Kids enjoy time away from screens at the 10 best outdoor playgrounds in Adelaide
Kids don’t stay little for too long, so I make sure mine have plenty of time to enjoy being young. But these days, they’re always stuck to a screen.
My go-to fix? I pocket the gadgets and take them to a playground. Phones will always be there, but childhood won’t, and I know they’ll regret it if they’re always glued to a screen.
If you’re looking for a spot where your kids can ditch the tech without a fuss, here are some of Adelaide’s best outdoor playgrounds for a great day in the sun.
Marshmallow Park Playground
Media From: natta_creative
Address: Glen Osmond Rd
Phone: +61 882 037 203
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – Open 24 hours
Website: https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/park/marshallow-park-playspace/
Features: Swings, slides, basketball ring, tennis courts, and more
Admission Fee: Free
Marshmallow Park Playground is a great place for your kids to play outside with its mix of nature play elements and traditional play equipment. It’s a fully-fenced playspace, so parents can relax while the little ones climb, swing, and explore.
Plus, the playground is shaded by an enormous Moreton Bay Fig Tree, making it bearable even when the sun is glaring.
Children can tackle climbing frames, swing in the swings, and zip down giant slides. There are also features that’ll expose them to nature, such as logs, rocks, and a creek bed. On hot days, water jets invite the kids for interactive water play or cool-off.
My children are a fan of the water play features. They absolutely loved darting through the water jets and sprays. Plus, the sand pit has water in it, allowing them to build sand castles or let their imagination run wild and create some imaginative sculptures.
Tip: Have your furry companion get some play time too! The Pityarilla Dog Park is beside the playground, fenced, and has a water play feature for them to splash around.
St Kilda Adventure Playground
Media From: caseybishop
Address: 470 St Kilda Rd, St Kilda
Phone: +61 884 068 222
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – Open 24 hours
Website: https://www.salisbury.sa.gov.au/
Features: Castle with slides, bouncy boomerang, zipline, pirate ship, maze, and more
Admission Fee: Free
For a unique play, take your children to St Kilda Adventure Playground. It’s a sprawling 10-acre playspace right on the seafront with giant features—ideal for parents wanting to burn their kids’ energies.
While some activities might feel risky, there are staff keeping an eye out so make sure everyone’s playing safely.
When we say giant features, we’re not kidding. There’s a towering three-level castle with spiraling slides and fire poles, plus a massive volcano with more slides and tunnels! The flying foxes stretch across the playground, giving kids the thrill of soaring through the air.
This place is a weekend favourite for my kids. One time, they spent hours role-playing as pirates aboard the huge pirate ship, brandishing imaginary swords and jumping between decks.
Tip: Don’t end the fun at the adventure playground! Hop on the tram rides that’ll take you from the playground to the Tramway Museum and vice versa.
Mukanthi Nature Play Space
Media From: playandgoadelaide
Address: Woodforde
Phone: +61 882 041 910
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – Open 24 hours
Website: https://www.ahc.sa.gov.au/
Amenities: Climbing structures, swings, slides, balancing ropes, sand pit, and more
Admission Fee: Free
Your kids will love the Mukanthi Nature Play Space within the Morialta Conservation Park. It’s a playspace that combines natural elements with Indigenous cultural narratives, allowing the little ones to have fun while learning.
There are five themed play areas in the playspace: Frog Island, Eagle’s Perch, Great Snake, Bird Nests, and climbing boulders.
The Frog Island has logs, rocks, and water features, encouraging some imaginative play while the Eagle’s Perch provides a sense of adventure with its giant nest, a slide, and a climbing structure.
Motor skills and coordination are developed in the Great Snake’s snake-shaped tunnel and balancing logs, and the Bird Nests’ three raised platforms, a pole, a slide, and balancing ropes test the kids’ balancing skills.
I took my kids here last Sunday, and they had a blast, especially climbing the boulders. I will never forget how their faces lit up when they discovered the hidden stone carvings in the boulders.
Tip: There’s an easy 1.6 km trail to the First Falls. It’s suitable for a family walk and a great way to round out your visit to the playground.
St. Clair Playground
Media From: adelaideplaygroundsandbeyond
Address: 109 Woodville Rd, Woodville
Phone: +61 870 784 184
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – Open 24 hours
Features: Slides, skate park, tennis courts, in-ground trampolines, seesaw, and more
Admission Fee: Free
Another great play space that mixes traditional play equipment and nature play is the St. Clair Playground.
It’s one of the largest play areas in the city, featuring nature play zones, all-access equipment, a skate park, six tennis courts, and more. That means plenty of opportunities for social interaction, motor skill development, and imaginative play!
The playspace features various climbing structures, multiple swings, and slides. There are also in-ground trampolines for the little ones to jump around and burn off energy.
The nearby courts also give you a chance to introduce your kids to sports like skateboarding, basketball, and tennis.
My kids are now into tennis after I took them to one of the tennis courts here. They might not have the strength to clear the net just yet, but seeing them give it a go made me pretty proud.
Tip: Pack some snacks! There are nearby picnic areas and open green spaces ideal for breaks between play sessions.
Hart’s Mill Playground
Media From: marypaynehawn007
Address: 9 Mundy St, Port Adelaide
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – Open 24 hours
Features: Swings, metal slide, hamster wheel, sand pit, and more
Website: http://harts-mill-playground.jany.io/
Admission Fee: Free
Hart’s Mill Playground is a bright and engaging recreational space for children of all ages, with play equipment inspired by the site’s milling history. The structures are made from salvaged materials from local harborside demolitions, adding a nice touch of sustainability to the fun.
Kids can run around the play area or go down the three-story metal slide!
There’s also a large hamster wheel for the little ones to step inside and run or walk. And if you’re worried about your children’s safety, rest easy; the wheel’s smooth edges are designed to prevent injuries.
While the hamster wheel is the main attraction, my kids adored the seated flying fox. Unlike the traditional version, this one allowed them to sit comfortably as they glided across the playground.
Tip: Have your kids try the spider web climbing frames. These are designed to help develop their strength, balance, and coordination.
Treetop Park
Media From: jackyjansson
Address: 2/6 Champion Wy, Craigburn Farm
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – Open 24 hours
Features: Rope bridge, swings, seesaw, roundabout, and more
Website: http://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/
Admission Fee: Free
Develop your kids’ sense of adventure by bringing them to Treetop Park, a nature-based playground designed to connect children with the outdoors.
The area is nestled among the trees, featuring a tall red climbing structure, a rope bridge leading to a twister tube slide, and a wooden climbing frame set in a sandpit.
Little ones can slide in the colourful egg-shaped sculpture with a smaller slide, allowing them to safely play around.
My kids were all over the rope bridge, climbing non-stop like little explorers. That’s when I discovered they have their dad’s sense of adventure—because heights and I don’t mix (lol).
Tip: The treetop climb is best suited for five years and up.
Princess Elizabeth Playspace
Media From: babyandtoddlerdestinations
Address: 35 South Tce
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – Open 24 hours
Features: Castle, loop slide, climbing towers, in-ground trampolines, monkey bars, and more
Website: https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/park/princess-elizabeth-playspace/
Admission Fee: Free
For a fairytale theme playground, visit the Princess Elizabeth Playspace. It’s a whimsical spot with a castle structure, towers, and other playful details designed to spark children’s imaginations.
The play area has plenty of equipment to keep little adventurers busy—swings, see-saws, monkey bars, and spring rockers. There’s also a large climbing net that encourages active play, while scattered mini-trampolines invite kids to jump around and burn off energy.
My kids had a blast running around when we last visited. Their favourites were the twisting tunnel slide and the wobbly platform boards. I loved hearing their giggles that day.
Tip: Be mindful of your kids here! The playground is not fully fenced, and it’s near busy roads.
Wilfred Taylor Reserve Nature Playspace
Media From: kristalouisegill
Address: Morphett Vale
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – Open 24 hours
Features: Basket swings, flying fox, sand play table, vertical xylophone, and more
Admission Fee: Free
Introduce your kids to farm life at Wilfred Taylor Reserve Nature Playspace within the Wilfred Taylor Reserve. It’s a playground with a farm theme, complete with elements like a wooden tractor and sheep rockers.
There’s even a farm shop where kids can role-play either as vendors or customers buying farm tools or groceries.
For the energetic ones, the Hills to Beach area offers creative sand play and interactive water displays. Older kids also get the time of their lives in the Possum Hangout Rope Challenge, where they climb nets and swing in ropes.
I had fun here too! While my kids were playing, I enjoyed wandering around, admiring the artworks scattered around the playground that celebrate Kaurna culture and history.
Plus, I learned a lot at the sensory garden, discovering plants with unusual textures and their distinctive fragrances.
Tip: For an extra $7 per person, enjoy unlimited miniature train rides that travel around the reserve.
Adventure Playground
Media From: katecathro
Address: Belair
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Features: Wooden fort, giant concrete tunnels, swings, slides, and more
Website: https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/belair-national-park#about
Admission Fee: Free
Bring your kids to the Adventure Playground in Belair National Park for wide-open spaces, natural scenery, and an oldie-but-goodie play area. Children get to enjoy exploring concrete tunnels, the wooden fort, and playground equipment like swings and slides.
Climbing frames and a rope bridge are available at this spot—ideal for active and adventurous kids. The multi-level wooden fort looks like a mini castle, complete with platforms, ramps, and ladders, sparking imaginative play and exploration.
My kids loved role-playing in the wooden fort. They were fully committed to re-enacting ancient battles, acting like cute little knights. They even grabbed branches for swords and cardboard for shields!
Tip: While access to the playground is free, there’s a $10.90 vehicle charge that must be paid before entering the park.
Glenthorne National Park Adventure Playground
Media From: playandgoadelaide
Address: Majors Rd, O’Halloran Hill
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Features: Flying fox, slides, swings, roundabout, pendulum swing, and more
Website: https://www.parks.sa.gov.au
Admission Fee: Free
The Glenthorne National Park Adventure Playground is one of the biggest nature play areas in South Australia, covering over 7,000 square meters.
There are multiple slides, various swings, and freestyle play areas where children can let their imaginations run wild. There’s also an inground roundabout for kids with wheelchairs, so they too can join in on the fun.
Rope and log elements are also available—great at challenging kids’ balancing and climbing skills.
Here, my kids loved sliding in the huge tube slide tower and spent ages digging around in the sandpit. In the afternoon I joined them as we built a cubby house made from sticks, branches, and leaves.
Tip: The park also has trails for walking, cycling, and exploring Aboriginal and European history.
