The Best Playgrounds in London (+ spots even adults will love)
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We lived in London before our oldest son was really of playground age, so I didn’t fully appreciate how great some of the playgrounds in London are. But now that we make frequent trips back, the kids and I have a list of our must-hit playgrounds.
I’ll be honest — spending my entire trip at a playground isn’t my idea of a good time. But we’ve found a great rhythm that keeps the entire family happy. When we create our itinerary for the day, we balance kid-friendly stops with adult-focused stops. For example, if we are headed to a historic sight, we also look up a nearby playground and a restaurant the entire family will enjoy.
Most of the excellent playgrounds are London’s beautiful Royal Parks. But there are also some nice smaller playgrounds hidden in neighborhoods that are worth checking out if you happen to be in the area.
Depending on how long your trip is, you may need more than a few go-to parks to keep your kids happy, so we have you covered with a few more helpful resources:
These are our family’s 12 favorite London museums (narrowed down from hundreds!)
Our London tube guide makes getting around with little ones a breeze.
For those of you who missed out, here’s how to get tickets to the Harry Potter studios when they’re sold out.
Map of London’s Best Playgrounds
The Best Playgrounds in London
These aren’t in any particular order, but I do note if a playground is worth going slightly out of your way for.
Gloucester Gate Playground (The Regents Park)
After an entire morning of walking around Marylebone and Mayfair with our kids, stumbling upon this playground felt like magic. I love a good natural-themed playground, and this one knocks it out of the park. The wood! The slides! The rope net bridge! And the highlight for our son: the zipline.
This is truly a playground that is great for all ages. Our toddler enjoyed the sandpit and slides and I can see our kids growing into this playground and still loving it when they are 12 or so (I hope).
The playground equipment is grouped by age: little ones will find everything accessible to them in one area, and then it goes up in skill and dexterity required as you move through the equipment.
Our kids spent a good long time in the water play and sand area and then our son spent 30 minutes taking turns with the other kids riding the 50-meter zipline. It’s not as large as the Diana Memorial Playground or the Holland Park Adventure Playground, but it’s also not nearly as crowded. This is my first choice playground when we’re in The Regents Park and I will walk out of my way in this park to take my kids here.
Directions: Gloucester Gate Playground
Worth going out of your way? Yes!
Hanover Gate Children’s Playground (The Regents Park)
Hanover Gate Children’s Playground is a traditional, nice, but unremarkable playground. It is fairly small, but it has things that will keep kids of all ages entertained.
For older children, there’s a treehouse — ropes, rope bridges, and a board are built so kids can climb to a platform built around a tree.
For the younger ones, there’s a traditional climbing structure with a slide, a trampoline, a water feature, and sand.
And there are children’s only bathrooms within the playground area.
While this is a nice but not very exciting playground, what we really like is its proximity to the Regents Park Boating Lake and Waterside Cafe. We’ve always combined this playground with a boat rental for a spin around the boating lake. We love it, our kids love it, and it’s a win-win.
Directions: Hanover Gate Playground
Worth going out of your way? No.
Marylebone Green Playground (The Regents Park)
This playground is on our list to check out on our next visit because the slide looks awesome! Your kids’ imaginations will run wild with all the things the large concrete structure and unique climbing shapes can be, and little ones will benefit from the adjacent structure that’s more their size. Plus, there’s a water station in the sand to assist with sandcastle building!
This is a really convenient stop if you’re out exploring Marylebone and your kids are itching to run around.
Directions: Marylebone Green Playground
Worth going out of your way? No.
St. Luke’s Playground (Chelsea)
I love staying in Chelsea — we used to live there, and it feels like home. But we lived there before having kids. Going back with young kids now, I struggle to find good playgrounds for them in the neighborhood.
St. Luke’s Playground is the best option. It’s usually packed during after-school hours, and it is small, but they recently refurbished it, and our kids love it.
This is a neighborhood playground, so it’s not located within a larger park. It’s next to St. Luke’s Church, and while there is a lovely garden, there is no open green space for kids. The playground has a zip line, a rope climbing structure, swings, and equipment that is good for kids from toddler age as well as kids well past 10 years old. There’s something for everyone in this small space.
You definitely don’t want to go out of your way to visit this playground but if you’re in the area and looking for a spot for your kids, this is the place to go.
Directions: St Luke’s Playground
Worth going out of your way? No.
Diana Memorial Playground (Kensington Gardens)
This is the playground that our kids can’t get enough of. Located in Kensington Gardens, just a quick walk from Kensington Palace, Diana Memorial Playground opened in 2000 and is larger and more elaborate than most playgrounds in London. It sees over 1,000,000 visitors per year!
The playground gets very busy, but there is plenty of space to enjoy once you get in. The entire playground is gated, and there is a gate attendant monitoring who comes and goes — adults must be accompanied by children in order to enter the playground. The attendant also helps with crowd management. On sunny, beautiful weekends, there may be a wait to get into the playground as it’s too full. We’ve never experienced that, but I’ve heard it has happened.
While this playground is huge and has a lot of different areas, the most popular (and most photographed) area is the wooden pirate ship. My kids love it, and I’ve even climbed aboard when things weren’t busy to enjoy it.
Outside of the playground gates, there is a small food stand where you can get a snack or a quick lunch and get right back to playing.
During one of our trips here, we stayed at a flat nearby and it was great to start our morning or end our sightseeing day letting our kids run free here. We all loved it.
Directions: Diana Memorial Playground
Worth going out of your way? Yes!
Hyde Park Playground
This natural-themed playground is perfectly situated to step away from busy central London and let your kids get some energy out. It’s a small playground located just a few steps from Knightsbridge and very close to the Serpentine, where you can boat or visit the cafe.
There’s honestly not a lot here but it’s a nice spot. A couple of slides and some swings to let your kids take a break as you’re headed to other activities.
Directions: Hyde Park Playground
Worth going out of your way? No.
Buckhill Playground (Hyde Park)
We’ll sometimes head to this playground if we don’t have time to get to Diana Memorial Playground or if we’re out in the park before the Diana Memorial Playground opens (it opens at 10 am most days).
This is a small playground that is best suited for younger children. There are some slides, swings, and a teeter-totter here. It is mostly preschool-age kids playing here so it’s a great place for younger kids that might find Diana Memorial Playground too overwhelming.
It’s just up the hill from the Italian Gardens, so you can pair this with a walk around the gardens and a visit to the cafe there.
Chances are you’ll visit Hyde Park even if you don’t go out of your way to stop at the playgrounds, but if you’re still on the fence about it, we’ve broken down if Hyde Park is worth a visit.
Directions: Buckhill Playground
Worth going out of your way? If you also want to visit the Italian Gardens, yes.
Adventure Playground (Holland Park)
Holland Park is a gem, and the Adventure Playground within the park is excellent. Made out of mostly natural materials, the playground has plenty to climb on, jump on, and slide down. There’s even a zipline and a variety of different swing options like a Viking Swing, not just your standard sit-there-and-pump style.
While we love this park, there’s not a ton here for smaller kids to do (if you’re traveling with toddlers see the next park on this list).
This is a great place to head because not only is the playground great, but Holland Park is wonderful. From visiting Kyoto Gardens to catching the Holland Park Opera in the summer, there’s so much to do over here. It’s worth adding some time in your itinerary to visit this park if you’re in West London.
Directions: Adventure Playground
Worth going out of your way? Yes!
Holland Park Toddlers Playground
If you’re in Holland Park with kids under 5, the Holland Park Toddlers Playground is where you should head. Our six-year-old was incredibly unimpressed with this playground, but our toddler absolutely loved it.
There is sand and more sand, a few small structures to climb, and some swings. It’s right by the cafe and toilets and is pretty easy to navigate to. The entire area is enclosed, so fast-moving toddlers can’t get too far away.
The downside here is that it’s located a 5-minute walk away from the adventure playground so if you have two kids that would like to play on the separate playgrounds, you’ll need to find a way to split your time.
Directions: Holland Park Toddlers Playground
Worth going out of your way? No.
St James Park Playground
This playground is all about location for us. We went here to pass some time before watching the Changing of the Guards. So, if you’re in the same boat with little ones in need of a place to burn some energy before the ceremony, it’ll be worth your time.
Otherwise, there’s nothing too exciting here that we would go out of our way for. There’s a rope bridge area with a slide, but that’s the highlight. There is a little food stand and toilets only for children here. It’s best for kids on the younger end.
Directions: St James Park Playground
Worth going out of your way? No.
Pirate Ship Playground (Battersea Park)
This park made our list when we stopped here after Sunday Roast at the Prince Albert (which was lovely!). Though it is a little off the tourist track, we like how close this playground is to the Pear Tree Cafe and the Boating Lake. Put all three together, and you have a lovely afternoon in the area!
This playground has a pirate ship to climb on, plenty of sand, some saucer swings, and play structures with interactive elements.
It isn’t to be confused with its cousin on the other side of the park that claimed the name Battersea Park Playground. If you find yourself with extra time in the park, this is also on the docket for a future visit as it has three separate areas, grouped by age, with a massive structure even your oldest kids will enjoy!
Directions: Pirate Ship Playground, Battersea Park Playground
Worth going out of your way? No, if you’re in Battersea Park and need a play break, pick the playground that is closer to you.
London has truly excellent playgrounds and a lot of them! While these are our favorites, I encourage you to keep your eyes peeled as you’re exploring because you may stumble upon a new favorite.
The Itinerary for Every Kind of London Explorer
As a family with young kids, we have families in mind when we curate the perfect itinerary for any city, and London loves kids. The planning process is overwhelming. There’s a lot you want to see, and just as much that your kids probably don’t care to see, but we juggle it for you in our London Itinerary.
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