All-abilities playgrounds in the Melbourne area
25 March 2024
The number of all-abilities playgrounds is growing in the Melbourne area, which means wherever you are, there will usually be an inclusive playground not too far away. Designed for children with various disabilities and sensory issues, they allow children to engage with others, let off steam, and possibly get creative with sand or water play.
We’ve compiled a list of new and established favourites in Melbourne. So check out the list and head to your nearest all-abilities playground for a fun day out!
City of Bayside
Thomas Street South Reserve Playground
This recently redeveloped all-abilities playground ticks nearly all the boxes, except for a fenced area. It has a variety of slides and swings, including a nest swing and one with a large plastic seat and a high back. There’s a flying fox, and water and sand play. The play DJ table is wheelchair accessible and there’s a Changing Places too.
City of Brimbank
Alice’s Playspace, Errington Reserve
The theme of this fenced playground is a dry river bed, with a boat in the middle! There are lots of gentle slides, including a dual one. There’s an in-ground trampoline that’s divided into four sections, an accessible carousel with handles, an adult-sized swing with a seat belt and side handles, and a giant frog for water play. If your child likes to make music, there’s a music board and tyre drums.
Cardinia Shire
Deep Creek Eco Playground
This fenced all-abilities playspace is in a bush setting with plenty of parking and a Changing Places toilet and cafe nearby. The playground has a beautiful dragonfly structure whose head and slides can be accessed via a curvy gravel path. Although there are a lot of gravel paths, they are quite wheel-friendly. There’s a Liberty swing, a nest swing, and a wheelchair slalom course. The sand and water play table is wheelchair-accessible.
City of Casey
Casey Fields Playground
Situated in Cranbourne East, this all-abilities playground is a lovely spot and is one of the few playgrounds with sand and soft fall paths instead of bark mulch. It’s not fenced and is only partly shaded, but has a fenced Liberty Swing, and four other swings including a nest swing. There are various slides including a long curvy tube slide and a cute wooden boat that’s very accessible.
Livvi’s Place Lyndhurst
A fenced all-abilities playground with wide paths, ramps, a grassed area, and shade sails. There are two flying foxes with harness seats, several accessible swing seats, and a lovely wide slide that is reached via a curving gentle incline. There are also musical instruments, a sand pit, and water play. Added interest comes from some lovely metal bird sculptures. The toilet is accessible with a large metal changing table.
Livvi’s Place Silo Park Clyde North
This is the newest Livvi’s Place all-abilities play space. It’s fully fenced, with a huge replica silo tower with giant slides. There are also plenty of wheelchair-accessible paths and open grassy spaces. Children can also enjoy an in-ground trampoline, nest swings, and a giant sandpit. An undercover BBQ area and toilets with change tables make it a great place to visit.
City of Frankston
Carrum Downs Recreation Reserve
A new playground that doesn’t feel crowded as it’s split into zones and spread out. There’s a great double-slide and a sand play area with buckets, diggers, and pulleys. The water play area is tricky to access but the nest swing and in-ground trampoline are surrounded by soft fall. There are new toilet facilities and free parking nearby.
City of Greater Dandenong
Ross Reserve Playground
There are two playgrounds here, but the one near the Community Centre is fantastic. It’s fully fenced and has a lot of equipment, including four in-ground trampolines. a Liberty Swing, nest swings, and a dual flying fox, with a supportive seat. The sand pit digger and the central playground structure are both wheelchair accessible. There’s also a Changing Places toilet facility.
City of Hume
Livvi’s Place Craigieburn
A small all-abilities playground with plenty of choice. The swings are well set out and one has a supportive seat. There’s a Liberty Swing and a small, separately fenced water play area with a multi-level play table. A xylophone, a cubby house, and a soft mountain structure with a tunnel through it give lots of options for creative play.
City of Knox
Tim Neville Arboretum Playground
This fully fenced play space is surrounded by trees. There’s a flying fox, low-set balancing disks, and a castle-themed sandpit with a half-submerged crocodile. For children who are blind or have low vision, there’s a sensory bench with carved curly tracks for little fingers to follow. There’s also a trail of alphabet signs with sign language weaving through the playground. There are wheelchair-accessible toilet facilities too.
City of Manningham
Wombat Bend Templestowe
A lovely landscaped, fenced playground with play equipment for various ages and abilities. There’s a bat-wing carousel with hanging seats and a double-flying fox with supportive seats. There’s also a maze with distorting mirrors and buttons that make noises when pressed. The mix of soft fall, gravel, and concrete paths amongst the bark mulch also helps those on wheels.
City of Melton
Hannah Watts Park
This is newly upgraded all-abilities play space located in Melton town centre. While it’s not fenced, it has a large grassed area, a flying fox, nest and expression swings, and a wheelchair-accessible carousel. There are also disabled parking spaces nearby.
Shire of Nillumbik
Eltham North Reserve Playground
This cleverly designed play space has sand and water play, two flying foxes (one with a harness swing), and a Liberty Swing. There’s also an accessible sunken tractor and small wooden shops for creative play. Parking includes two wheelchair-accessible spaces.
City of Stonnington
Central Park Playground
A recently upgraded playground that’s about nature as well as play. You’ll find magical creatures hiding in discovery nodes and signs encouraging you to touch, smell, and look at the plants. The playground is fully fenced with two wooden structures for different ages and abilities. There’s a sandpit, cubbies, a spinner, swings, a trampoline, water misters, and a play table. There are both hard and soft surfaces, and a new accessible public toilet.
City of Whitehorse
Wattle Park Playground
This recently refurbished all-abilities playground is set in bushland and is tram-themed. It also features swings, spinners, water play, a sensory garden, and a double-storey tram fort.
City of Whittlesea
Gumnut Park Playground
Inspired by Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, there are gum nut-shaped cubbies high above the playground and wood carvings of the characters. It’s a good park for adventurous climbers, but children on wheels might enjoy the softfall basketball area and the mini skate park.
Mill Park All Abilities Playspace
This playground rarely feels crowded, even during school holidays. The fenced area has a large green space and there are lots of swings spread out, including two nest swings and an expression swing. There’s an accessible rocker, a trampoline with handrails, sand and water play, and a Changing Places.
City of Wyndham
Wyndham Park Playground
Worth visiting if your child is safe near water, as it sits along the Werribee River and is unfenced. Equipment and activities include a small skate park, a nature play area, and an adventure playground. There are also accessible water and sand play areas.
Get information on inclusive playgrounds in regional Victoria.