The High Point play area gets its name from – imagine this – its position at the highest point in Seattle. It’s 70 feet higher than Queen Anne or Capitol Hill, and this primo location just got a brand new playground. There’s a big climbing tower, monkey bars, a tent feature with rock-climbing grips, swings and a net climber. At 5,260 square feet, the new play area is more than four times bigger than the one it replaced. Construction began last August and wrapped up earlier this month. The official opening celebration is this Saturday, March 23. The park is already filled with neighborhood families more than ready to soak in spring’s warmth.   At West Seattle’s newest playground, my kids were most excited about the purple slide (there are 4 slides altogether). They discovered a scavenger hunt at the top of the fort, and threw themselves into tracking down all the hidden pictures. There’s a slide built right onto the slope, and some kids improvised by rolling down the turf. The new turf was perfect for babies lolling in the sun, and for lounging on when the kids got worn out from all that climbing and running.   We meant to just swing by and check out the park, but we ended up blowing right through lunchtime and staying for most of the afternoon. The new picnic tables next to the play area were perfect for a refueling snack break.   We parents lazily watched the kids tearing through the brand new play structures – until suddenly it got very quiet. A little girl tumbled out from the top of the biggest slide and crumpled on the ground. Grownups ran to help. Seeing a playground accident like that will make your heart stop.   The top of the big slide, the twisty one off the fort, is fairly open, so a kid tilting one way or another could topple out. My mom instinct also worried about the two small steps along the bridge up to the tower. I wish they’d been painted a bright color so kids notice them. I could just see someone racing along, miss those steps and face plant onto metal grill.   But look, the play area is cheerful and new and fun for kids. I’m the perpetual worry wart; my kids are already asking when they can go back. It’s a great playground and neighborhood well worth checking out. High Point is 520 feet above sea level, but it’s on a gentle slope so there’s not much of a view. To the west, you’ll see two soccer fields against a backdrop of so much new construction. You’ll get a much better vantage point from High Point Pond Park (6920 31st Ave SW), less than a mile away. Also nearby is the wonderful West Seattle Bee Garden (3108 SW Graham St), where kids can come by anytime to see real bee hives and learn about pollinators. *Story on ParentMap here.