We asked YOU on Facebook what your favourite playgrounds in Melbourne are, and thanks to some brilliant local knowledge here is a list of Melbourne playgrounds you HAVE to visit!

1. Bicentennial Park, Chelsea

Address: Corner of Thames Promenade and Scotch Parade, Chelsea VIC 3196

Also known as Mount Chelsea Bicentennial Park. This park has lots of walking trails, fun slides for the kids, a music hut in a Smurf village, Tinkerbell sandpit, tic-tac-toe, monkey bars, rope climbs, a flying fox plus more. Fun for the whole family! It also has toilets and shaded tables and BBQ areas.

2. Bundoora Park

This park has experiences and activities for all of the family to enjoy. Bring the kids down for an hour or two and play in the playground, meet the farm animals, enjoy some food from the cafe or relax in any of the beautiful playground areas. Remember to keep an eye out for the Kangaroos and Emus as you enjoy the park.

3. Phoenix Park, Malvern

Phoenix Park contains a wooden fort like playground, various types of swings, large wooden structures and sand pits. This playground was built for inclusive play and is suitable for kids of all ages. There is a family run coffee shop on site and a near by library that includes a children’s play hub. Remember to bring your camera as this park will have your children’s imagination running wild!

Address: Ivanhoe Grove, Malvern East VIC 3145

4. Mentone Racecourse Reserve

This reserve has a wide variety of enjoyable actives. It features a lake and walking paths, grasslands, and beautiful gardens. The playground features horse racing themes with the main structure covered in pictures of horses leading to the finish line. There is also a wooden maze, sandpit, basketball court, football goal posts and a tennis wall.  This is a great park that will have kids of any age entertained for hours. Remember to bring scooters and bikes so kids can race like horses!

Address: 40-50 Glenelg Drive, Mentone VIC 3194

5. Packer Park, Carnegie

This park has something for everyone. It caters for all abilities and offers an huge amount of fun and activities for the kids. You can also take a relaxing stroll along the rolling pathways while the kids scooter with you. If your a wildlife spotter there is plenty of birdlife and frogs to admire that will keep the kids entertained for hours. This park also offers two outdoor bowling complexes which are free to use. So if you are looking for something different to do on the weekend this park is just for you.

Address: Cnr Leila Road and Hunter Street, Carnegie VIC 3163

6. Bayswater Park Playground

If you and your kids love trains then this is the playground for you! There is a full sized red steam engine with benches, a wooden fat controller, ticket window and a smaller wooden train with two carriages. Your kids will be entertained for hours pretending to drive and ride the train! This playground also features traditional play equipment and such as fireman’s poles, musical pipes, high rope bridge, shop window, cubby houses, elephant climbing farm and artworks. So pack a picnic and pretend to have a lunch on the train.

Address: King Street, Bayswater VIC 3153

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7. Jackson’s Hill Park, Sunbury

This park also known as Galaxy Land park offers a wide variety of playground equipment for different ages and abilities. There is plenty of shade, tables and BBQs so pack a picnic, grab the family and spend a day enjoying the outdoors and everything this park has to offer.

Address: Watersprite Boulevard, Jackson’s HIll, Sunbury VIC 3429

8. Banjo Paterson Park, Lynbrook

Banjo Paterson Park is a large playground featuring wave slides, chain climbing nets, rope climbing frames, fireman’s poles, see-saws, sandpit, swings and more. The kids will be entertained all day at this park, so remember to pack a picnic and some snags for a BBQ lunch and watch the ducks float by on the lake.

Address: 51 Paterson Drive, Lynbrook VIC 3975

9. Victory Park, Ascot Vale

Victory park has a large adventure playground defined by large wooden towers that feature slides, walkways, sandpits, flying foxes, monkey bars and swings. This is a great place to spend the day and for the kids to let off some steam. Make sure to visit the near by kiosk next door to grab a coffee and a snack for the kids.

Address: Cnr Epsom and Langs Road, Ascot Vale VIC 3032

10. Finns Reserve including Wombat Bend, Templestowe Lower

Wombat Bend is a great place to bring the kids for ‘in the know mums’. This park features traditional playground equipment such as swings, slides and sand pits but it is also great for scooting, cycling and running around. The best part of this playground is the wombat gardens and the wooden maze at the entrance. Take a picnic and have a great BBQ lunch and enjoy a sunny day.

Address: Cnr Union Street, Templestowe Lower VIC 3114

11. Ballam Park, Frankston

If your looking for a park with wide open spaces that’s dog friendly, then this is the ideal place for you and your family! This park sports a lovely walking track, tennis wall and basketball ring, premier athletics track, soccer and cricket pitches so you can bring the kids down to kick the ball around or do some after hours sports practice. This park also has a museum in a historical homestead run by the Frankston Historical Society that you can visit. Remember to bring a picnic blanket and some sports equipment to enjoy a fantastic day out with family and friends.

Address: Cranbourne Road, Frankston VIC 3199

12. St. Kilda Adventure Playground

This is definitely a playground you do NOT want to MISS!! This playground allows kids to use their imagination, run, climb, create, jump and play with animals (rabbits, turtles and chickens) whilst in a supervised environment. The Adventure Playgrounds are staffed during opening times so you have the chance to relax. This playground is brightly coloured and extremely inviting. Bring your kids here to experience something unique that they will be telling all their friends about.

Address: Neptune Street, St Kilda VIC 3182

13. Eltham Lower Park 

Eltham lower park is suited to younger kids. It offers flying foxes, butterfly climbing walls and carousels to entertain your kids. Come down to this park for an hour or two and enjoy being in the great outdoors and make sure you grab a coffee and relax in the sun.

Address: 570 Main Rd, Eltham VIC 3095

14. Tim Neville Arboretum, Ferntree Gully

This park has walking path that meanders throughout the park. It passes through the adventure garden, butterfly garden and jungle garden. Be sure to take a long relaxing stroll along the paths under the trees with your family to experience all that this park has to offer. This park is suitable for children of all ages and aims to encourage imaginative play and interaction with the large dream creatures that are spread around the park.

Address: 98-106 Dorset Road, Ferntree Gully VIC 3156

15. Montrose Community Playground

Do NOT MISS out on this playground. If you bring your kids to this playground they will be thanking you for years to come! This playground is said to be ‘up there with the best’ because it combines traditional play equipment, bright colours and new inventive equipment including large pyramids, lady-bug springer, birds nest swings and a variety of shop fronts including a fire station. Be sure to bring your picnic and the family for lunch in the park here on a nice sunny day.

Address: 951 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, Montrose VIC 3765

Do you have any to add to this list? SHARE your favourite Melbourne playgrounds in the comments below. 

Image of Melbourne courtesy of Shutterstock.com, Image of mother/daughter courtesy of Shutterstock.com