Best playgrounds in Mona Vale
Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve is the best playground pick in Mona Vale, with a large enclosed playground and flying fox, free electric barbecues and a cafe beside the play area. The playgrounds split on what they add: Apex Park gives its climbing areas shade, the beach reserve puts its play area next to the sand, and the smaller reserves are quiet spots with fewer facilities.
Quick picks
- Best all-round: Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve has the most on offer for a family day out.
- Best for under-sevens in the shade: Apex Park's sails give its climbing frames shade, pitched at the youngest climbers.
- Best beachside: Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve puts its playground close to the sand.
- Best free stop with a BBQ and toilets: Winji jimmi Reserve has a swing set on open grass and free parking.
- Best quiet spot: Patricia Giles Reserve has swings and a play structure in a bush-screened corner.
Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve: the full family day out
- Fully fenced
- Toilets
- BBQ
- Parking
Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve's enclosed play space has a flying fox, climbing frames and swings, plus a snakes and ladders section and spring rockers. The Flying Fox Cafe sits right beside the play area for breakfast and lunch, so parents can eat while children play. Several electric barbecues are free to use, with sheltered picnic tables beside them, and toilets are on site. Parking comes in two kinds: paid car spaces and free street spots close by. Shade over the play area isn't confirmed, so pack a hat for the warmer months.
Best for: Families who want a flying fox, a cafe and free barbecues in one stop.
Apex Park: shade and swings for under-sevens
- Shade
- Toilets
- BBQ
- Parking
Apex Park has a children's playground with sail-shaded climbing areas and swings, and the equipment is suited to children under seven. The sails give younger children shade while they climb, which helps in summer. Electric barbecues, including a couple of large ones, and several picnic tables sit close by, and public toilets are on site. Pay-and-display parking is near the rock pools, a short walk away. Basin Beach is about 350 m off, so a play session can finish at the water.
Best for: Families with children under seven who need shade.
Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve: a playground by the sand
- Toilets
- BBQ
- Parking
Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve has a beachside playground close to the sand, beside the patrolled surf beach and the Surf Life Saving Club. Toilets and changing rooms sit in the beach car park building, and one barbecue area near the beach has tables, benches and water taps. Expect to pay at the beach car park: $10 an hour, capped at $40 a day from 7am to 7pm, with a few free street spaces nearby. Shade, fencing and the equipment for the playground aren't known here.
Best for: A beach day that includes the kids.
Winji jimmi Reserve: a free stop with swings
- Toilets
- BBQ
- Parking
Winji jimmi Reserve has a playground built around a swing set on open grass, and the reserve lists its age suitability as any years. It's a small grass reserve, so a parent can watch the play area from one spot. The reserve has a BBQ, picnic tables, public toilets and drinking water, and parking costs nothing. Coastal walks and cycling paths run through the reserve, so a play stop can join a longer outing on foot or by bike.
Best for: A quick, free visit that suits toddlers and older children alike.
Patricia Giles Reserve: quiet, unfenced and bush-screened
- Not fenced
- Parking
Patricia Giles Reserve has a playground with swings and a play structure, surrounded by a screen of natural bush. It is not fenced, so it suits parents who can keep close watch, and the reserve has lots of grass and picnic tables. There are no toilets here, which matters for longer visits. Bassett Street and Bangalow Avenue both have room to park on the street. For toilets and an accessible playground for ages 1 and up, Village Park in the town centre is the next option.
Best for: A quiet local visit with little ones, close to home.
How the playgrounds compare
By area
Every playground in and near Mona Vale
Each playground's details sit side by side in the table, and a dash marks anything we couldn't confirm.
| Park | Fenced | Shade | Toilets | BBQ | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.Apex Park | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4.Winji jimmi Reserve | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5.Patricia Giles Reserve | ✗ | – | ✗ | – | ✓ |
| 6.Village Park | – | – | – | – | – |
| 7.Elwyn Reserve | – | – | – | – | – |
| 8.Kariboo Close Reserve | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nearby, outside Mona Vale | |||||
| Trafalgar Park · Newport | – | – | ✗ | – | ✓ |
| Ventura Reserve · Warriewood | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pamela Crescent Reserve · Bayview | – | – | – | – | – |
How we picked
Shade, fencing, toilets, barbecues, accessible play and size set the order here, then the equipment and ages each park suits. Known facts lift a park up the list, and a gap shows as a dash in the table, not a guess. Council pages were checked for the thin listings, but most details come from the park's own listing.
FAQ
Is there a fenced playground in Mona Vale?
Patricia Giles Reserve is the clearest case: its play area is unfenced, with a screen of bush instead. Winnereremy Bay's play area is called enclosed, but a fence isn't confirmed, so ask at the reserve.
Which Mona Vale playground has shade?
Apex Park has the clearest shade over a play area, with sail-shaded climbing areas and swings. Shade at the other playgrounds isn't confirmed.
Are there toilets near the Mona Vale playgrounds?
Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve, Apex Park and Winji jimmi Reserve all have public toilets. Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve has toilets in the beach car park building, and Patricia Giles Reserve has none.
Where can I take a toddler in Mona Vale?
Village Park in the town centre has a playground designed for ages 1 and up, with toddler swings and play designed for all abilities. It's a good choice for the youngest children.