Parents and families vote for their Top Adventure Playgrounds (and, yes, they’re awesome!)

What type of play spaces do you love? Are you a runner or a roller? A climber or a crawler? A spinner or a slider? A digger or a daydreamer? Maybe jumping is your thing? Or do you prefer to swing fearless and free, high through the air?

Fact is, when it comes to outdoor play spaces, it’s a tough question to answer – because we all have an opinion of what makes them great. Designers and developers. Community groups and councils. Architects and award judges. But, as we all know (admit it, deep down we really do), the opinions that always matter most are the ones that belong to the children and families who use them.

That’s why we were absolutely thrilled when the popular parent-run website, Ella’s List, voted no less than six Fleetwood projects into their Top Adventure Playgrounds. It’s a super exciting list to be on. If you haven’t had the chance to experience them for yourself just yet, keep reading! Below we offer a little taste of what you can expect, along with some of our other amazing Play creations around Australia.

Oatley Bush Park Playground

Dame Mary Gilmore Road, Oatley.

“Inclusive play set in a magical natural bushland setting”



Georges River Council asked us to design a nature-based playground on the site of the famous old Oatley Steamroller Park. The result was one of Sydney’s most inclusive new play spaces – and a real nature lover’s dream. Using mainly natural materials, the centrepiece is a huge 12-metre play tower with a giant slide and flying fox, an incredible maze of climbing nets, junior play items, custom swings and plenty soft fall to keep kids safe. Surrounded by extensively landscaped grounds, picnic shelters and BBQs, it’s a great place to bring your friends and family for an awesome day out you won’t soon forget!

Bungarribee Park

Doonside Rd & Holbeche Roads, Bungarribee. 

“A huge maze-like framework of tunnels and play nets.” 

It’s actually dubbed the Bungarribee ‘Super Park’ – and with VERY good reason. This award-winning play experience for the Western Sydney Parklands Trust is simply huge! Everywhere you look, the park is filled with activities, structures and challenges to entertain kids of all ages. But without doubt the hero attraction that draws families by their thousands every weekend is the colourful centrepiece play structure – an incredible fully-enclosed network of tunnels and play nets, almost like a maze, with a lookout tower at one end and stainless-steel slides throughout. It’s completely unique, never been built before, and visitors just love it.

Find out more

Wulaba Park

Amelia St, Waterloo.

“An awesome outdoor play space for inner-city families.”

What’s the one thing inner-city families always need more of? Space! With more and more families living in apartments, access to outdoor play spaces for the children of Waterloo was pretty limited. Enter… Walaba Park … created especially for the City of Sydney with the help of local artist Nuha Saad. Bursting with colour thanks to a kaleidoscope of soft fall and forest of brightly-painted battens, it’s a brilliant place to let the kids burn off steam with a soaring 4-storey climbing tower (rumour has it you can see it from the moon!), giant stainless-steel slide, swings and climbing nets. There’s plenty of seating for mums, dads and grandparents too. Waterloo families can’t get enough of it!

Find out more

Blaxland Common

Jamieson Street, Sydney Olympic Park.

“The striking centrepiece of one of Sydney’s favourite play spaces.”

Sitting right on the doorstep of Sydney Olympic Park on the Parramatta River, this is definitely one for every family’s bucket-list. Surrounded by ovals, picnic shelters and not one but two cafés, Blaxland Common Playground is hugely popular with families of all ages. Oh, and did we say it’s simply massive?! Think soft fall and play structures as far as the eye can see. Flying foxes and towers that reach for the sky. Endless networks of tunnels and climbing nets. And the pièce de résistance, its iconic Giant Swings which greet excited families as they enter from the adjacent carpark.

Find out more

The Ian Potter Children’s Wild Play Garden

Grand Drive, Centennial Park.

“It’s time to get out and explore your ‘wild’ side.”

Want to let your imagination run wild? Then be sure to visit this truly incredible wild play experience in Centennial Park, less than 5km from the centre of Sydney. Created with the super creative people at ASPECT Studios, it’s an oasis of nature-play and adventure that will keep the kids occupied for hours. Imagine dry creek beds, artesian water play area, a bamboo forest, giant timber tower and slide, banksia tunnels and quirky turtle mounds to be explored. It really is an amazing place to get lost in the wonder of nature. It even has Centennial Park’s first-ever treehouse! (It’s won more awards than you can shake a piece of bamboo at too.)

Find out more

Highlands Sustainable Park

83 Sustainable Drive, Craigieburn, VIC.

“One of Australia’s most remarkable creative play experiences – sustainable by name and nature.”

Welcome to Highlands Sustainable Park. It’s the creative centrepiece of Stockland’s ‘Highlands’ community and the perfect family day-trip from Melbourne. Created almost entirely using recycled materials that would otherwise have ended up in landfill, this amazing place takes sustainable play to a whole new level! Whatever your age or ability level, there’s so much to see, explore and do. Carved logs. Tree sculptures. Animals made from local timber. Even musical instruments. But our favourite part is ‘The Nest’ – a giant spiral staircase tower with cladding that’s made entirely from sticks collected within Highlands itself. You’ve never seen anything like it because, well, there’s never been anything like it before!

Find out more

Logan Village Green

Logan Street, Logan Village, QLD.

“Boredom doesn’t have a chance at this amazing new play space!”

When you’re one of fastest-growing regions in South-East Queensland, with literally thousands of young families, it makes sense to have fantastic play opportunities, right? That’s the idea behind this brilliant new adventure playground in the heart of Logan City. Crammed with a mind-bending assortment of inclusive play equipment and experiences, there’s certainly no risk of boredom! The high point, literally, is the bird’s nest lookout. But save your energy because there are also slides, trampolines, a flying fox, totem poles, timber steppers and balance beams, a universal access spinner, all-abilities multi-swing and toddler swings. If that isn’t enough to keep you busy, the wider upgrade of Logan Village Green also includes a skate park, BBQ facilities, cafes and even a community museum. There really is something for everyone – including plenty of shade protection from the harsh Queensland sun!

The Power of Play

Now, perhaps more than ever, imaginative outdoor play spaces are a vital part of the development process for young minds and bodies. Our goal at Fleetwood has always been to create play experiences that inspire families to love the outdoors by providing safe, exciting and original places to visit and explore. You can see more of our ever-growing portfolio of amazing Australian play spaces here. 

To discuss your next Play project, please contact us today!

Ella’s List: Sydney’s Top 13 Adventure Playgrounds

More from Fleetwood Files.