Adelaide in summer is H-O-T, but that doesn’t stop our kids from wanting to get out and about to their favourite playgrounds. A shaded playground is always a winner in our books, and shade or lack of, is one of the main topics of conversation whenever we post a playground review. So to make it easy to find a spot with lots of natural shade from trees, or great shade sails over the play area we’ve put together a list of our top picks for shaded playgrounds in Adelaide and regional South Australia.
Have we missed one? We’d love to know about it in the comments below.
Below are what we think are THE BEST shaded playgrounds you’ll find in Adelaide (in no particular order) To find out more about these playgrounds or to find one in your area scroll down.
- Wigley Reserve Glenelg
- Apex Park Hawthorndene
- Largs Bay Ice Cream Playground
- Mitcham Reserve
- Sherry Park Mylor
- Keith Stephenson Park
- Marshmallow Park
- Bonython Park
- Meadows Playground
- Quentin Kenihan Accessible Playground
- Orphanage Park Millswood
- Morialta Adventure Playground
Tanunda Recreation Park
Find it at: Bilyara Rd, Tanunda Tanunda Recreation Park received an upgrade with an inclusive playground in 2022. Features of the Inclusive Playground include a flying fox, trampolines, climbing/elevated play, slides, swings, sand and water play, barbecue shelter,…
Karkunga Reserve
Find it at: Everard Avenue, Keswick This fab little playground had several upgrades through 2024 and 2025. This place is a fantastic local facility, with a shaded modern playground full of unique climbing areas for the kids to explore. The whole playground is shaded…
Angus Neill Reserve Seacliff
Find it at: Esplanade, Seacliff Located opposite the tranquil beach that runs between Seacliff and Brighton, Angus Neill Reserve is ideal for large gatherings. There’s plenty of parking available around the park and it is extremely well-maintained. During the warmer…
Cormorant Drive Reserve
Find it at: Cormorant Drive Hallett Cove A new playground and reserve has opened at Cormorant Drive down at Hallett Cove and it is very cool (especially for dino lovers) This reserve has an interesting history with a Diprotodon (Giant Wombat) fossil remains found here…
Mitcham Reserve
Find it at: Corner Old Belair Road and Norman Walk, Mitcham This ripper was upgraded in December 2018 and we absolutely love it! The new playground updates are a credit to Nature Play Design and the City of Mitcham with a great mix of the nature play elements…
Jervois Street Reserve Playground South Plympton
Find it at: 43 Jervois Street, South Plympton Jervois Street Playground in South Plympton is up there with Morialta and Glenunga as one of our favourite playgrounds in Adelaide. Some of the Jervois Street Reserve highlights are: Fully fenced junior playground with…
Heron Way Reserve, Hallett Cove
Find it at: Heron Way, Hallett Cove This is a great playground with amazing views over the ocean. The reserve includes a 5-way swing, tunnel slide, water and sand play, nature play, fitness equipment, shade sales, toilet, seating, shelter and BBQ facilities. The…
Hugh Johnson Boulevard Reserve
Find it at: Hugh Johnson Boulevard, Sheidow Park The Hugh Johnson Boulevard Reserve upgrade is complete and we love it just as much as the locals. There are multiple areas for play including a sports area complete with netball and basketball rings and soccer goal….
Largs Bay Foreshore Ice Cream Playground
Find it at: Esplanade Largs Bay The Largs Bay foreshore play space redevelopment in 2024 brought to life an amazing concept which feels like came straight from the imagination of us as kids! This one is a very popular site with local and visiting families and the ice…
Don Moseley Park, Keith
Find it at: Heritage Street, Keith ***CLOSED FROM FEBRURAY 2025 to JULY 2025** for extensive playground redevelopment. Good news, the park is still open for toilet amenities and a kick of th footy on the grass, however the play equiptment, including the train is all…
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