New playgrounds have been popping up all over the Central Coast and we’re loving it. From Pretty Beach to Mardi, we’ve climbed a rope bridge overlooking views of the water, tested out an in-ground trampoline, acted out spidey scenes on a spiderweb net, sussed out scooter paths, and even played hide-n-seek with native animals.
Below we’ve rounded up five new parks to explore on the Central Coast so you can surprise your minis with a trip to a playground they’ve never run wild in before. We hope you have as much fun discovering them as we did!
1. Palm Gully Park, North Avoca
With its ropes to scale, climb up and act out Spidey scenes on, the recently upgraded playground at Palm Gully Park in North Avoca is perfect for little superheroes and ninja warriors in training (and burning off any extra after-school energy)! There’s plenty to entice toddlers and preschoolers with its new bright orange slide, spinner, and mini-shop. Plus there’s a basketball hoop for older kids to get in some practice in with their mates!
Read our full review of Palm Gully Park here.
2. Hylton Moore Oval Playspace, East Gosford
Hylton Moore Oval Playspace in East Gosford has been given a fabulous facelift. In fact, it’s been completely rebuilt! The new main play structure has an extra large rope ladder, three mini rock-climbing sections, and a large net over the top for little thrill seekers to crawl across, chill out on or hide from younger siblings! Plus you’ll find a big, bright green wavy slide, spinner, and new swings.
Read our full review of Hylton Moore Oval Playspace here.
3. Jirramba Reserve Playground, Saratoga
Set right on the water’s edge in Saratoga, Jirramba Reserve playground was given a makeover earlier on in the year and now boasts new, bright blue play equipment featuring a climbing net, rope bridge, fireman’s pole, and stairs up to a double slippery dip! This great spot has incredible views overlooking New Brighton Wharf and Brisbane Water and is a pretty chill place to be if you ask us!
Read our full review of Jirramba Reserve Playground here.
4. Turo Reserve Playground, Pretty Beach
The former pirate ship-themed playground at Pretty Beach’s Turo Reserve has received a pretty cool upgrade, with a whole new playground waiting to be explored! It’s a little more toddler-friendly than the previous structure, with easier-to-navigate steps up to the slide, and a brand-new bike path that wraps around the play equipment.
Read our full review of Turo Reserve Playground here.
5. Woolmers Crescent Playspace, Mardi
The Woolmers Crescent Playspace in Mardi recently received an animal-inspired makeover and an epic one at that! Your kids will now be greeted with a new, brightly coloured playground with so many parts to explore, including a climbing structure with rope ladders, stairs, a rock climbing wall, and a climbing pole to scale up! And did we mention there’s a mini, in-ground trampoline? We thought that’d grab your attention!
Read our full review of Woolmers Crescent Playspace here.
2021 Parks
We are constantly trawling the Central Coast with our littlest reviewers to bring you the latest and greatest new parks and playgrounds our region has to offer. Check out some awesome spots that we visited in 2021 below, and go for a visit if you’ve not yet had the chance!
Anderson Park Playspace, Woy Woy
This park features all the play equipment your kids could want to scale, swing on or slide down. There’s a double slippery dip, rope ladders, a large rope spider web, a play shop, two swings (including a bucket baby swing), a spinner and a spring rider. Phew! Plus, there’s a very cool balance trail area with balance beams and stepping stools for little ninjas to practise their moves on.
When you’re done burning off energy in the playground, have a picnic or fly a kite in Anderson Memorial Reserve (which the playground sits inside of) or take a stroll along the foreshore and soak up the beautiful views of Brisbane Waters.
Read our full review of Anderson Park Playspace here.
Australia Ave Local Playspace, Umina Beach
We’re excited the Coast has scored another beautiful nature playground! And this one is such a gorgeous place to spend a sunny morning with your little ones. There’s a huge focus on imaginative play here, so kids will want to befriend the wooden creatures living in the park, plus act out rescue missions with help from the tunnel, ladder, and bridge structures you’ll also find here.
A nature playground wouldn’t be complete without native plants, which have been put in by volunteers. These plants attract native birds and animals to the park, so be prepared for some wildlife spotting while you’re there too!
Read our full review of Umina’s Australia Avenue local playground here.
John Peter Howard Reserve, San Remo
Any playground that has four slides must be a winner! John Peter Howard Reserve was recently given a major makeover and now it’s sporting so many fun features. There’s a super cute pretend petrol station and shop for tots who love to role play, a climbing wall, merry-go-round, seesaw, firefighter’s pole, net bridge, monkey bars, and a swing set.
Our mini reviewers also enjoyed the fabulous bike/scooter track that runs the perimeter of the playground. Older kids will love taking their skateboards to the path that wraps around the neighbouring lake. There’s lots of grass to run around on, and you could even set up a picnic under a tree after using the park’s BBQ facilities.
Read our full review of John Peter Howard Reserve here.
South Eastern Park, Gwandalan
This gem has popped up in Gwandalan, much to the delight of local families. It has a strong nature theme, with raw timber used in the play equipment and lots of natives trees and plants scattered around the park.
Our favourite features are the awesome cable bridge, rock climbing wall, and massive nest swing. There are stepping logs and a giant tree balance beam to play on, as well as talking tubes to yell, sing or make funny noises into.
All up, this playground is such a win for Coasties in the north and we can see it becoming a popular morning playdate or after-school hangout spot.
Read our full review of Gwandalan’s South Eastern Park here.
Susan Fahey Park, Copacabana
Tell your crew you’re taking them to a playground with a seven-metre-tall rope tower with a lofty black and green cubby perched on top and watch how fast they get their shoes on and race to the car!
Susan Fahey Park in Copacabana provides all the fun, challenging play that little adventurers can’t get enough of. Besides the super impressive tower and cubby, we love the epic covered slide with all its twists and turns, the suspended rope ladders that wobble as you climb and the huge stand-up seesaw.
There’s so much to discover here and we give it two big thumbs up for being different to any other playground on the Coast. It’s a playspace you’ll all want to visit over and over again.
Read our full review of the Susan Fahey playground here.
Sun Valley Park, Green Point
This regional playspace really has it all in terms of play equipment and facilities. Pop the kids in the car and go check it out right away!
Sun Valley Park is divided into sections, creating awesome play spaces for every age and interest. Fun features include a double flying fox, two sets of swings, a huge rope climbing tower, a spider-web climbing structure, and an in-ground roundabout.
There are some great sporting facilities here too, including basketball and netball courts. If you’re feeling like a casual (or competitive!) game of table tennis, there’s even a ping pong table to enjoy (BYO paddles).
If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a fab nature space that’s perfect for sensory play. Kids can make music with a series of metal drums that create fun sounds as you dance across them, as well as an upright xylophone. There’s a funny mirror that will make you feel like you’re at a carnival, plus balance beams and logs to hop along.
Oh and pack your bikes and scooters! A winding path makes its way through each section of the park, excellent for exploring all the equipment and surrounds.
Read our full review of Green Point’s Sun Valley Park here.
Tunkuwallin Oval Playspace, Gwandalan
Another amazing playground for Gwandalan! Kids of all age groups will love this one – there are slides, climbing frames, a mini bike/scooter track, AND a basketball court!
Little ones will be super excited to try out the in-ground roundabout and balance beams, while older ones will be stoked about the epic bouldering wall, plus the skatepark that’s also at the oval. There’s also a swing set with both bucket swings and standard swings to keep everyone happy.
Looking for a fun lunch spot? Pack a basket or grab some takeaway because there’s plenty of seating dotted throughout the park, including park benches, sandstone blocks, and an undercover picnic table for when you want some shade.
Read our full review of Tunkuwallin Oval Playground here.
Vernon Park, Umina Beach
Small but mighty is how we’d describe this playspace in Umina Beach! The shiny play equipment is great for younger ones and features three slides, rope ladders to climb, and a rope spider’s web. There’s also a path that winds its way through the park – perfect for toddlers and pre-schoolers practising their bike and scooter riding skills.
This is a fantastic spot for a picnic, with lots of shade from the well-established trees and wide open space for kids to kick a ball around or play tag.
Read our full review of Vernon Park here.
Now that you’re up to speed on the new parks to explore on the Central Coast, why not check out our best-of guides? From the best bike paths for families and the best parks for toddlers to our favourite family beaches and top kid-friendly cafes, we’ve made it easy for you to discover them all here.
Written By: LOUISE MEERS
Writer
Louise spent a decade in the publishing industry writing for children and was the editor of K-Zone magazine prior to moving to the Central Coast in 2018. These days you’ll find her wrangling her toddler at playgrounds all over the Coast, and creating content from a cosy corner in her living room.
