Melbourne playgrounds: best inner city
WE’VE travelled far and wide to find Melbourne’s 25 best playgrounds. Here are the top playgrounds in Inner Melbourne.
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WE’VE travelled far and wide to find Melbourne’s 25 best playgrounds.
Here are the top playgrounds in INNER MELBOURNE, guaranteed to bring hours of free entertainment to kids from toddlers to teenagers.
Alma Park Adventure Playground
Alma Rd, St Kilda East
Verdict: 9.5/10
Highlights: long flying fox, cave, spinning Supernova, next to oval
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You can easily spend half a day in this amazing playground with loads to do for all ages.
The “senior playground” includes a cave with glittering mosaic tile entrance — climb up a ladder through a hole in the roof then zoom back down a fireman’s pole through another hole. The cave forms the mouth of a wondrous imaginary creature known as “the slug”.
The junior playground is a castle with wave slide, tunnel, steps, ladder and hand-carved wooden animals.
There’s also a big wooden ramped structure with spiral slide, twin slides, fireman’s pole, rope net wall, ladder, steps and binoculars.
Also a long flying fox with disc seat, monkey bars, seven swings including baby swing, fixed-track flying fox, seesaw, two springers, three spinners, a little play area with rock-climbing wall and embankment slide, another small slide, pyramid rope climbing frame, a spinning Supernova — a slanting ring for one or more kids to stand or sit on as it spins, and a cube climbing frame with a variety of ladders, fireman’s pole and monkey bars.
Equipment is well spread with the closest next to busy Alma Rd with no fence — so watch toddlers.
Lots of trees and shade and not much traffic noise in most of playground. Barbecues and several picnic tables, including some with shade, plus water taps. Finding street parking can be tricky.
Royal Park Nature Play
Gatehouse St, Parkville
Verdict: 9.5/10
Highlights: water and sand play, high ropes course, nature play
Intrepid explorers including older kids will love challenging themselves on the high ropes course at this new nature-based playground on the city’s doorstep.
A fantastic water play area includes a pump and gates that open and shut to fill a rock-lined creek leading down to a big sandpit where kids are kept busy digging and building in the wet sand.
A separate water play area has several water jets where toddlers can run and splash. A steep grassy hill is great for littlies to roll or run down.
There are also rocks and logs for clambering on, another rope climbing structure, several swings including a birds nest swing, three slides, lovely natural landscaping, barbecues and picnic tables.
The water play is great on a hot day, but the playground has almost no shade.
While many parents rate this as the best playground in Melbourne, its downside is the lack of toilets. Many families duck into the toilets in the nearby commercial building adjoining the Royal Children’s Hospital. Parking can also be tricky.
St Kilda Adventure Playground
Off Neptune St, St Kilda
Verdict: 9.5/10
Highlights: long flying fox, tree house, aeroplane, pirate ship, castle, in-ground trampoline, ball courts, fenced
“Playground” doesn’t do this urban wonderland justice.
This place recreates the way kids were able to explore their local neighbourhoods unhindered in days gone by, with lots of climbing structures, cubbies, a tree house with knotted rope to the ground, big aeroplane, pirate ship with tattered sails and huge steering wheel, and big wooden castle with lots of climbing walls and hidey holes.
There is also a long flying fox, big hammock swing, big in-ground trampoline, huge spiral tunnel slide, tree for climbing, rope bridges, giant tractor tyre tunnel, tee-pee, metal half-pipe, ball courts including basketball key and ring, dodge ball area, sandpit with toys, and big ride-on dinosaur springer.
Parents can enjoy free tea and coffee (although a donation is requested). Water taps and toilets are on site.
Note: St Kilda Adventure Playground won’t suit parents who are risk-averse or don’t want their kids getting dirty. Best suited to age 5-12. Fully fenced but gate is open. Staffed. Lots of trees and shade. Shaded picnic table. Finding a car spot in nearby streets is sometimes tricky.
Open set times after school, weekends, and public and school holidays. The playground runs programs for local disadvantaged children so may be closed at times, especially during school holidays. Phone 9209 6348 to check. No need to book except for groups.
Skinners Adventure Playground
Dorcas St, South Melbourne
Verdict: 9/10
Highlights: long rope bridge, wooden fort, in-ground trampoline, basketball, fenced
Like its sister park St Kilda Adventure Playground, this place is the antithesis of all those perfectly pristine plastic-feeling playgrounds peppered across Melbourne’s suburbs.
There’s a definite junk yard feel and kids will get dirty exploring the nooks and crannies of this urban paradise for kids.
A huge colourfully painted wooden fort is filled with lots of tunnels, secret doors, ladders, passageways, steps and a fireman’s pole.
Also long rope bridge, basketball court, lots of colourful structures to explore, big in-ground trampoline, table tennis, monkey bars, four-person seesaw, slides, bikes and Green Machines to ride, sandpit with mechanical digger and toys, and a building built from shipping containers with a rooftop picnic table overlooking the whole playground. It evens has chooks on site.
Note: Skinners Adventure Playground won’t suit parents who are risk-averse or don’t want their kids getting dirty. Best suited to age 5-12. Fully fenced but gate is open. Staffed. Fair bit of tree shade. Junk food is banned. Water taps on site.
The playground runs programs for local disadvantaged children so may be closed at times, especially during school holidays. Open set times after school, weekends, and public and school holidays. Safest to phone on 9209 6352 before visiting, but no need to book except for groups. Nearest street parking is $1.60 an hour.
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