Wellington is the best tourist spot in New Zealand. If you are having kids with you to stroll then they too have much to enjoy from great food to the finest and attractive Wellington kids playgrounds.
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Though Wellington has some 50 well-equipped public playgrounds in and around the city like at waterfront area, Oriental Bay area and at Botanic Gardens or a few located near great café houses.
Here are the best 10 cool playgrounds that kids as well as you will just love to be there.
See also Exotic Places to Eat, Explore and Enjoy in Wellington
1. Frank Kitts Park Playground Waterfront
Frank Kitts is one of the most popular Wellington kids playgrounds in the city, known for its huge lighthouse slide. Also, kids can enjoy other swings, a climbing structure and a spring ride-on This playground is located in the heart of all the waterfront activities.
You and your kids can relish an ice cream from the nearby van and might even have a close-up with a helicopter take off from the wharf opposite.
2. Freyberg Beach Playground, Oriental Bay – Wellington Kids Playgrounds
Freyberg Beach Playground is one of the popular Wellington kids playgrounds which is located in the Oriental Bay area. You will love to find a huge rope climbing frame feature that will delight your kids. Either side of this you can bring in your toddler for a slide and tunnel and a large climbing platform for kids to jump in and out.
This playground is located near a mini-beach built with sand especially barged in from Golden Bay. With a comfortable grassed area facing the harbor and Oriental Bay fountain, it’s a beautiful spot for some picnic-type adventure. If you feel hungry or your kids want some chips you can have them from nearby Mt Vic Chippery.
3. Botanic Garden Playground, Wellington
At Botanic Garden playground you too will become a kid here as this playground is one of the best Wellington kids playgrounds with plenty of big and exciting slides, ride-on and climbers.
There’s a pair of long slides with tunnels over the top half as you can see in the picture above and that is reached by a good platform climb. Then there is a four-armed ‘octopus’ ride on pivots around and in and out from a central pole, and a flying fox. Also, you can spend some time at Space Place at Carter Observatory to watch some space activities or have a ride in Wellington Cable Car a little further up the hill and have fun.
4. Homebush Road Playground Khandallah
Wellington’s secret Wellington kids playgrounds, with astounding views of the harbor this is a basic playground with swings but it is surrounded by a large field and landscape view that will attract you. You need to walk down a wide track off Homebush road to get there.
The entrance to the track is about halfway along Homebush road. Kids will love See-saw, spiderweb climber and a slide-&-tunnel platform structure. You as a parent will love the incredible panoramic views right across Wellington Harbour, from Hutt Valley to the CBD.
5. Ben Burn Park Playground, Karori – Wellington Kids Playgrounds
Next to the Karori Park pavilion, there is a small playground and open to a busy road but it does include a couple of interesting pieces of equipment like the circle of “rocks” that kids can run around and a flying fox. The park itself has a great bike or scooting track around it.
There are bucket swings that kids will just love. Also as it is a sheltered spot you will experience not much heat on a windy day. Also, there is a cafe in the Pavillion for some eateries, a free parking zone, and a Karori shopping center close by.
6. Shorland Park Playground, Island Bay – Wellington Kids Playgrounds
Shorland Park near Island Bay is a famous beachside playground. With large open spaces to run around, swings, a long slide, pirate ship, concrete tunnels, a band rotunda and wood-based climbing structures kids will have ample time to spend and enjoy. With a parking facility, there is no issue for your vehicles to stand.
For the grannies, the playground park is accessible by a wheelchair.
7. Wadestown Playground, Wadestown – Wellington Kids Playgrounds
Wadestown playground is a fully fenced playground to keep kids safe in a fun-filled enclosure. Though it is a small playground it is very well designed and has a great climbing platform with a suspended tunnel, bridge, slides, mini flying fox and more.
Also, the playground is equipped with swings, see-saws, a big metal slide across the park. Also, you can find a good time to spend here with kids like a small picnic time. The entire park is also fully fenced and gated, so you can relax and let them run free.
There is free parking allowed here and also the ground has toilet and change facilities when the plunked rooms are open. When the Plunket rooms are closed, the nearest toilets are in the small car park opposite the Wadestown Kitchen cafe.
8. Avalon Park Playground, Lower Hutt – Wellington kids playgrounds
The Hutt Valley is popular for playgrounds. At Avalon Park, you will find series of playgrounds in and around the area.
The playground is well equipped for all ages, surrounded by grassy parkland it’s a great place to stop for a picnic.
A big old-school wooden fort sits on an ‘island’ in a picturesque pond, various climbers and swings have the older ones covered. The kids have a great space to enjoy freely surrounded by a white picket fence.
9. Katherine Mansfield Park Playground, Thorndon
Katherine Mansfield Park, Thorndon is a lovely one of the popular Wellington kids playgrounds on the corner of Fitzherbert Terrace and Hobson Street.
Amidst the green trees and beautiful garden, kids will find great swings like disc swings where you along with your little one can easily lie together and rock. Also, there is a long tube slide and rope-climbing structures that are good for younger kids.
There is free parking on Fitzherbert St so no worries for vehicles while you enjoy at the ground.
10. George Denton Park Playground, Highbury – Wellington Kids Playgrounds
Highbury is is a great area with thick green trees around. You can enjoy stupendous views over the city and harbor. It’s one of those areas that you probably know little of, but once you live there, you might never leave. You can reach George Denton Park within a 10-minute drive from the city. Also, you can visit Polehill Reserve to the south and eastern flanks of Highbury. This is one of the Wellington kids playgrounds.
The playground has open spaces, plus swings and a great range of entertaining and physically challenging equipment. There’s even play equipment clearly designed to get adults in on the fun, like the overhead grinder that travels along a rail.
These gully areas were once covered in native forest, cleared for farming upon European settlement and have slowly regenerated back to native plant reserves since the 1980s. The gullies provide numerous walking and mountain biking tracks.
Adjoining the Highbury is the famous Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary on its eastern side. This 225-hectare sanctuary is surrounded by a predator fence that helps protect a number of endangered or regenerating species including Tuatara lizards, 40 native bird species and native freshwater fish.
Conclusion
Wellington offers a diverse range of exceptional playgrounds for children, ensuring both entertainment and educational value. From the iconic lighthouse slide at Frank Kitts Park Playground to the adventurous rope climbing frame at Freyberg Beach Playground, each location promises a unique experience. Botanic Garden Playground boasts an array of slides and climbers, while the panoramic views from Homebush Road Playground add an extra dimension to the fun.
Ben Burn Park Playground, Shorland Park Playground, Wadestown Playground, Avalon Park Playground, Katherine Mansfield Park Playground, and George Denton Park Playground all contribute to Wellington’s reputation as a family-friendly destination. With various amenities, accessibility, and engaging features, these playgrounds offer an enriching environment for children to explore and enjoy.
