Robinson Park, Jamisontown

We visited this park in Jamisontown that has recently had a shade cloth added. It has a set of play equipment for your older kids, a set for the little tykes, an undercover picnic bench, and it is set on a big block with plenty of space for children to go off ‘exploring’ together (as my Miss 5 and Miss 7 like to do).

Robinson Park has a great play area for littler siblings, including a xylophone, and a little rubber section that they can walk under/through that my kids enjoyed. The area for bigger kids has a few different climbing options, and my two loved the platform because it meant that their feet were up higher than my head, they felt very top of the world. They also love a double slide.

The picnic table and a council bin make it easy for parents to have a rest, but there are also a few picnic benches and blocks of sandstone scattered around for resting on. There are swings and balancing beams next to the picnic bench.

This park includes -

• Balancing beam

• Cargo net

• Covered picnic table

• Free

• Monkey bars

• Pretend cafe

• Seats for adults

• Shade Cloth

• Slides (including double slide)

• Swings

 

HomeCo. Glenmore Park Town Centre

I finally made the effort to find the play area inside of HomeCo. at Glenmore Park. It is air conditioned, next to the toilets, and because the food court has very few places left (other than the Coffee Club which has it’s own seating) there are plenty of places for observing adults to sit and chat. It is across from the Coles and right next to a lovely place where I bought delicious gozleme.

This is for younger children, but enough to amuse my Miss 5 and probably my Miss 7 (though she wasn’t with us). Because it is tucked in such an odd space, or odd while the food court isn’t really being used, I cannot imagine it getting crowded.

 

Amaroo Street Reserve, Kingswood

I visited the park on Amaroo Street in Kingswood on Saturday morning. It is a nice little park but, despite the fact it hadn’t rained in some time, my feet (and shoes) were wet by the time I got to the park. If you are going to visit this park I would recommend gum boots.

The park has the following features -

• Slide

• Monkey bars

• Cargo net (made of chains)

• See saw

• Fireman’s pole

• Pretend cafe

• Seats for adults

• Sunshade cloth

• Swings

There is more parking on the Joseph Street side of this reserve than the Amaroo Street side.

Where is it?

It is located at the end of Amaroo Street, Kingswood, Google tells me it is at 36-38 Amaroo Street, Kingswood.

 

Steamroller Park, Cambridge Park

I love this park, I used to play here as a kid, I just wish people would stop vandalising things so that they could unfence the steamroller (or perhaps that is an insurance issue).

This park is great for older primary school aged children. My children struggle with this park, they cannot for instance climb onto the swings (they are too high) and even if they climb the ladder or the cargo net, they cannot step from it to the platform without help as their legs are too short. So a smaller child will need help. If you have older children I am sure this park will be popular because of the flying fox. This flying fox doesn’t have a seat, just the little disc you balance on.

So the park has the following -

• Slide

• Shade cloth

• Swings

• Cargo net

• Pretend cafe

• Flying fox

• Path (for a walk)

• Covered picnic table

• Seats for adults

I actually came to this park because I needed a short walk, due to a back injury, and I knew there was a paved path. It doesn’t wrap around the block, it ends in odd places, so you cannot do laps per se, but if you have a young child who likes to go for a walk, or draw on the sidewalk with chalk, or an old injured Mum who needs a short walk, then the path is good.

This park is on a large block so there is plenty of parking around it, it is on the corner of Victoria Street and Richmond Road in Cambridge Park.

Where is it?

It is on the corner of Victoria Street and Richmond Road in Cambridge Park, which Google tells me is 195 Victoria Street, Cambridge Park in New South Wales.

 

O'Donaghues, Emu Plain

As the weather was suspect today I decided to try an indoor park. When we arrived shortly after 11:30am on a Saturday the play area was already teaming with kids if all ages and the bistro was in full swing. The play area is undercover but on a Saturday if you want a table near it you need to book.

As the play area is enclosed I don't necessarily know what is in there but there is definitely a slide. The kids that I had there with me were ages 5 through 8, but there were some younger children and some older children in there too. There were also paid arcade style machines inside the play area, just a heads up in case that is an issue for your kids.

The bistro could have been more polite when I was trying to find egg free options due to an allergy, but the food was delicious and I felt reasonably priced. My mother is a vegetarian and there were lots of options for her, which is unusual. The menu also listed vegan, gluten free and dairy free options.

 

Jenkins Avenue Reserve, Penrith

This is a little park, I don’t think anyone else has ever been there when we have been there. There is a slide, a climbing rope frame, monkey bars, a wobble board or sort of surf board on springs, a swing and a shade cloth. It is a simple park but effective. Parking is a little tough, because Jenkins Avenue is very narrow, but you can usually get a park. There are not a lot of place for the adults to sit, is my main issue with this park, but it is a quiet little park that is perfect for meeting another family at for a play.

Armstein Crescent Reserve, Werrington

This is not my favourite park, there is an undercover area to sit but the park is a bit too basic, and the equipment can get quite overheated. I have been there more than once when there was vomit or something else on that ‘softfall’ rubber.

It does have the basics though, a slide, swings, something to climb on, a small rock climbing wall and a pretend cafe. There is plenty of parking and the park is not crowded, because everyone in Werrington goes to Werrington Lakes.

Wainwright Park, Kingswood

I feel funny even writing about this park, because it is so big and central to the suburb of Kingswood, but I will highlight it because I only discovered it when I started systematically checking out parks during COVID. I have driven past it so many times as a local Penrith girl, but I hadn’t really looked at it. It is on the corner of Bringelly Road and Orth Street in Kingswood.

There is a wide variety of options at this park, and there is sunshade, and there are places for parents to sit. Mostly I don’t get to sit down though cause the kids are moving around to all the options. There is a public book library and a ‘tin bin’ or food library, a leave what you can, take what you need sort of situation.

The playground equipment includes slides, monkey bars, swings, and there is ample sunshade. There is a good ranger of options for different ages, though perhaps nothing for teenagers. There isn’t a rope climbing structure but there are quite a few climbing points on this set of equipment. There is a pretend cafe under one platform, and an abacus under another, so there are a few things for the smaller children. It is surrounded by grass and even currently a community garden of sorts. There are not a lot of places for adults to sit. Parking can be a bit tough, the side street tends to be full, I generally have to park on Bringelly Road.

I also love all of the animals on the fence around the park. I just had to take photos of them too.

Joanna Park, South Penrith

Joanna Park on Joanna Street in South Penrith is great if you have a child who considers themselves to be a bit of a true ninja, or if they want to play ‘the floor is lava’. There is sun shade and it is set in the middle of a large block or park, surrounded by quiet streets, so this might be a good park if you have a child who is a runner.

This park has swings, balancing options, a pretend cafe, noughts and crosses, cargo net, a ladder, a rock climbing wall, a double slide, a rope monkey bar (or slack monkey bars?) and plenty of places for the adults to sit. Last time that I went there was a broken TV there, the time before it was fine. I don’t know if there is normally trash at this park.

Edna Dunn Reserve, South Penrith

This is a great park, the only thing that lets it down is that it is next to Northern Road (at that point called Parker Street) and so it is no good if you have a child who is a runner. That said, the park itself is set a long way back from Northern Road, it has great sun shade coverage, and a good variety of equipment. To get to it you go to Mazepa Street, South Penrith.

When I took these photos the sun shade had snapped on one side, but it has since been fixed. There is a slide, a cargo net, a rock climbing wall (for small children), circular monkey bars, instead of a pretend cafe this one has a front that looks like a car, swings, and a climbing net shaped like a spider web. There is only one seat for adults to sit at is my biggest complaint about this park. It is easy to park on Mazepa Street and walk to the park. There were actually also a lot of sticks around and trees so if kids want to look for sticks or rocks for craft, or just to play with, there is space for that too.

Carmel Kennedy Memorial Park, Kingswood

I am actually not 100% sure what this park is called, it is on Second Avenue in Kingswood, across the road from Kingswood Public School, and next to Chapman Gardens Oval. This is a good park for a range of ages, the ropes are for older kids and there are toddler options too.

There is a structure that is essentially for younger kids, with a shorter slide, stairs up to the platform, and noughts and crosses and an abacus. There is also a larger rope climbing structure that is difficult for a younger child to meaningfully use. There is a sunshade and seating for the adults. There are swings including a nest swing. Whenever I am there there is a range of children of different ages on the equipment. There is some parking, though you probably don’t want to be trying to park there at school drop off or pick up time.