50 Free Kids Parks in London 2024
There are so many parks and playgrounds in London and often you can completely miss them if you don’t know they’re there. But, if you’re in London with kids it’s great to factor in play stops wherever you can to give them time to let off steam and have some fun.
So I thought I’d put together all the London playgrounds that are great for kids to give you inspiration for your next trip to London. I’ve split the parks by the London borough that they’re in, starting with central London, and you can also find the parks on the map below and then find out more information further on.
Kids Parks London
Play Parks in Westminster
1 – Hyde Park Playground – South Carriage Drive, London W2 2UH
The South Carriage Drive Playground is on the southern edge of Hyde Park. It’s an exciting, adventurous playground with views over open sports fields and the Serpentine. It has climbing frames, swings and a slide.
Age: Up to age 12.
Facilities: Catering kiosk plus benches and picnic tables.
Opening Times: Varied throughout the year. Check website for details.
2 – Hanover Gate Children’s Play Area – The Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NR
This play area is on the west side of Regent’s Park, conveniently right next to the children’s boating lake. It has a traditional playground for younger children plus a wooden tree house section surrounded by a giant sand pit for older children.
Age: Up to age 12.
Facilities: Children’s toilets and a baby change unit in the communal area of the boys’ toilet block
Opening Times: Varied throughout the year. Check website for details.
3 – Paddington Street Gardens Playground – Paddington Street, London W1U 4AL
This playground is pretty hidden – you’ll only come across it if you’re looking for it, making it a real hidden gem and popular with locals. It’s a lovely, shady playground that caters for all ages of children. There’s a climbing frame and slide that are perfect for toddlers plus a rope net for older children. With two sets of swings, a seesaw and rocking animals, there’s something for everyone.
Age: 3-11 years
Facilities: Benches and picnic tables,
Opening Times: Always open.
4 – Gloucester Gate Playground – Regents Park, London NW1 4HG
Right next to London Zoo, Gloucester Gate Playground has been around since the 1930s – but thankfully had a complete transformation in 2020. It’s now a lovely modern space full of natural materials, making in a lovely place for families to spend time. It has everything children could want – with a huge zip wire, climbing frames, swings, water play area, slides and even a sandpit. Plus, there’s an accessible roundabout and raised sand and water play to accommodate wheelchairs.
Age: Suitable for children of all ages.
Facilities: Children’s toilets including an accessible toilet, baby change facilities plus picnic tables and benches.
Opening Times: Varied throughout the year. Check website for details.
5 – Paddington Recreation Ground Playground – Randolph Avenue, London W9 1PD
Paddington Recreation Ground is a great play space for children of all ages with the iconic streamliner and playhouse plus so much more. There’s a train and tunnel, slide, swings, net and climbing wall for little ones plus bridges, fireman’s poles, a roundabout, a nest swing and a huge adventure play structure for bigger kids. It’s all been designed with accessibility in mind and has so many sensory features too.
Age: All ages.
Facilities: The recreation ground has parking on site, toilets and a cafe.
Opening Times: 7am to 9pm most days.
6 – Causton Street Playground – Causton Street, London SW1P 4AS
Causton Street Playground is really popular locally and as well as the typical playground equipment is even has a paddling pool that’s open through the summer. It has a climbing frame, sandpit and lovely surroundings.
Age: Up to age 12.
Facilities: Toilets and seating.
Opening Times: All days.
7 – Marylebone Green Playground – The Regent’s Park, Chester Road, London NW1 4LL
Marylebone Green Playground is the playground in the south of Regents Park. Like all the playgrounds in the Royal Parks, this is a good one. It has climbing frames, seesaws and sand pits across three themed zones to make it perfect for children of all ages.
Age: Up to age 12.
Facilities: Children’s toilets and a baby change unit in the communal area of the girls’ toilet block
Opening Times: Varied throughout the year. Check website for details.
8 – Buckhill Playground – Hyde Park Gardens, London W2 2LY
This playground is a lovely, safe community play area on the northern edge of Hyde Park Gardens. It has both baby swings and standard ones as well as a climbing frame, seesaw, slides and a trim trail.
Age: Up to age 12.
Facilities: No toilets in the playground but public toilets available nearby. Benches and grassy areas for picnics.
Opening Times: Open daily.
9 – St James Park Playground – Birdcage Walk, London SW1A 2BJ
Just across the street from Buckingham Palace, this park is a great place to stop with the kids to break up a day of playing tourists. With a spider structure, bridges, slides, so much to climb on and sandpits, it’s a space that all children will love.
Age: Up to age 12
Facilities: Benches to sit on and a cafe not too far away.
Opening Times: Open daily.
10 – Horseferry Playground – Victoria Tower Gardens, Millbank, London SW1P 3GE
The Horseferry Playground has a sandpit, swings, slide and a water play featured inspired by the River Thames. It’s nicely enclosed making it a safe space for children to play.
Age: Up to the age of 12
Facilities: Public toilets, seating and a drinks kiosk.
Opening Times: Varied throughout the year. Check website for details.
11 – Diana Memorial Playground – Kensington Gardens, Broad Walk, London W2 4RU
Created in memory of Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales Memorial Playground features a wooden pirate ship surrounded by a beach-like sandpit, sensory trail, teepees and play sculptures all surrounded by trees and plants, making it a really lovely place to spend time.
Age: Up to the age of 12
Facilities: Toilets, baby change facilities, cafe and plenty of seating and picnic benches.
Opening Times: Varied throughout the year. Check website for details.
You can read our review of the Diana Memorial Playground here.
Play Parks in Camden
12 – Kilburn Grange Adventurous Children’s Playground – Kilburn Grange Park, Kilburn, London NW6 2JL
This is a beautiful, wooden playground created to make sure children have a wonderful play experience. with climbing structures, slides, nets, rope swings and a sandpit, it fits effortlessly into its surroundings to create a really lovely play space.
Age: For age 8 to 13 years.
Facilities: Toilets in community centre. Seating.
Opening Times: 7:30am – 8pm daily
13 – Coram’s Fields – Guilford Street, London WC1N 1DN
Caroma’s Fields has an exciting mix of accessible play equipment for all ages plus two wide lawns for children to play. There’s a large adventure play area with a zip line as well as a witch’s hat swing and a huge slide. There’s a sensory and music area and a wheelchair-friendly play area making sure that all children can enjoy the park. There are two large sandpits and a paddling pool that opens during the Spring and Summer months.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Plenty of seating, cafe, toilets.
Opening Times: Open daily
14 – Bloomsbury Square Gardens Playground – Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2RJ
Bloomsbury Square Gardens in a lovely park, originally laid out in 1660. It has a small but functional playground for young children with a small slide, bouncing animals and springboards to jump on.
Age: Up to age 6
Facilities: Benches
Opening Times: Open daily
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Play Parks in Southwark
15 – Leyton Square Play Area – Peckham Park Road, London SE15 6SX
Leyton Square Adventure Playground is a free, staffed adventure playground for children. Featuring all the usual favourites – slides, swings, climbing structures and a lovely flat, safe floor surface. The park also has an outdoor gym and multi use games area.
Age: 6 to 15 years.
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Term time Mon-Fri 3.30-7.30pm. Holidays Mon-Fri 11am-5pm
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16 – Mint Street Adventure Playground – Lant Street, London SE1 1QP
Mint Street Park is a local play space and venue for community events. It’s the largest green park in Bankside and has a fantastic adventure play area with climbing structures, rope swings, tunnel slide and so much more.
Age: For age 8-15 years
Facilities: Toilets, seating.
Opening Times: Term time Tues-Fri 3.30-6.15 Sat 11.30-4.15 Holidays Mon-Fri 11.30-4.15
17 – Anne Keane Playground – Dickens Fields, 10 Dickens Square, London SE1 4JL
Dickens Fields has had a major transformation, combining what was Dickens Square Park; the site of the old adventure playground and Butterfly Walk into one, stunning, new green space that includes the new Anne Keane Playground, named after a pioneering local resident. Featuring climbing structures, swings, slides, wooden animals to climb on and a brightly coloured floor, it’s perfect for all ages.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Benches
Opening Times: Open daily
18 – Leathermarket Gardens Playground – 13 Weston Street, London SE1 3HP
The new play area has been open a couple of years now. It features play equipment for children of varying abilities and also accessible equipment for children with disabilities. There are climbing structures, trampolines, swings and a roundabout all in a really nice play area surrounded by shrubs and trees.
Age: Up to age 12
Facilities: Benches
Opening Times: Open daily
19 – Jubilee Gardens Playground – Belvedere Road, London SE1 7PG
This beautiful park on London’s South Bank is a fantastic place to spend time as a family and break up a day of sightseeing in the capital. It’s full of mature trees and lawns plus it has a fantastic enclosed adventure playground with a huge climbing structure and smaller wooden animals for younger children to enjoy.
Age: Up to 11 years
Facilities: Benches
Opening Times: Open daily
20 – Kennington Park Playground – Midnight Path, London SE11 4AY
This playground has a range of children’s play equipment and a sandpit which includes a small playground for toddlers complete with climbing tower and slide.
Age: Up to age 14
Facilities: Children’s toilets, cafe and seating
Opening Times: Open daily
Play Parks in Wandsworth
21 – Battersea Park Children’s Playground – London SW11 4HP
Battersea Park playground is a fantastic play area for children with three different play areas for different ages and abilities including older kids. It features swings, slides, huge climbing structures, rocking animals and plenty to climb on and explore. Plus, it has a Go Ape course that runs above it too!
Age: Up to age 14 years.
Facilities: Seating, close to toilets and cafe
Opening Times: Open daily
You can read about our visit to Battersea Park here
22 – Prospect Place Playground – Battersea Power Station, Circus Road West, Nine Elms, London SW8 5BN
The new Prospect Park is a bright, colourful children’s playground that offers hours of fun for children of all ages. With Battersea Power Station as a backdrop, there are different areas for different ages and abilities. Made primarily of wood, it features big climbing structures, swings, slides and more. A fantastic space for children to play.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating and plenty of refreshment options nearby
Opening Times: 8am-8pm daily
Play Parks in Tower Hamlets
23 – Victoria Park – Grove Road, London E3 5SN
Victoria Park is one of the most popular parks in East London. As well as the children’s play areas there’s also a boating lake, football, cricket, tennis and lawn bowls facilities. The play areas are plentiful with so much for all ages, all spread across a pretty glorious park.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Plenty of seating, toilets, cafes
Opening Times: Open daily
You can read about our visit to Victoria Park here.
24 – Mile End Children’s Park – Locksley Street, London E14 7EJ
Mile End is a fantastic playground with so much for children to do. There’s a castle to climb on, a dry riverbed with boats and bridges, a sand pit and an interactive water feature, all inspiring really creative play. Best of all, the equipment is all full inclusive making it a play space that all children can enjoy together.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating, refreshments kiosk, toilets
Opening Times: 10am – 5.45pm daily
Play Parks in Lambeth
25 – Papa’s Park – 10-17 Pulross Road, London SW9 8AF
Papa’s Park is a community playground that has been a constant in the lives of so many generations of children. It features a wide range of play equipment with a separate under 5’s area and a flood-lit all-weather pitch for team sports.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Cafe, toilets, seating
Opening Times: Open daily
26 – Lollard Street Adventure Playground – 102 Lollard Street, Kennington Road, London SE11 6PX
Lollard Street Adventure Playground is an exciting play space for children featuring a variety of both indoor and outdoor activities, giving children so many different play environments. The fantastic play structures include three rope swings, a high tower, walkways, bridges, nets, fireman poles, a zip line and a real life boat.
Age: 6-16 year olds
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Varies through the year.
Play Parks in Islington
27 – Toffee Park Adventure Playground – Radnor Street Open Space, 30 Ironmonger Row, London EC1V 3QS
Toffee Park is surrounded by buildings but the playground is a real haven for nature with plants, trees and animals. It provides an exciting, safe space for children to jump, climb, run and enjoy playing out with friends and neighbours.
Age: For children aged 6 years and over.
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Varied through the year. Check website for details.
28 – Spa Fields Park – Skinner Street, London EC1R 0WX
Right next to Exmouth Market, Spa Fields Park is a really lovely place to spend time. The play area includes a slide with a climbing rope, a water play feature, a baby swing and a couple of standard swings, a spring bouncer, a tunnel and hills to slide down.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
Play Parks in Greenwich
29 – Greenwich Park Playground – London SE10 8XG
There has been a playground located in the North East corner of Greenwich Park since the 1940s and it’s recently undergone a lovely refurbishment. It’s now an inclusive, modern playground suitable for all children to enjoy together. With a maritime theme, the park features a basket swing, roundabout and plenty of sand and water play.
Age: Up to the age of 12
Facilities: Children’s toilets including an accessible toilet with baby change facilities, picnic tables and seating areas, drinking water fountain and a kiosk for refreshments
Opening Times: Opening times vary through the year. Check website for details.
Play Parks in Kensington and Chelsea
30 – Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park Playground – Kensal Road, London W10 5EG
Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance park is a fully staffed park that has a floodlit sports area and contemporary works of art as well as the children’s play area.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Public toilets, seating, changing rooms and refreshment kiosk during the summer months.
Opening Times: Open daily
31 – Holland Park Adventure Playground – 55 Abbotsbury Road, London W14 8EL
Holland Park playground has been refurbished in recent years and now includes a huge 25m zip wire, a 10-person see-saw and a 10-person dragon swinger as well as huge climbing structures, slides and swings. The pathways and bridges are wheelchair-accessible and the playground also has an accessible roundabout and swings, making it a great place for all children to play together. There’s also a dedicated toddler playground too.
Age: 5 to 14 years
Facilities: Toilets including a baby change unit and accessible toilet.
Opening Times: Daily 7.30am until dusk.
Play Parks in Islington
32 – King Square Gardens – King Square, London EC1V 3QX
King Square Gardens is a lovely large park with a big play area. The play area features a large sand pit and an interactive water play feature as well as all the usual play equipment – slides, climbing structures and swings.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Accessible children’s toilets, seating
Opening Times: Open daily
33 – Milner Square Playground – 12 Milner Square, London N1 1TL
This award winning park is a hub of the local community since it’s refurbishment. It now features a new panna football court and basketball hoop as well as the children’s play area. The play area is a beautiful space to play with swings and climbing structures that complement the greenery of the park perfectly.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
34 – Dove Road Playground – Dove Road, London N1 3LU
This is an adorable community toddler playground with colourful domes, a wobbly log, a tunnel and a slide. IIt’s compact but functional and toddlers will love it.
Age: Toddlers
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
35 – Graham Street Park – London N1 8LF
Surrounded by buildings and backing on to the canal, this is a lovely playground for children to burn off some steam. Climbing structures, slides, play houses – it’s a fantastic space. A real hidden gem.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Benches and refreshments kiosk
Opening Times: Open daily
36 – Kinloch Gardens – Kinloch Street, London N7 7LN
Kinloch Gardens is a beautiful green space in Finsbury Park. Full of climbing structures, wobbly animals, slides, swings and a fireman’s pole, it’s the perfect park for children to enjoy.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
Play Parks in Brent
37 – Wembley Park Play Park – Wembley Park Boulevard, Wembley HA9 0TG
Wembley Park playground is a popular all-weather playpark is for children under 12 years old. It features a slide, shoot, roundabout, iconic twin-towers climbing structure and a climbing frame.
Age: Up to 12 years old
Facilities: Seating, nearby toilets, fully covered so great if it rains
Opening Times: Open daily
You can read about a day we spent at Wembley Park here
38 – Queen’s Park Children’s Playground – Kingswood Avenue, London NW6 6SG
Queen’s Park is a lovely splash of green in a really densely populated part of London. As well as the children’s play area it also has six all-weather tennis courts, a pitch and putt course, an ornamental garden, a paddling pool and a small zoo.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: 7am to dusk daily
39 – Woodhouse Urban Park – Albert Road, London NW6 5DR
Woodhouse Urban Park has been carefully zoned to allow many users to enjoy the space simultaneously and so that parents to keep an eye on their children from all over the park. It features an events stage, outdoor living room and the more active park of the park. It features a big play structure with a clatter bridge, log traverse and slide. There’s also a more challenging play structure that features a slide, a fireman’s pole and climbing nets.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
40 – Mapesbury Dell Play Area – Hoveden Road, London NW2 3XD
A fantastic play area for children with a pirate ship, climbing structures and trim trail set in a beautiful oasis of well cared for gardens.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Picnic tables
Opening Times: Open daily
41 – King Edward VII Children’s Play Park – London NW10 3QX
A community park in Wembley with so many activity options with football pitches, tennis courts, outdoor gym, bowling green and more. The play area features climbing structures, wobbly animals, slides and swings.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Benches
Opening Times: Open daily
Play Parks in Newham
42 – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – Olympic Park Avenue, London E20 1DY
A selection of playgrounds across the park – Tumbling Bay Playground with rock pools, sand pits, tall treehouses, and wobbly bridges plus slides, swings and plenty of space to run about. The Pleasure Gardens Play Areas where gigantic red rocks form challenging climbing frames up to broad slides, oversized swings and a giant sand pit. There’s also a climbing wall and the Waterworks Fountains to play in during the warmer months.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Toilets, cafes, seating
Opening Times: Open daily
Play Parks in Haringey
43 – Alexandra Park – Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY
This Children’s Play Area is the perfect place for children to let off steam and it couldn’t be more well situated in such beautiful surroundings near the boating lake. It’s nicely gated to create a safe environment and has swings, slides, climbing structures and more.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Benches, cafe and toilets nearby
Opening Times: Open daily until dusk
44 – Finsbury Park Playground – Finsbury Park, London N4 2PG
The new Finsbury Park Playground was developed to celebrate 150 years of the park. It features so many climbing structures including a Super Frisbee in the centre as well as swings, a zip wire, a slide, a rope bridge and parkour elements.
Age: Children over 8
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
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45 – Woodberry Down Park – Woodberry Grove, Woodberry Down, London N4 2SB
Woodberry Down Park is an impressive yet small park with a compact but functional children’s play area. It features a giant pyramid slide, climbing structures, a swing and a roundabout.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
Play Parks in Barnet
46 – RAF Museum Playground – Grahame Park Way, London NW9 5LL
Although within the RAF Museum grounds, this playground is worth a mention. The museum is free to visit and so you can go purely for the play area if you wanted – although the museum has so much to see. The playground features mini models of iconic aircraft and a mini version of the historic Grahame-White building for real imaginative play. There’s a climbing wall, slide, fireman’s pole, climbing net and so much to climb on and explore.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating and close to toilets and cafe
Opening Times: Open daily
You can read a review of the RAF Museum here
Play Parks in Hackney
47 – Hackney Downs Playground – Downs Road, Lower Clapton, London E5 8QP
Hackney Park is a really lovely park for the whole family with an athletics track, multi use games area, tennis courts and basketball courts as well as the children’s play area. The play area is in the process of being redeveloped.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Toilets, changing rooms, seating
Opening Times: Open daily
48 – St. John’s Hoxton Garden Playground – Pitfield Street, London N1 6NP
This lovely new playground has a tunnel, timber log climbing area and a basket swing, surrounded by bee-friendly plants in the grounds of St John’s Church.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
49 – Shepherdess Walk Park – Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7JN
Shepherdess Walk has a lovely natural children’s play area as well as a multi-use games area and plenty of space to enjoy. The play area is surrounded by a sandpit and features swings, slides and climbing structures.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
Play Parks in Hammersmith
50 – Wormholt Park Playground – Sawley Road, London W12 0LG
This play park is bright and colourful, perfect for the local community. With a roundabout, swings, climbing structures, slides and more, it’s a great space to keep children entertained.
Age: All ages
Facilities: Seating
Opening Times: Open daily
So there you have a fair few choices of parks in London to enjoy with the kids. But, I couldn’t finish without saying that the Children’s Garden at Kew Gardens and the Magic Garden at Hampton Court Palace are both fantastic parks and great days out if you’re looking to travel slightly further afield.
I hope this has given you inspiration for your next trip to London – it’s lovely to have somewhere for the children to run around and let off steam during any day out. If you know of any other great parks or if I’ve missed your favourite, please do get in touch and let me know.
Here are some other posts you might find useful:
- Tips for Travelling to London with Kids
- Educational Days Out in London
- Best Museums for Kids in London 2022
- Afternoon Tea For Kids London 2022
- Things to Do on a Family Trip to London
- Things to do in London on a Rainy Day
