Best Parks & Playgrounds to Explore in the Fox Valley

Families living in the Fox Valley have so many parks to choose from! We’ve got quiet little neighborhood parks, bustling and colorful city parks, and great county parks with plenty to do!

Check out these parks that have the rubber ground!

Here are our top 10 favorites! 

1. Erb Park, Appleton
2. Fritsch Park, Fox Crossing
3. Fritse Park, Fox Crossing
4. Jones Park, Appleton
5. Memorial Park, Appleton
6. Pierce Park, Appleton
7. Riverside Park, Neenah
8. Washington Park, Neenah
9. Wanick Choute Park, Sherwood
10. Hidden Pond, Menasha

Bonus! Menominee Park, Oshkosh

Our Favorite Parks in Appleton

• Erb Park, 1800 North Morrison Street – Erb Park is one of many parks in Appleton that has recently received a fun makeover. It is really fun for older kids and is one of the rare spots that our teen will get in on the action with our grade-schooler. There are great climbing features, lots of swings, and plenty of off playground opportunities for fun. Full details.  
• Jones Park, 301 West Lawrence Street – This gem in downtown Appleton got a complete make-over in 2019 and has fun play structures with cool climbing features. Lots of green space for picnicking. There are lots of things to do nearby and murals in walking distance. Full details and parking tips.
• Memorial Park, 1620 East Witzke Boulevard – Another Appleton park that was overhauled recently. The update took place in 2020 and the universal playground was replaced with new accessible equipment. Full details.
• Pierce Park, 1035 West Prospect Avenue – Pierce Park is another that reopened in 2020 with a completely refreshed playground. There are really great features that are not available at other area playgrounds. This playground is set far away from the street though there is a small through-road and parking lot near. Full details.
• Plamann Park – Plamann Park’s FREE Children’s Farm is a fun for all ages! Full details.

Parks in Appleton

Our Favorite Parks in Neenah, Menasha & Fox Crossing

• Fritsch Park, 1651 Sandys Lane, Fox Crossing – This is such a fun park. There is something fun to do here year-round from a giant hill for running and sledding to a ping-pong table and the extra fun playground in between. The surrounding neighborhood is quiet and there’s lots of green space. Full details.
• Fritse Park, 937 North Lake Street, Fox Crossing – We love this Fox Crossing park. The bathrooms are open year-round, you can hop on the Loop the Lake trail, and the Menasha Nature Conservancy is right next door. Full details.
• Riverside Park, 500 East Wisconsin Avenue, Neenah – This Neenah playground is often called “Rocket Park” for the rocket ship-style play structure. The surface is not rubberized but is a plastic turf style. This is a great park for big kids, it can be tricky to navigate for toddlers and young preschoolers. Full details.
• Washington Park, 631 Winneconne Avenue, Neenah – This Neenah park and playground got a major overhaul in 2019 including a splash pad, so put this one on your list to return for a summer visit. Full details.
• Hidden Pond Park, Tana Ln, Menasha – This park is Menasha’s best-kept secret! Hidden Pond Park is a 5.2-acre park located off Lake Park Road, near Manitowoc Road and was dedicated in 2016. The park is a bit hidden at the end of a road through a subdivision. This park is perfect for your ninja warriors and kids that loving climbing. Full details.

Parks in Fox Crossing

Parks in Menasha

Parks in Neenah

Our Favorite Parks in Grand Chute

• Arrowhead Park, 5000 Aster Lane – Not far from the Fox River Mall, Arrowhead Park sits on nearly 13 acres and includes a soft rubber ground playground with lots of climbing structures, pavilion with shade and picnic tables, basketball court, volleyball, tennis court, large hill for rolling down or running up (and for sledding in the winter) and a boardwalk trail through woods and wetlands.
• Town Center Park, 1850 West Grand Chute Boulevard – This was a new park to Grand Chute in 2019 with plans to continue to grow. It has fun natural themed equipment and structures and is a fun spot for all ages! Full details.

Parks in Grand Chute

Parks in Greenville

• Jennerjohn Park
• Lions Park
• Community Park

Parks in Kimberly

Parks in Little Chute

Parks in Kaukauna

• Horseshoe Valley Park
• LaFollette Park
• Riverside Park
• Thelen Park
• Fieldcrest Park

Parks in Sherwood

• Wanick Choute Park, Castle Drive – This park in Sherwood is a blast, particularly in the summer. The playground equipment is fun and varied for different ages and abilities, there are plenty of shady spots to picnic and a great fenced-in splash pad. Full details.

Worth the Drive Parks

We are on a quest to find nearby parks that are worth the drive for a fun family day trip! Here are some of our favorites!

• Pamperin Park, Green Bay
• Bay Shore County Park, New Franken
• Shaw Family Playground, Sheboygan
• Morrissey Park, Chilton
• Jo Jo’s Playground, Wausau
• Riverlife Park, Wausau
• Lakeside Park, Fond du Lac

25+ Things to Do at Parks

Looking for other things to do at parks? Here are some ideas!

1. Find a Little Free Library Near Your Destination Park
2. Geocaching
3. Letterboxing
4. Engage with Nature
5. Find a new slide! – Ultimate slides in the Fox Valley
6. Wooden Parks – Pamperin Park in Green Bay and Chilton Morrissey Park & Playground
7. Born Learning Trails – these play-based learning activities are typically painted on sidewalks and a series of interactive stations at 12 Fox Cities Parks including Erb, Memorial (Appleton), Pierce, Plamann (Children’s Farm), Fritsch, Fritse, Wittman, Jefferson, Smith, Memorial (Neenan), Doyle and Lion’s (Greenville) Parks
8. Roll (or run) down a hill – Head to your favorite sledding hill for a fun picnic spot and great view. See if you can roll or run down! Hills are also fun to run down with a kite. Watch the clouds and learn about the weather
9. Run the bases. Find a baseball diamond and get some running in. Inclusive fields like the Memorial Park Miracle League is great for younger kiddos.
10. 8 Fun Games to Play on a Swing – Includes Superman, Tornado and Tug of War!
11. Skip rocks – Lutz Park, Jefferson Park and Fritse Park
12. Take your favorite backyard games to the park! – Bocce Ball, Lawn Dice, Lawn Jenga, Ladder Golf
13. Write activities on a beach ball (or roll a dice) – exercises, scavenger hunt, get to know questions, would you rather
14. Go on a Scavenger Hunt – Nature Scavenger Hunt, Color Hunt, Bird Hunt, Math Scavenger Hunt, Gratitude Scavenger Hunt. Parks with scavenger hunts built-in like Kiwanis Park and Wanick Choute Park
15. ABC Architecture Scavenger Hunt – Find the letters in nature! Bigger kids can make a collage or spell a word to create a digital art masterpiece
16. Playground Bucket List – Monkey bars, fireman’s pole, zipline, teeter-totter… How many of these can you play on this summer? 
17. Think beyond the playground! Open grassy area can be just as fun for a change of scenery and fun play. Try the classic outdoor games, kick the can, capture the flag, hot potato hide and seek
18. School parks are also a great place to play. Many also are fenced in to keep littles from escaping! Many are closed until the end of June. They also often offer great blacktop activities – Four Square, United States map, Tether Ball…
19. Many church playgrounds are also open to the community. Christ the Rock has a beautiful natural playground.
20. Table Tennis – Purchase balls and paddles on Amazon or used on Facebook Marketplace and keep them in the car.  
21. Archery – Check out Memorial Park in Appleton or Lions Park in Greenville. Woodfire Lodge in Brillion also has a sporting clay shooting course and 15 target archery course.
22. Storytime  – Find books about playgrounds and parks at the library or F=find a local story walk. Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan is opening with reservations this year.
23. Skate Parks – Head to skate parks at Telulah Park, Greenville, and Menasha. Check out NEST
24. Outdoor Hockey – Rollerblading – Patriot Park in Grand Chute. Looking for gear? Check out Play it Again Sports.
25. Scooters – Both Erb Park in Appleton and Menominee Park in Oshkosh have nice paths to scoot around. Park your car on the far end and scooter to the playground. 
26. Soccer – Practice your dribbling and goals on the soccer field
27. Play basketball
28. Picnic – Pack your own snacks or skip the dining room and order carry out.
29. Fly a Kite
30. Disc Golfing is a fun activity to get outdoors. A couple reader favorites include Triangle Sports Area, Perkins Park in Green Bay, Plamann Park and Telulah Park.
31. Remote Control Cars – HobbyTown is a great resource if you are looking to get started. Here are 12 Tips for Beginners. Check out Clark RC Park in Reedsville
32. Relax in a hammock – While your bigger kids play or read books
33. Dig in the sand – make castles or play with trucks. Bury pennies for a scavenger hunt. Sand volleyball courts are a fun spot for littles. Patriot Park in Grand Chute has nice sand
34. Gaga Ball – Find a gaga pit (and youtube the directions). Memorial Park, Lions Park and Erb Park in Appleton have one.