There are many parks dotted here and there around Boise. Some of them are big with lots to see and do; some are glorified wide spots next to the road with some grass. Occasionally you will find a little gem like Kroeger Park.

A half-acre mini park stuck in the back of an old neighborhood just off Broadway and Boise Avenue in Southeast Boise, Kroeger is a wonderful example that a neighborhood park doesn't have to be a mini amusement park to be fun.

Way back before things like the iPod, the Wii, or the television, before events like World War I and the Great Depression shaped the minds of an entire generation, Theodore and Pauline Kroeger, residents of Boise, donated the land for the park to the City of Boise in August 1913. According to the Parks & Rec Web site, "The Kroegers said they donated the property in order to 'better beautify the neighborhood in which we live and to promote its growth and development.'" If you've been to Kroeger Park, you know they managed about fifty percent of that statement, but that's a better statistic than most major league ball players can claim, so what the hey.

Not having been around in the 1920's, I can't tell you what the park was like back in the day. I can only assume it at one time possessed the great toys/terror implements of my childhood, namely third-degree-burn-giving metal slides and a merry-go-round of death. Today, the park contains a nice play set, a small climbing wall, swings, and a nice little pergola with park benches. Once again referring to that bastion of accuracy, the Parks & Rec Web site, "Hundreds of volunteers pitched in to build a new playground for Kroeger Park on Aug. 8, 2009. The project was a partnership between Boise Parks & Recreation, KaBOOM! and Albertsons/Sav-on Pharmacy." For once it seems that everyone played nice in the same sandbox, er, park.

The park IS nice, the volunteers did a great job, and my rented five-year old loves the place. In fact, I often hear, "Uncle Jack, can we go to Kroeger Park?"

Why? Because not only is the park a great little place to hang and play on a sunny day, but there is a treasure hunt as well. No, not buried treasure, which would be too awesome. Stupid, but awesome. No, this treasure hunt consists of scouring the play set and other items for little bolted-on shapes such as apples, cucumbers, fish, and smiley faces. Sure, it might sound lame to you now, but when you're at the park, you can't help trying to prove yourself smarter and more observant than the kids. Not only have I seen multiple parents and other adults looking for the buggers, but I even felt an odd sense of accomplishment at "solving" a puzzle meant for grade-schoolers. And yes, I rocked it. I found all ten items before my rent-a-kid. She's five; I'm well over 30. My life makes me sad some days.

If you're in the neighborhood, or driving on Broadway, swing east on Boise Avenue, take a right on Leadville and follow it all the way to the end. You'll see the embankment of Federal Way and the park is on your right. You can't miss it and your kids will love you, at least until you tell them it's time to go. That's the cue for the grumbling to commence.