Best playgrounds in Earlwood
Beaman Park is the top Earlwood playground for young children: its play area is fully fenced, with shade, toilets and BBQs in the same park. The other playgrounds suit different kids. Hughes Park is the one for the youngest children, Gough Whitlam Park is the easiest outing for toddlers, and SJ Harrison Park offers monkey bars under shade sails for older children.
Quick picks
- Fenced for young children: Beaman Park's playground is fully fenced, with a shade cover and toilets in its amenities block.
- Shade and soft ground: SJ Harrison Park has two shade sails and a rubber soft-fall surface.
- Babies and toddlers: Hughes Park has a baby swing and a toddler slide, but its play area is unfenced.
- The easiest outing: Gough Whitlam Park has toilets, BBQ areas and an on-site car park, with shade near the toddler playground.
Beaman Park for a fenced playground with shade
- Fully fenced
- Shade
- Toilets
- BBQ
- Parking
Beaman Park is the most complete playground for young children in Earlwood. The fenced play zone has a climb-and-slide frame, a ride-on animal and a shade canopy. The picnic tables sit alongside the BBQ facilities, so a barbecue and a play session can share one stop. Toilets sit in the amenities block on site, and an on-site car park serves the park. Sutton Reserve, 1.2 km away, is the nearest other option here, but little else is known about its playground.
Best for: Parents of toddlers and young children who want a fence and shade
Hughes Park for babies and toddlers, with a shade sail
- Not fenced
- Shade
- Toilets
- BBQ
- Parking
Hughes Park is the Earlwood playground to pick for the youngest children, with a baby swing and a toddler slide. The play area is unfenced, so an adult needs to stay close. A sail gives shade over a climbing frame, and a sun shade by the play gear gives adults somewhere to wait. The play area sits behind Francis Street, and both Westfield Street and Warburton Parade lead to it, with street parking close by. BBQ facilities and picnic tables are on site, but the toilets and kiosk are usually shut unless a sporting event is on.
Best for: Parents of babies who like to stay close to the swings
Gough Whitlam Park for a toddler day out with a cafe
- Shade
- Toilets
- BBQ
- Parking
Gough Whitlam Park is the easiest day out for toddlers in Earlwood. Its toddler-friendly playground is the main family draw, and benches, shade and tables sit close to it. Public toilets and drinking water are on site, and picnic sites and BBQ areas suit family gatherings. An on-site car park has plenty of room. The Cooks River Canteen is a cafe on site. Fencing around the playground isn't known, so keep an eye on wanderers.
Best for: Toddlers, with a long picnic and a cafe stop
SJ Harrison Park for older kids in the shade
- Shade
- Parking
SJ Harrison Park is the one to choose when older kids want a proper climb. Kids can crawl through a tunnel, cross a wooden bridge and climb a ladder or stairs to reach the two slides. Monkey bars and balancing gear sit higher up, and a small imaginative area lies underneath. A large shade sail covers the structure, and a second sail shades the two swings, which come with toddler and adult seats. Parking is plentiful on the nearby streets. Toilets and a barbecue aren't known here, so check before planning a long stay. At 0.35 ha, it is the smallest park on this list.
Best for: Older kids who want monkey bars, and toddlers on the swings
How the playgrounds compare
By area
Every playground in and near Earlwood
The table below ranks the Earlwood playgrounds with the picks first, and then the closest playgrounds just outside the suburb.
| Park | Fenced | Shade | Toilets | BBQ | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Beaman Park | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.Hughes Park | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.Gough Whitlam Park | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4.SJ Harrison Park | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| 5.Turrella Reserve | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| 6.Girrahween Park | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 7.Earlwood Oval | – | – | – | – | – |
| 8.Sutton Reserve | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nearby, outside Earlwood | |||||
| Ewen Park · Hurlstone Park | ✗ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Charles Daly Reserve · Bardwell Park | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ron Gosling Reserve · Bardwell Park | – | – | – | – | – |
| Coolibah Reserve · Bardwell Park | – | – | – | – | – |
How we picked
Parks were ranked on what makes a playground easier with little ones: fencing carried the most weight, then shade and toilets, followed by BBQs, parking, accessible play and the park's size. Only playgrounds with enough known details to write a full section became picks, so a few sit in the table alone. A missing detail is left as a dash, so it never counts against a park.
FAQ
Is there a fenced playground in Earlwood?
Yes, Beaman Park has a fully fenced playground, and no other Earlwood playground on this list has a confirmed fence. Hughes Park's equipment sits without one, so little ones need watching there. Fencing at Gough Whitlam Park and SJ Harrison Park isn't known.
Can you have a BBQ at an Earlwood playground?
Yes, Beaman Park, Hughes Park, Gough Whitlam Park, Girrahween Park and Turrella Reserve all have BBQs on site. Turrella's barbecues were added during its upgrade, and Girrahween's electric plates sit near the toilets.
Where can you park for an Earlwood playground?
Beaman Park has an on-site car park, and Hughes Park has street parking on Westfield Street close to its playground. Plenty of street parking surrounds SJ Harrison Park too.
Which Earlwood playground suits older kids best?
SJ Harrison Park is the Earlwood option for bigger children, who get monkey bars and balancing gear there. Toddler seats on the swings mean younger ones can join in too.