My kids, 6 and 9, loved the Obama Presidential Center playground. Here's what parents should know before going.

• My family visited the Obama Presidential Center playground, and my kids, 6 and 9, had a blast.
• Located in Chicago's Jackson Park, the play area serves up fun for kids of all ages and abilities.
• There's lots to see and do, but not much shade for now.

When the Obama Presidential Center opened its doors earlier this summer, so many things caught my eye.

The 19.3-acre campus within Chicago's Jackson Park is home to beautiful native gardens, contemporary art, and historical artifacts. Truly, all things I want to experience. But as a mom with two kids who usually have some serious energy to burn, I was also quite thrilled to see how extensive the playground is.

It's one of the largest outdoor playgrounds my children, 6 and 9, have had the chance to explore. It's split between two levels and offers a multitude of activities for kids of different ages and abilities.

Here's what my family of four experienced during our visit on a cloudy summer evening.

The campus was well-marked and easy to navigate.

Located within Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side. The playground sits just north of the entrance closest to the Home Court facility, a 60,000-square-foot athletic and event space.

The campus has lots of maps and directional signs throughout, making it easy to make your way around.

The fenced-in playground space felt secure.

The playground had two entrances, both of which were staffed by third-party security guards when we visited around 5 p.m. on a weekday.

My kids are old enough to know that if we visit a playspace, they need to stay within its walls or gates until I say otherwise, but knowing there is an additional set of eyes (and legs) to watch the littler children near these access points certainly offers some extra peace of mind.

There were multiple play spaces that catered to different ages.

Signs on display let visitors know that the play space called The Duck was designed for kids ages 2 to 5. The remaining spaces were designated for those ages 5 to 12. Though the two nest swings at the northernmost area were designated for "children of all ages."

The play structures had a lot of whimsy.

The playground was filled with imaginative shapes and designs that offered plenty of inspiration. This area with a giant frog and a lily pad was part of The Duck space, which was geared to kids 3 to 5, but my 9-year-old daughter ran straight for it. I let her have some fun since there were no younger kids around at the time.

The area for younger kids had a sandbox.

The Duck play area also had a large sandbox. I appreciated this addition, as many of the parks near where I live in Westchester, NY, have been eliminating this classic element from their modern playground renovations.

There was also a fountain for water play off to one side of the sand area, but I asked my kids to try to stay clean on this particular visit.

There were multiple hydration stations in and around the playground.

Access to ice-cold water is a must, especially on a hot day. I appreciated that the playground had multiple hydration stations in and around it to refill water bottles or let my kids take a long sip from a fountain.

An added bonus: the fountains had great water pressure, so my kids didn't need to get their mouths anywhere near the spout to get a drink.

Natural elements were mixed into the modern playspace.

There were multiple ways for children to get to and from the Climbing Forest area of the playground, including smooth ramps, a climbing option (of course), and a path that resembles a nature trail — the preferred route for my kids.

Slides connect the two levels of playspaces.

Two long slides, accessible by foot or wheel, connect the upper tree-themed play structures to the lower lagoon-themed play areas.

The slides are shaded by a canopy, which is nice since they are metal and would probably get fairly hot when the sun is out.

While we were visiting, an attendant was monitoring slide usage, but didn't seem to be guiding the children or other visitors in any way.

Warning: these slides are fast. My son got off and said, "That was fast. Too fast." But then he went down them three more times. My husband, who also took a turn, almost went over the side of one of them and certainly pulled something.

There's more than meets the eye.

At first glance, this dragonfly-shaped climbing structure seemed like it might not offer much for my kids. The closer we got, the more we noticed that there was plenty to do in, on, and around it.

Strategically placed handgrips encouraged kids to climb on top, while suspended nets allowed them to rest within the insect's body. It also housed a few great hide-and-seek spots.

Kids who love to climb and hang have multiple options.

Every time you turned a corner at this park, there was something new — and usually surprising — to play on. The structures seemed to cater to a wide range of ages, abilities, heights, and confidence levels.

Shade is hard to come by — for now.

Like the rest of the campus, the space is beautifully landscaped. There are pollinator-friendly plants everywhere you look and many, many trees that will offer shade — one day.

For now, most of the plantings are fairly young, so the playground is very exposed. Families visiting during peak sun hours should plan to have sunscreen and hats on hand.

A public restroom was close to the playground.

A clean, easily accessible restroom is a must-have for a primo playground. While not directly connected to the activity area, this lovely stone option was just a few minutes' walk from the south entrance to the playground.

Those pushing strollers could avoid the stairs by walking a little further to get around them.

I was also told by a fellow parent that there are restrooms in the Home Court building, so those may be worth checking out if the building is open.

It can be tricky to keep an eye on your kids.

While I loved that the playground had multiple spaces, levels, and activities, these qualities could also be seen as a downside.

The bi-level design made it hard to keep an eye on multiple kids who wanted to explore different areas. If my kids were younger or the space was more crowded, I would definitely have been running around a lot more, trying to make sure they were staying safe and happy.

Caregivers looking after young kids will likely want to stick to one designated area at a time during the visit.

The area has a lot of seating.

Each play area was lined with benches and other seating options so that parents and caregivers could relax while the kids ran around.

There is also a smaller area with a few picnic tables for those looking to enjoy a meal or snack time while at the playground.

Nearby, prepared families can use the grills.

Adjacent to the playground, and just outside the Home Court basketball pavilion, are many more picnic tables along with a few communal grills.

No one was enjoying this space while we were there, but I can imagine it would be a lovely place to meet up with some friends.

The space is inclusive.

With the exception of the sandbox, the play spaces were suspended over either wood chips or rubber surfaces, which are popular in most modern parks. Though you may need to walk around to get where you are going, strollers, scooters, or wheelchairs could easily access both levels of the playground and its various structures.

There were only a handful of swings at the park, two of which could accommodate riders who require ADA-compliant equipment.

There are other notable places to visit within Jackson Park.

We ended up at the playground after a long day of exploring at the nearby Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, where my kids had a blast. The presidential center is just a quick (or longer, depending on your leg length) walk, about 10 minutes for us, south.

Wooded Island, also located within Jackson Park, is accessible by two pedestrian bridges and is worth a quick visit. If you enter on the north end, you'll quickly be greeted by the entrance to the Garden of the Phoenix. My kids had a great time wandering along the one-way path in the Osaka garden, spotting some cool water birds and admiring the koi fish. We also saw not one, but two engagements take place in the picturesque spot in the short time that we were there.

Read the original article on Business Insider