When I have younger kids with me, I always carve out time for the playgrounds, etc. Obviously if you don't get to the parks often, you are more likely to think of it as a waste - but the kids don't. And if you do get to the parks often then what's the harm in turning the kids loose on an epic playground once in a while? I don't know where people live that their neighborhood playground comes close to what the Boneyard is, but we certainly don't have anything like it. Of course, it's tricky to drag them back out of there - that's what ice cream is for lol.