Bane Park

Houston, TX (2009 ) - Looking for things to do in Houston with the kids on the cheap? Parks, Parks, Parks. Houston has a lot of great parks that are fun for everybody. On the Northwest side of town Bane Park is a little hidden beauty. http://www.hcp4.net/parks/bane/index.htm

Driving by all you see are ball fields, but turn into the parking lot, and you will see an entrance to a large playground with bathrooms next to it. After you enter you see that this park is bigger and better than you imagined. There is a pond with catch and release fishing. A sidewalk great for strolling or jogging all around the pond. Benches and picnic tables throughout. They even have a sand volleyball pit.

Downsides: they have a rockwall for climbing, but it is in direct sun with absolutely no shade anywhere near it. It gets very hot. There is also a "splash pad" which is really just a cirlce of 6 fountains coming through a concrete slab (no padding). We have been there twice and twice the water has not worked properly, which to a four year old is devastating.

Goodsides: it has several picnic tables and a bathroom so you can make a day of it. There is a lot of playground equipment. The walking path is a great size to have a four year old walk by themself all the way around and get a little worn out if they run. The pond is entertaining for my 9 year old. We don't fish, but we take bread and watch the minnows fight over the crumbs. Our last visit we were delighted to see a rather large fish jump into the mix. Someone said it was a bass. I don't know fish but I am guessing it was perch. There are also turtles in the pond which are always a treat to see.

For us this park is a close drive just a touch north of 290 on West Little York. With the good and the bad, we still recommend this park as a great place for summer fun.