By Alison Risso

As a mom, I do my best to make sure my kids play outside every day. They’re better behaved, better able to focus, and just generally happier, all of which make my life easier.

So when the kids are bored with our neighborhood playgrounds, or when we’re visiting relatives, I go online to the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder to see what playgrounds are in the area. It’s basically the Zagat Guide for playgrounds. It shows which playgrounds are good for younger kids, which ones have picnic tables or pavilions you can reserve for parties, etc. The entries are all user-generated, so folks who use the playground the most will enter what they think about it. My favorite was an entry on a park in New York where the other mothers advised visitors to pack the sunblock, because there was no shade whatsoever. (That advice really saved the day!) I’ve also found great places to meet other mothers and friends of mine for playdates.

My favorite feature is the Google Maps interface, which instantly shows the parks in my area without me having to do a thing. If I’m looking for something special, like a sports field or an ice rink, it’ll show those results on the map, which is a helpful visual aid to figure out just where in the heck these places are.

For the super-moms out there who are into contests, every week through the end of the year, KaBOOM! is giving away a prize (including digital cameras, Flip video cameras, GPSes, and other cool stuff) to one person who added at least one playspace with a photo that week.

Check it out at here