Such a fantastic playground in an ideal location in Broadbeach. Regular swings, a merry-go-round…read moreswing, super fun slides, sand pits, sway tables, imaginative play areas, little water components and lots of soft areas to run around and be a kid. Good shade, seating, good bathroom facilities, right by the beach and the Oasis Shopping Centre, not far from good coffee at No Name Lane and there's even street parking and a grilling area nearby. Heaven for a parent of kids under the age of 6 or 7. Very happy to have discovered this excellent free resource in Broadbeach.

I used to go to this park as a kid and it's just overwhelming how many things you can do there…read more Even to this day I go there all the time after the beach. The massive swing is wicked and there's massive slides with it. If your going to go have fun at a park and don't like crowds or having to pay then this is the best choice for all ages.

What a great park for the kids! The enclosed playground is massive and colourful with a monorail…read moreself propelled carriage that the ankle biters really love. Well I saw one big kid...( umm a parent) trying it as well. There are slippery dips and climbing equipment throughout the area and it is well shaded. Outside the enclosed area are picnic areas with electric barbecues which are free. Picnic tables are also covered and are kept in reasonable condition. Ducks and a variety of birds make their home along the lake. There is one special rotunda where weddings are held. Overall this is a lovely park in a suburban area of the Gold Coast.

The recent upgrading of this park makes it one of the best equipped of all the parks along the…read moreWynnum, Manly and Lota foreshore. It's right at the end of the Esplanade, so has a great view over the bay to Straddie and also around to Wellington Point. It has a huge new playground, with shadesails, slides, forts and timber walkways. It also has very nice new picnic tables and barbecues, accessible toilets, shared walkway/bikeway and a seperate area with fitness equipment for anyone keen to do some circuit training. Oh, and obviously these days you can't camp at all; this name is an historical reference to its turn of the century popularity as a holiday camping spot by the bay.

Tucked away in a bend of Brisbane River is Colmslie Beach Reserve, aka the Octopus Garden Park…read more It's so much fun and has something for everyone. It's on the river, with a little sandy shore, so you can fish; there are quite a few picnic tables and barbecues (but get in early on weekends); there are wide open spaces for kicking a ball around and lots of shady trees to spread a picnic rug beneath. The funnest part, however is the kid's playground. The Octopus Garden has lots wood and rope climbing areas, big sandpit, water play features, giant colourful fish and octopus play areas and a flying fox. For kids and kids at heart, this place has a lovely vibe, with a backdrop of the river and the Gateway Bridge in the distance, Brisbane City Council's done a really good job here. Check it out.

What a great little park…read more Firstly there is a sheltered kids playground which caters for all ages. Just next to that is a barbecue area complete with tables, benches and gas barbecue which is also covered. On the other side if the playground is a dog run. And what a dog run for pooch. The fenced outer circle is an obstacle course for Fido. The inner fence circle is a mini oval which is the off-leash area. All of this is next to the Woodside rugby and soccer oval. Whoever planned this deserves five stars!

I recently took my son and daughter here for a 3rd birthday party and boy was I surprised at the…read moresize of the park. There were 2-3 separate areas with playgrounds for kids, all age appropriate and all catering to kids of all ages. There were at least 4-5 other birthday parties for kids happening here as well as ours and what a great place it was, there's lots of trees, shelter and barbeque spots, bins, toilets, a pretty good sized car park so it's easy access and mostly flat. Hardly any water. This is the perfect place to have a kids birthday party, where they can play close by and you don't have to worry about them. What a great discovery, i'll definetely be back here for a picnic or whatnot soon.

A good activity for kids under the age of 5 with a few caveats. Nice water features with spray…read moreelements, little wading pools, a waterfall, and more. Lots of shade and benches. Cafe nearby within the park as well. It's also near the Australia Fair Shopping Centre (which is very poorly laid out but at least it is close) if you need to combine a trip with shopping. My quibbles: 1. Parking isn't free - it's $AUS 1.90 an hour. Not a huge deal - worth it to help cover the expenses of the space. 2. There isn't a changing area directly by the play area. Most of these sorts of playspaces that are water-specific seem to have changing areas surrounding the pools, but this one you had to walk a bit too. When you are schlepping kids and gear, you really want it closer. 3. This pool is definitely geared towards little ones, but there's a lot of undulation in the ground surface and thus makes it prone to falls. We witnessed several kids injure themselves in the 45 minutes we were there. 4. It's a bit difficult to see exactly where this is from the road because it is hidden by trees. Go into the main broadwater parklands entrance and park. 5. There are also two playgrounds in this location: one close to the water area that's fine but in a bit of a wooded area and thus prone to bugs, and other that's a really big walk away. It's a pretty walk along the shore and there's a little beach en route past the large intervening field area, but with little kids, it's a bit too far. There's also no parking at that end of the park, so you can't start at the playground without some difficulty. The larger playground has some really cool elements for bigger kids and some nice elements for little ones, but not a whole lot in between for kids between the ages of 4-7 or so. It also has very limited shade in the zone above the slides and climbing structures, though good shade in other areas. All in all, we won't be going back while we are on the Gold Coast, but if you've got small kids and they need a break from the beach, you could do worse than a visit to the Rockpools.

Great little FREE water park best suited for kids under 5/6. Plenty of shaded and seating area with…read morea lifeguard on duty. A must see activity for families with young kids. There is parking and a drink kiosk right next to the rock pools. Plenty of fun to be had by the kids.

I had never heard of this place until my father suggested I join him and his partner for a wander…read morearound this park. This park is a bit of a mission to get to for anyone who does not live in the area but is worth the car mileage as it is a great place to hang out, have a picnic and roam around. I was not expecting much from this park but as soon as I entered the park, I realised how beautiful it was. There is something very serene about it, that instantly puts you at ease (so corny, I know). The park is very spacious too making it perfect for any picnic parties, it would be a lovely place to jog or walk around. When I visited the place, I even noticed people fishing from the deck over the Brisbane River, I doubt they would have caught anything good but they looked like they were having fun and enjoying the views. If it wasn't for its inconvenient location, I would visit this park more often as it really is a beauty.

If you like taking your kids to parks with playgrounds aren't guaranteed to be crawling with kids…read morealready, this is one of the secret parks you can still get a spot in. There are many trees around and 2 main sheltered areas with plenty of tables. There is also a boardwalk type play area and a rather large general swing and tyre play area about 20 meters away from the tables. Mostly under shelter too for those hot days. Bring sunscreen, a picnic blanket and some bug spray for hotter days, but mostly it's quite breezy if you're lucky. What I love about this park is that it's situated in the middle of Sherwood Forest, where Robin Hood lives. Okay... there isn't a Robin Hood living in this forest, but we're still on the lookout for him and his men. Or my single friends are anyway. There are plenty of dads here with kids, and I keep having to tell them, it's not okay because these ones are probably taken. Besides from the nice atmosphere, there are also BBQ facilities, toilets and lots of bins in case you want to orchestrate a kids birthday party here. There is a pretty big carpark and on the weekends there is usually a coffee van parked in one of the slots for your caffeine needs early Saturday morning. I love this park because it's hidden away and not that many people know where it is yet, for those mums and dads out there looking to take their kids outdoors somewhere for free, maybe have a picnic... this is a pretty good hidden gem of a park really close to the city. Not really that super close to public transport, but it's definetely driveable.

Residents of Holland Park are so lucky to have Glindemann Park at their door step. People talk…read moreabout increasing house value by adding a swimming pool or being close to public transport. If you ask me, the houses off Lawn Street should be worth a fortune by having this field of gold at their door. Glindemann Park has 2 main play areas- up the hill is for the younger kid. It is mostly a shaded fort structure. Older kids need to manoeuvre down a tricky gully to get to the lower area which has a climbing web, swings and slides. There's also a third area a little distance away with a basketball half court and a small skateboarding square. There are a few picnic tables and BBQs but not heaps. I haven't come down on the weekends but I imagine it would be a really popular family picnic destination. The only problem I foresee is that this park is not fenced. This is a particular issue as the toddler area backs onto a fairly busy road. Mums and dads - have fun but keep an eye on roving, young children.