Don't feed the waterbirds. (So says the sign). Do sit under…read morea tree. Do bring the kids to play on bright, shiny new play equipment including a pirate ship. Do bring a picnic, or food to bbq. Do keep an eye out for the endangered Blue Mountains Water Skink. Do marvel (well, be slightly impressed) at the 'hanging' swamp on the hillside. Didn't know swamps were capable of hanging. Do bring canoes. Do walk around embankment to the far side and seethe with envy at the people who live there. Do watch kids jump from ropes attached from trees into the tea-coloured water, or have a go if you consider a millisecond of flight worth the risk of major spinal cord injury. Do appreciate the organic stone carvings that look like they've just popped up from the depths of the earth. Do let the kids run around near one of the very few largish bodies of water in the Mountains.

Great kids playground! the tower to climb to get to the slide is the center of it all. Lots of fun…read moreto climb and slide and climb and slide again( and again,...)

Definitely the biggest playground I've ever been to! It has it all... swings, giant climbing…read morestructure and very high rope bridge, flying fox, tunnels and slides, rope climbing web, etc. We spent more than 2 hours here and had a group of kids ranging from age 1 to 12. We definitely will be back whenever we're in the area!!

Drawn in by the potential of the Armory Wharf Cafe (review http://frid.co/nikCOQ) I found my self…read moredriving a bit out of my way to give it a go. Not knowing a great deal about this park, when I arrived I was amazed to see the play area with the shiny slippery slides, climbing areas and massive swings. This is an awesome park. While some parts of it still seem under development, and there is a real lack of shade areas, this has to be one of the best play areas I have seen in Sydney. If your kids can not have fun here they are simply not trying hard enough. While it appeared there was a tonne of parking available, on the weekend you are going to find it challenging. As for what to bring when you come, if you have a bike, bring it as there is a huge bike track to check out. If you don't have one, you can rent one ( http://frid.co/qSpPMO ). Of course if you want to chill out and relax, perhaps with a coffee, then head to either the Armory Wharf Cafe or the Armory Wharf Canteen ( http://frid.co/nKLbIw - which is only open on weekends and public holidays). Alternatively you could grab one of the benches near the free BBQ hot plates and cook up a couple of snags. If you are looking for the perfect place to have a kids birthday party, this might be it! You just might not want to do it on the weekend...

Right smack in the neighbourhood, Thurles St Reserve in St Marys, is a great playground with many…read morefacilities. With a basketball court, huge open space for a game of footy and a fantastic playground, it is a favourite with the community here. Some of the best features include: Basketball ring See saws Swings Slide Hang & Glide Benches Some cons to consider: No BBQ facilities No toilets No fencing All in all, it's a fantastic playground to amuse your kids post school hours or during the weekends.

For me, this playground is a solid three star rating according to my philosophy of what I like from…read morea playground area. There's nothing here too challenging for the youngsters, which probably means there's not too much that will occupy the older children for too long. There's a basketball hoop and plenty of space, although I was surprised to see that it was so close to the road and not fenced. There's a table/chair but it's not that close to the playground. There are bench seats as well. No drinking fountain....no surprise for Mitcham Council and not a lot of shade apart from the dappled tree shadows. *Dogs allowed*

A giant enclosed playground with many areas for kids to run and play around. There is a giant…read morerotating area in the middle, rope areas, flying fox (closed when we visited), a bike road, sand pits, spinning things, slides, small quiet areas for reading/eating and a cafe out front. Street parking was easily found. We spent a long time here and the kids had a great time.

Wonderful award winning playground. Come for the day and bring a picnic - you can sit on the grass…read moresurrounding the play area or if you're early enough, one of the five picnic tables. Playground features: Fenced Shaded Toilets Suitable for all abilities Suitable for a fair age range (toddlers to maybe 8/9 year olds) Sand pit Automated merry-go-round Picnic tables

I love taking my kids to this park. Locally situated in North Parramatta, it has undercover tables,…read morea park with swings/slides and lookouts, plenty of tree cover and open space and a bubbler for when you get thirsty. For the sports minded people, there is a half court basketball court and a half court netball court.

Seen one kiddy playground, seen 'em all, right? WRONG,…read morehotshot. Hallstrom Park is built *into* the local nature, it's under a shade-dappled grove of trees and utilises the things in and around it to make a super unique park that the local kids lose their little 'nanas over. There's Elephant Rock and Gorilla Boulder, huge stones that have life-like animals carved into them which is fun, but they also have a speaker hidden in the bushes that plays jungle noises. What! How rad is that? There's a mini-race track for kids bicycles, a fossil are of old 'dinosaur bones', and heaps of slides and things to climb on, this thing could have been designed by Walter Burley Griffin it's so in sync with the environment. If you see a strange man lurking near the playground running an appreciative eye over the fixtures and fittings don't be alarmed, that's just me.

This is a little oasis, especially on a weekday. The netball courts are a good place for little…read moreones to ride bikes. There is a fenced off playground and an off leash dog area. Plenty of seating and picnic areas for lunch too.