This small neighborhood park between Adams and Massachusetts features lots of green space and bright playground equipment. It has slides that are just the right size for young children and playground equipment that older kids will love, too.

Just before it reaches the Kansas River, Ward-Martin Creek slices through this wide-open park along Interstate 70 and NW Waite. The creek provides a fishing destination for city dwellers and, in recent years, has been stocked with trout in early spring. Ball games of all kinds can be played at the park -- the softball backstop is still there -- but the latest game is cricket, played by the Kansas Cricket Club. A picnic table and some playground equipment are located near the parking lot.

Just a short walk from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka, Bentley Park sits on a hill sloping down from 26th Street. It's a small neighborhood park with shady trees, swings, a slide, teeter-totter and bench.

Big Shunga is exactly what the name indicates: BIG. You might enter the 95-acre park at Washburn and Shunga Drive, but you could also spot it again off 29th Street. Big Shunga is part of the park system that ties into the Shunga Trail. Near the concrete trail, the park is shady and tree-lined. Memorial benches provide a place to stop, catch your breath during a run or bike ride, and listen to birds tweet from the nearby trees. Rehydrate at a fountain. At Shunga and High a playground area features play equipment and a merry-go-round.