HOT: Middle Park Community Playground, Albert Park

The Middle Park Community Playground (confusingly, inside Albert Park – the park, not the suburb) is an outstanding example of what community spirit, working together, can achieve.

The playground was built in in the 90s through the efforts of volunteers over five days. Over 3000 men, women and schoolchildren worked on a variety of jobs with tools donated by local people and tool suppliers. Food for the volunteers was donated by local families, restaurants and traders. Others cared for volunteers’ children at nearby schools and kindergartens.

The result is an impressively imposing wooden fortress, full of towers and turrets, nooks and crannies – perfect for hide and seek and imaginative play. Baby 2.0 plays lots of peek-a-boo with me!

As the playground design was developed through community consultation, there are spaces suitable for babies right up to older kids. The equipment ranges from swings, slides, bridges made of rope and tyres, musical chimes and monkey rings – and Baby 2.0’s favourite, a sling bridge.

There’s plenty of parking right beside the playground as well as other facilities close by, so it’s a great spot for a day out. For hot summer days, there’s natural shade from the imposing trees and shade sails too.

Features:

• suitable for toddlers;
• suitable for older children;
• toilets;
• some natural shade and shade sails; and
• BBQ, seating and tables.

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