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sydney playgrounds

Casula Parklands Adventure Playground

July 20, 2019 / Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

The brand new Casula Parklands has something for everyone, from toddlers to adults. Located near the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, the park features play equipment and fitness training for all ages.

The $4 million park opened in May 2019 on the site of an old golf course. Spread across 15 acres, the new park includes:

Ninja training circuit for adults and teenagers

Eight-metre-high Sky Walk and tunnel slide for older kids and teens

Swings including a nest swing
Accessible carousel

Dual flying foxes

Toddler playground

A fitness training area for adults that is located some distance from the main facilities
Separate off-leash parks for big dogs and small dogs
Flat paths for scooting or bike riding

Facilities

Shaded picnic shelters

Large, clean bathrooms
Water bubblers

There is parking right near the main playground equipment, however it is minimal. There is more parking available at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre further down the road, however it is a long walk back particularly for small kids.

How to get there
Finding the park can seem tricky. Enter Powerhouse Road via Shepherd Street and keep driving – the park is on your left hand side.

If travelling by public transport, take the train to Casula station, then walk 10 minutes to the adventure playground

Facilities
Casula Parklands adventure playground has men’s, women’s and disabled toilets. Covered picnic shelters are available along with water bubblers.

Food and Drink
The nearest cafe is Bellbird Dining and Bar at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. Advertised as a 10 min walk, it would be longer with kids.

Get directions.

Livvi’s Place Ryde, Yamble Reserve

January 10, 2019 / Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Livvi’s Place is a full-enclosed playground located in Yamble Reserve, Ryde. The reserve features formal gardens, deciduous trees, picnic shelters, large green grassed areas, barbecues and the excellent all-abilities playground, Livvi’s Place.

The all-inclusive playground was designed to allow children of all abilities to play, learn and socialise, with a combination of traditional and purpose-built play equipment and landscaping.

Livvi’s Place includes themed play zones, designed to stimulate and calm children with physical, intellectual and emotional disabilities, as well as give them some sensory features, too.

The playground features a dual flying fox, accessible carousel, climbing net, water pump and play feature, tunnels, musical instruments and a nest swing.

There are two free parking areas. Visitors with mobility restrictions are better off with the one off Clermont Avenue.

Lastly, there is a fully accessible amenities block which includes both child and adult change tables.

Livvi’s Place Ryde
Yamble Reserve, Quarry Road, Ryde
Get Directions

Victoria Park, Sydney CBD

November 19, 2018 / Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Right in the middle of Sydney lies Victoria Park, a 9 hectare public park adjoining Sydney University.

Victoria Park features historic structures such as the entrance gates, Gardener’s Lodge, a Canadian totem pole and ornamental wooden bridge.

Grass fields sprawl across the park and frame Lake Northam, a quiet space where you can find a secluded and peaceful spot under the shade of a nearby tree.

There is the picturesque Lake Northram in the middle of the park with plenty of chairs around it for relaxing ad admiring the view. In spring, the jacaranda trees in the park come into full bloom.

Beyond the lake is a modern playground with equipment for a variety of ages. The play area is partially shaded.

There is a half basketball court nearby, and BBQ facilities.

The park also features plenty of paths perfect for scooters or bike riding, wide expansive grassed areas and plenty of shade thanks to the trees.

Victoria Park Pool also located within the park, featuring the 50m King George VI Memorial Swimming Pool and a shaded children’s wading pool with water deck. The pool also has a fully-equipped gymnasium, child minding crèche, swim shop and a café.

Get to the park via bus along Parramatta Road and City Road, or catch the train to Central Station and walk. Car Parking is available – free two hour parking on the City Road entrance.

Victoria Park
Parramatta Rd, Broadway
cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/facilities/parks/major-parks/victoria-park

Sydney’s Best Playgrounds: Bungarribee Western Sydney Parklands

January 10, 2018 / Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, South West, Sydney, Western Sydney / 0 comment

The Western Sydney Parklands is a top spot for local families to stretch their legs and really enjoy the great outdoors. The newest park in the precinct, Bungarribee, opened in March 2017 – a 200-hectare recreational facility that gives locals plenty of wide open space to play, cycle, scoot, walk, run and even walk their dog at one of Sydney’s largest off-leash dog areas, the Warrigal Dog Run.

At Bungarribee you’ll find plenty to entertain the family all day. The ultra-modern playground will be a total hit with the kids, with its 14-metre-high playtower, 50-metre-long flying-fox, giant and baby swings, water play area and sand pits.

The playtower is unlike anything we’ve seen in a Sydney playground before, with multiple levels giving kids challenges to climb over and through various levels. It’s a great space for tweens to enjoy in particular.

Other facilities at Bungarribee include walking/cycling/scooting tracks, 20 barbecues, 13 picnic shelters (8 are available for hire, the rest are free of charge, on a first-come first-served basis), plenty of car parking (the area we parked had free all-day parking), large, clean bathrooms, and wide open fields to run around.

Personally, I thought the space was pretty good, but could use a few improvements:

The park needs better shade cloths instead of the rather weird netting that was used.
The park has no all-ability features in it. I can’t understand why 15 million dollars was spent on a huge new park that excludes kids with disabilities.

Get more information on Western Sydney Parklands Bungarribee here.

Bungarribee
Western Sydney Parklands
Entrance Intersection of Holbeche and Doonside roads, Bungarribee.

Sydney Playgrounds: Parramatta CBD River Foreshore Park

November 4, 2016 / Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

The Parramatta CBD River Foreshore Park is a great spot to run off steam with kids if you’re taking in a show at the nearby Riverside Theatre or grabbing lunch at one of the restaurants on Church street.

Built into the slope of the hill on the river’s foreshore, it’s got some really cool features like a 4 metre slide and rock climbing. In summer, water features are turned on near the sand play area.

Be aware that the playground is not fenced, not does it have any shade cover or bathrooms.

Parramatta CBD River Foreshore Park
Elizabeth St Footbridge Parramatta NSW

The Central Gardens Nature Reserve Merrylands: Southwest Sydney with Kids

May 4, 2016 / Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

We have been exploring a lot of southwest Sydney lately, looking for parks and playgrounds in particular. I was recently re-introduced to the Central Gardens Nature Reserve in Merrylands, where I spent a lot of my childhood while my parents played their weekly tennis game with friends. At the time, the gardens were closed so I never was past the tennis court. It was amazing to see the park in daylight, and open! I remember in my errant youth scaling the tennis court bathroom walls in an attempt to see the closed off garden at night – so to see it during the day brought back memories of our night time stealth mission that ultimately failed and left us somewhat in trouble as a result.

The Central Gardens Nature Reserve, also called the Central Gardens, is a nature reserve in the southwest Sydney suburb of Merrylands. The 12 hectare park features two playgrounds, animal enclosures, BBQ areas, a flat path perfect for scooters and bikes, plus a small waterfall feature.

The playground we found was fantastic, with the biggest shade cloth I’ve ever seen over a playground. It was so wonderful to visit in the middle of the day and not worry about sunburn.

Behind the playground lies the animal enclosures. It’s free to wander through them and see the very well cared for animals, including birds, particularly scary emus, wallabies with babies in their pouches, and kangaroos.

We didn’t find the waterfall this visit, but will be back to find it next time.

Do you know of any more great southwest Sydney parks for us to discover?

The Central Gardens Nature Reserve
Cumberland Hwy, Merrylands West
Bathrooms: Yes
Picnic tables: Yes
Shade cover: Yes
Cafe: No
Skatepark: No
Off-street parking: Yes
Children’s playground: Yes
Water features: No
Get Directions

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

Plough and Harrow Park: The Best of Southwest Sydney for Families

May 3, 2016 / Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Southwest Sydney really has some fantastic places for families to enjoy the great outdoors. One of our faves is the Plough and Harrow Park in Abbotsbury. The park is part of the massive Western Sydney Parklands that spans across the suburbs of Abbotsbury, Eastern Creek, Prospect and Horsley Park. The entire parklands covers 5,280 hectares, and includes several playgrounds, events centres and sporting venues.

We end up at the Plough and Harrow in Western Sydney Parklands East a fair bit. It has a fantastic playground, 22 electric BBQs, parking for over 200 cars, 24 picnic shelters, a pond with ducks and other water birds, public bathrooms and a cafe/restaurant: Amoretti’s.

The big draw for us is the playground. It’s spread out across a large area, interspersed with trees and other Australian bush pants. The playground features include a hamster wheel, flying fox, sand pit, little kid play area, large climbing spiderweb, basket swing, big kid swings and a water pump feature. The park has play equipment for all different ages, so it’s a suitable venue for families with kids of all ages.

The only downside to this playground is the lack of shade. It could do with some shade cloth!

Make a day of your visit to the park by booking into Treetop Adventure Park too, which is located in this part of Western Sydney Parklands, too.

Plough and Harrow Park
Western Sydney Parklands,
Elizabeth Drive, Abbotsbury
Bathrooms: Yes
Picnic tables: Yes
Shade cover: No
Cafe: Yes
Skatepark: No
Off-street parking: Yes
Children’s playground: Yes
Water features: Yes
Get Directions

Domain Creek Playground, Parramatta Park: The Best of Southwest Sydney for Families

May 1, 2016 / Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Parramatta Park is one of Sydney’s most historic places. In the centre of the park is Old Government House, which, along with the surrounding pack, is one of 11 sites that form the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage property. The park is also notable for its Aboriginal heritage: Evidence of Aboriginal occupation from over 200,000 years ago has been found there.

Sydney-siders have been enjoying Parramatta Park for recreation for a long time – it became a public park in 1858 – making it one of the earliest designated public parks in the world.

We particularly love the recently renovated Domain Creek Playground in Parramatta Park – it’s located on the Westmead side of the park, opposite the Queens Road Gatehouse.

The playground features activities for all ages and abilities, including flying foxes, swings, slides, trampolines, water pumps, sand pits, small trampolines built into the ground and spinning carousels.

Each section is connected by ramps and walkways, making it easy for strollers and wheelchairs to get between each area.

The double flying fox is a particularly popular feature of the new park, with one of the flying foxes adapted to be used by people with disabilities. The seatbelt feature makes it popular with young children too, who are a bit scared to use the regular one.

Adventurous kids will also enjoy the slide, which requires thrill-seekers to climb up a rope ladder to the top, and then scoot along to the top of the slide. Getting up was a bit scary for little Cheese due to the lack of handholds to pull herself up at the top of the rope ladder, but she had no problem climbing it, or going down the slide, either.

Other sections of the playground worth noting include water pumps that flow into a sand pit, a climbing net that looks like a spider’s web, a second sand pit with equipment for bigger kids like sand diggers, swings, and one last sandpit in the shade that was ideal for small kids.

The playground is beautifully designed to blend into the bush surrounding it, with plenty of fun surprise activities to discover. In the bush section in the middle of the playground few discovered a bush xylophone and cubby house, and there are also small metal sculptures of native Australian animals and a few roses dotted around the park.

The playground doesn’t have a shade cloth over it and there are very few sections with tree coverage, making it a bit of a scorcher on a hot day – particularly the metal play equipment. I would suggest this playground for milder to cold weather!

Bathrooms are also scarce – the nearest ones are a good 10 mins walk away at the Parramatta park Cafes, near the Queen Gate Entrance.

Near the playground is the river and lake, which is home to many birds such as ducks and ibis. Watching the birds is also an excellent way to entertain the little ones.

Hungry? Grab breakfast, lunch or a coffee to go from Parramatta Park Cafe.

Domain Creek Playground, Parramatta Park
Pitt St & Macquarie St, Parramatta
Bathrooms: No – nearest one is a few mins walk away at nearby Parramatta Park Cafe.
Picnic tables: Yes
Shade cover: No
Cafe/Kiosk: No
Skatepark: No
Off-street parking: Yes
Children’s playground: Yes
Water features: Yes (but minimal)
Get Directions

Blaxland Riverside Park: Sydney’s Best Parks & Playgrounds

March 31, 2016 / Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 4 Comments

Blaxland Riverside Park: Sydney’s Best Parks & Playgrounds

Blaxland Riverside Park playground, located in Sydney Olympic Park, is the biggest playground in Sydney. The park features a huge variety of play equipment set among three hectares of rolling green hills and big open spaces.

The playground caters for kids of all ages and abilities with a fantastic water play area (the largest outdoor water play facility in NSW), moving play elements, high and steep landforms and hidden and confined spaces. There’s a double flying fox, mega-swing, tunnel slides, scramble wall, spinning play disk, Viking swing and a multi-level tree house to be discovered and enjoyed.

Since the play space is so spread out, it really forces – I mean, encourages – parents (or carers) to get actively involved with the play.

There is a two lane walking/bike path that connects all of the play areas, with shaded picnic areas dotted around the park.

I was incredibly impressed with the playground, with the only improvement I’d have liked being shade cloths over the equipment where possible.

There is a seperate little toddler play area with a shade cloth over it.

We have visited on a few occasions so the photos are from days that were both quiet and busy.

If you get hungry or thirsty, there’s a little cafe in the playground serving basic pastries and lunch food. In the same block are facilities such as a family room with changing tables.

Also in Sydney Olympic Park:

Scoot or bike around the Newington Armory.

Take a dip in the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

Explore Wentworth Common.

Picnic in Bicentennial Park.

Take a stroll around the Brickpit.

Dine at the Armory Wharf Cafe.

Visit the Olympic Cauldron in Cathy Freeman Park.

Blaxland Riverside Playground
Jamieson St, Sydney NSW 2127
Hours of operation of water play: 10am – 4pm

Parking: Free parking is limited. You can also park in P5 car park, located off Hill Road, and make use of the pathways to cycle or walk to the play space. Parking at P5 carpark costs $4 per hour, maximum $20 (except on event days, when a flat fee of $25 may apply).

Marionette on Booth & Gladstone Park: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Balmain

March 6, 2016 / Balmain, Inner West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

This tiny little place, tucked away from busy Darling street, is one of the most kid-friendly cafes in Balmain. While their main game is coffee (check out their website, The Little Marionette for more details about their roasting business), they also have fantastic food and friendly, accomodating staff.

We noticed on our visit that most families were getting their coffee and food to go, and enjoying it in Gladstone Park across the road. We chose to dine in and enjoyed the surprisingly quiet dining area inside.

It’s pretty obvious that families are among the prime visitors to this little cafe from the outside. They have set up a challkboard wall and at any time of day you’ll see either kids creating a masterpiece on the wall and pavement, or evidence of the mini Picasso who had dined there perviously. It’s a genius move really, as parents can order their coffee or food to go while kids are happily occupied.

We ordered an In House Bircher Museli (with yoghurt and honey, small $7), pot of English Breakfast organic tea ($4), Breakfast Sandwich (fried eggs, bacon, spinach, fresh tomato and avocado topped with relish on Turkish toast, $12), a kid’s toasted Cheese Sandwich ($4), Babyccino ($1), flat white ($4).

The babyccino was a hit, with the takeaway cup and marshmallow perched on the straw. My bircher was delicious – very generous serve for a “small” size. Alec said repeatedly how delicious his sandwich was, so I think we have found our new regular cafe in Balmain.

Across the road from Marionette on Booth is Gladstone Park, where you will find large grassed areas under cover of trees, a large playground with climbing structures for kids of a wide age range, basketball courts and bathrooms.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Black Star Pastry and Cafe
1A Booth St,
Balmain NSW 2041
Phone: 0402 434 597
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 6:30am-4pm, Sat 7am-4pm, Sun 8am-4pm
Get Directions