Where First Steps Happen: Tarr-Coyne Tots Playground

The soft rubber lumps, perfect for pulling up and toddling over.

This is a little playground just for toddlers, right next to the Adventure Playground in Central Park. We came here a lot when my daughter was learning to walk, and honestly, this playground helped her take her first steps. That alone earns it a soft spot in my heart.

Sandbox time.

The whole ground is covered in soft rubber, with little lumps sticking up for toddlers to grab, pull themselves up on, and then try to toddle over to the next one. It's like a training course for walking. All the tots seem to instinctively make their way up the rubber mountain and perch at the top. Thankfully, they don't know how to play king of the hill yet.

There are also swings, a sandbox, and a water sprayer (I wouldn't call it a full splash pad). Since there's a bigger and more exciting playground right next door, there aren't any rowdy big kids running around here. Just toddlers. And lots of pacifiers.

Expect local Upper West Side parents calmly hanging out with babies from about six months to two years old. When nature calls, the bathrooms are in Tavern on the Green, a few hundred feet away.

Verdict: it suits its purpose perfectly, but don't expect anything too exciting. Once your little one is walking with confidence, graduate to the Adventure Playground next door.