoy a day with the dinosaurs Monday. It was a jewel of a day with the temperature hovering just above 75º, so we packed up the sand toys and sunscreen and drove up Spring Road to Moorpark Highlands Mammoth Park.

The newest of the city's plethora of 17 parks, this park opened to much fanfare last July and incorporates a celebrated theme, the discovery of the Moorpark mammoth on March 30, 2005.

Mammoth footprints embedded in the sidewalk lead from the parking lot to the play area and an informational plaque dedicated to the mammoth's discovery.

Kaila's favorite mammoth-inspired item was the bone sculpture in the center of the park. She really enjoyed climbing on top of the bones while she asked me questions like "Are these real?" and "Where are the mammoths now?"

I attempted to explain that they are extinct but once had roamed Moorpark back in the day. When I asked her which animal today is the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth, she surprised me by responding with an emphatic,  "Elephants!"

I can foresee a field trip to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History in the future so we can visit the Moorpark mammoth exhibit.

The park is quite expansive with two separate play lots covering 7.5 acres. One play lot is designed for children age 2 to 5  and the other for ages 5 to 12. There are also two large swing sets. One is for babies and younger children and the other for older kids. There are also some unusual playground features to explore, including a wave simulator to climb on.

There's also a large soccer field, a basketball court and tennis courts to enjoy.

A grand picnic pavilion with tables and barbeque grills is useful for eating lunch or snacks when taking a break from running and playing. It would be a perfect place for birthday parties.

There are also benches and picnic tables sprinkled throughout the park, but it would be nice to have one additional picnic bench near the small play lot. There are numerous parents who bring younger children to the park, and the solitary picnic bench in that area fills up quickly. Another qualm I have is the lack of shade. It was a gorgeous day when we visited, but I could envision it getting very hot during the summertime.

Overall, Moorpark Highlands Mammoth Park is a wonderful recreation area to take children to play, and Kaila and I really enjoyed the homage to the Moorpark mammoth and the park's mammoth-inspired theme.

The park is located at 7000 Elk Run Loop, off Spring Road in the Moorpark  Highlands area.

For park facility information, including how to make reservations for a birthday or other event, visit the city's Web site or contact the city of Moorpark Recreation Division at 517-6300 or avrc@ci.moorpark.ca.us.