Nature Play is challenging the traditional playground equipment for a diverse playground experience. Nature Play Playgrounds feature running water, sand, logs, natural landscapes, trees to climb and may even feature a creek. They encourage creative play, spark imagination and we LOVE them!
We are so lucky that Adelaide has embraced the Nature Play trend & you can now find tons of natural play areas all across Adelaide & South Australia. Have a look below for some of the fantastic nature playgrounds to choose from.
Maybe the Leckie Playground in Mount Torrens up in the Adelaide Hills is your go-to? If you live down south, be sure to check out the newly developed Wilfred Taylor Reserve in Morphett Vale for lots of nature play fun. If you’re heading into regional South Australia, stop in at the Hermit Street Nature Play Space in Roxby Downs. Whether you are north, south, east, or west of Adelaide, you’ll find some cracking nature play areas nearby.
Find it at: Livestong Pathway, Hindmarsh (along the River Torrens) We all already know that Bonython Park is AWESOME – between the playground & the newly re-opened Café Bonython, we honestly thought it couldn’t get any better. But lo & behold, it does get better! Introducing the Bunyip Trail! It’s a Children’s Trail that you can access by heading west along the river from the playground & follows the story of...
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It’s no secret that here at Kids In Adelaide we love somewhere free. Well, the Adelaide Botanic Garden surely has to be the ultimate FREE spot to enjoy with your kids! It’s a great place to pop in just for an hour or to spend a full day. Plus it’s even better now that the Tram line runs from the Adelaide Train Station straight down to the Botanic Garden gate. So forget about parking, jump onto the Tram & enjoy what the...
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Find it at: Miravale The fences are down at the Miravale housing development playground at Angle Vale! With some touches on their fantastic play space in the heart of the development, still being done but the locals are loving it! With a great tower and tube slide the centre piece, rock climbing wall, gym equipment, pump track, basketball court and with nature play and a whole range of other equipment for the kids to play on, this will be a...
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Find it at: Glover St, Kersbrook Located behind the football oval, this fantastic facility opened in April 2021 and is yet another beautiful playground that has opened in the Adelaide Hills in 2021 (we really are building a great Hills Playground trail!). There are no toilets here that we could see, unless they were hidden behind the club rooms. The spacious playspace includes a huge flying fox, a cool sand play area, lots of nature play...
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Find it at: Mail Road, Harrogate This is definitely one to check out in winter for that added adventure! Opened in mid 2021, this hidden gem in the heart of Harrogate has been transformed thanks to a $140k investment from Council. In response to the township plan and bushfire recovery efforts, the Harrogate Recreational Reserve has received a much needed facelift. Upgrades include a modern shelter housing a new barbecue, undercover seating and...
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Find it at: Oval Road, Mount Torrens Put together by the talented team at Climbing Tree Consultancy (seriously they do some of the best playgrounds in SA), The Leckie Playground at Mt Torrens playground is another beauty. With plenty of natural shade, the lovely oval next door, bench seating, a picnic table, water play and some ripping nature play equipment for the kids to explore, this is a real winner. There aren’t any toilets however...
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Find it at: George Street, Marion The City of Marion have opened up yet another fabulous playground (they are really setting the standard aren’t they), this time a spacious playground at George Street. With an in-ground trampoline, swing, sandpit, water pump and 2 historical-themed cubby houses, including a village store and a workers cottage, this one is really cool. There’s also a miniature fire pole, slide and logs to jump on and an...
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Find it at: Hope Valley, SA Fantastic news with the announcement that from December 13 2020, we will be able to walk, cycle and explore Hope Valley Reservoir for the first time in 150 years (give or take a year or two). Construction is about to commence, with first cab off the rank being a network of walking and cycling trails which will take you from the reservoir and link with existing paths alongside the O-Bahn busway. The fabulous new...
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Find it at: Yanyarrie Avenue, Edwardstown A beautiful brand new playground opened in May 2021, nestled snugly in the backstreets of Edwardstown, you will find City of Marion designed (Talented Jason Avery at work here again) ripping spot to relax and take a moment out of your busy day. With a huge nest swing, a really cool climbing boulder and some in-ground tramps, you won’t find a tremendous amount of equipment, but what they have done...
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Find it at: South Parklands, Lightsview A fabulous adventure playground has been added to the Lightsview development, which is well worth the trip! Opened in April 2021, the nature play themed park includes water play, a huge number of logs and balancing beams to test out kids and parents alike! Throw in a climbing hill with slide, a basketball court, sand play area, in-ground trampolines, swings and even more slides, we love this park for...
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Find it at: Central Avenue, Hallett Cove A fabulous new addition to the City of Marion’s range of playspaces opened up in March 2021, with the brand spanking new playground at Central Avenue Reserve. Using the site’s slope to the fullest advantage, the highlight here is a super quick flying fox which takes kids (and parents!) from the rock-climb inspired slide playground and basketball court, right down to the sand play and shelter...
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Find it at: Shepherds Hill Road, Blackwood Huge news for the new year with work finished on a new nature play space at the Wittunga Botanic Garden!The play space is a fun way for children to learn about the environment and has been designed with help from local primary school students. We popped down for a visit after the opening (to be honest we have been popping in to watch the build progress as well!) and we had a ball! We loved exploring...
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Find it at: Brooklyn Drive, Hallett Cove The Brooklyn Drive Reserve playground is open and after rigorous testing by a KiA crew, it has been given the tick of approval. Not a huge space, but a great spot for locals, this timber themed playground has enough to keep most ages entertained while you take 5 during your probably hectic schedule! There is a swing (plus a toddler swing), as well as monkey bars (to be fair they are fairly low hanging so...
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Find it at: Wongabirrie Park – Wirrabara in the mid North Located on the banks of the Rocky River (which is great for exploring or yabbying when wet) is Wongabarrie Park up at Wirrabara. Where is that? Head to Pt Pirie and sort of turn right and you are about on the mark. The playground is a fantastic facility for the locals and travellers alike, with toilets a large rotunda (great for parties) and BBQ areas aplenty. Right next to the...
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Find it at: Alpine Road, Seacombe Heights Opening for business (kid business that is) from the start of November 2020, this fantastic new park is tucked away in the quiet back streets of Seacombe Heights. It really has it all this one, with a junior playground and flying fox, as well as a really fun ninja course for the older kids. Don’t forget to pack the bikes, scooters and balls to use on the scooter/pump track and basketball court! We...
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When you have older kids, it can sometimes be harder to find playgrounds that give them enough of a challenge to stay enthusiastic enough to not be annoying…..thankfully Taperoo Playground is a winner! A beautiful spot, with fabulous manicured grass to make any dad jealous and is perfect for picnics. There is a small tramp built into the ground which is always fun for a bounce or two. What we loved the most was the huge climbing equipment...
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Find it at: Mt Bold Reservoir Exciting news with Mt Bold opened for land-based recreational activities. The opening sees a 12km+ trail network established for hiking, running and walking, a new lookout and viewing platform with views across the dam wall and Mount Lofty Ranges, and a new car park, toilets and facilities for picnicking.Unlocking access to the southern section of the reserve enables the new trails to connect with the Kidman and...
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Find it at: Fern Avenue, Fullarton The 2019 upgrade to Fern Ave Reserve in Fullarton has made this lovely, fully-fenced playground even better. The new playspace has a nature play feel with lots of natural elements, sandpit, jumping logs and more. There are a number of climbing areas for kids from toddler to middle primary ages, plus a little slide with cubby above. Kids (& adults!) of all ages love the best swing and I’ll admit I love to...
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Find it at: Rugby Street, Malvern Tucked away is this cute Elephant themed nature play space, complete with sandpit, wooden and metal musical instruments to play and a whole lot more to explore! (Can’t ruin all the surprises can we). There is a lot of climbing equipment which the kid will love, slides, balancing equipment and don’t forget the basketball too with courts here as well. (located at the school, so after hours use only)....
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Find it at: Rueben Richardson Road, Greenwith This nice little spot in Greenwith is such a peaceful spot, which has also just been upgraded with some nature play to accompany the existing playground equipment. It isn’t huge, but sometimes that is just what the Doctor ordered! A bench and some shade is just about With lovely shade from the trees covering the playground, allowing the kids to play (and not get burnt!) with swings,...
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Find it at: Belair National Park, SA Located within Belair National Park and surrounded by 800 hectares of beautiful bush this playground is an oldie, but a goodie! These photos bring back so many memories for us. Can anyone else remember school excursions here in the 80s and eating massive bush biscuits? Sitting in the huge concrete tunnels and then scurrying away trying to hide from your friends. Belair National Park sells itself. An iconic...
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Find it at: Majors Road, O’Halloran Hill A great spot for a family walk, bike ride, picnic or even better just a good old fashioned ADVENTURE. While there are no formal walking tracks, it’s very easy to follow the numerous fire access tracks located in the park. Please be aware that these tracks are shared with bikes, horses, dogs (on leash) and walkers so make sure your kids know to stay aware and look up! There’s lots of...
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Find it at: Bowman Park Road, Crystal Brook The incredible new nature play space at Bowman Park Crystal Brook is now open! The photos below just look incredible and we can’t wait to head up and have a look on our next road trip. Designed and built by the uber talented folks at Climbing Tree Consultancy (Simon has been promising to show us his shed…which we expect will be EPIC!), built in only 9 weeks (meanwhile painting a toy box...
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Find it at: Hermit Street, Roxby Downs The Hermit Street Nature Play Space in Roxby Downs opened to the public on Thursday 7 May 2020 and doesn’t it look fantastic! The aim of the redevelopment was to provide a recreational space that encourages the community of Roxby Downs to embrace the Roxby Downs environment and for children to utilise their imagination to enjoy a range of outdoor developmental activities. It was also...
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Find it at: Two Wells A brand new $1million dollar playground has just opened in Two Wells! Near the Eden Residential Estate, the new playground is another nature play themed play space and made from all natural materials. The park itself is quite small but there’s lots of balancing logs and beams, climbing nets, a nest swing, and a great hill slide that little sliders will love. There’s an undercover picnic area with BBQ, making...
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Find it at: Two Wells Road, Willaston Nothern suburbs residents love this new nature playspace opened in February 2020 and designed to be integrated with the recently completed BMX Pump Track on Gawler River Road, Willaston. Equipment includes basket swing, natural cubby building area, climbing ropes and nets, tunnels and lots of rocks and logs for balancing on. There is also an accessible slide which is great to see. There’s a picnic...
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Find it at: Brownhill Creek Road, Brown HIll Creek Test out an afternoon with nature at Brownhill Creek. Enjoy a quiet adventure with the family here year round. In summer there’s usually just enough water to be fun for the littler kids without the faster flowing water you’ll find here in Autumn and winter. We have spent a number of wonderful afternoons down at Brownhill Creek armed with nothing more than some bathers, towel,...
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Find it at: Shamrock Road, Hallett Cove Nestled amongst the neighbourhood of Hallett Cove and located right next to the Hallett Cove train station and tennis courts this playground has just had an upgrade and it looks fabulous. With a mixture of a few pieces of equipment, water and nature play this is a great spot for the local kids to hang out for the school holidays. The long tube green tunnel slide is the first thing you see as you arrive to...
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Find it at: Wallace Street, Balaklava A magical music theme nature playground has officially OPENED in the community of Balaklava located North of Adelaide. Known as “Sounds from the Ground” this play space will offer a blend of nature inspired musical play allowing kids to express themselves from music and play. Aimed at the under 5 age bracket the project was designed around providing a learning based play area for the younger...
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Find it at: Bradley Grove, Mitchel Park Using the existing trees for shade and consisting of a lovely combination of play equipment and nature play this play concept is an awesome addition and enhancement to the Mitchell Park Oval and Sports facilities. The Marion council contributed $235 000 to this upgrade for the community, a major enhancement to the existing facilities the oval currently offers. The playground features an embankment slide...
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