Best playgrounds in Waterloo
Waterloo Park is the top pick for families with young kids. Its playground is partly fenced, shaded, and has barbecues and public toilets on site, all in a large park with room to spread out. The other Waterloo playgrounds trade some of that for something specific: full fencing at Corning Park, or a three-storey slide at Wulaba Park. Choose by what your kids need most.
Quick picks
- Most facilities: Waterloo Park has shade, toilets and barbecues beside a partly fenced playground.
- Fully fenced: Corning Park has a fully fenced playground with a wheelchair-accessible play area.
- Big slide: Wulaba Park has a slide about three storeys high inside a climbing tower.
Waterloo Park: the most facilities in one spot
- Partly fenced
- Shade
- Toilets
- BBQ
Waterloo Park has the most of what families ask about in one place. The playground is partly fenced, with shaded areas and slide, swing and climbing equipment for children from infants to primary age. Barbecues sit at the playground itself, and public toilets are on site, so you can cook and play in the same visit. Waterloo Oval is next door and Green Square station is about 600 m away, which makes it easy to reach. Partial fencing means it suits families who can keep an eye on the younger ones while they climb.
Best for: Families with toddlers and older kids who plan a longer visit
Corning Park: fully fenced for the youngest kids
- Fully fenced
- Accessible play
Corning Park is the only fully fenced playground in this group, and it's built for infants and pre-schoolers. Inside the fence sit a toddler swing, a slide and a climbing fort with a bridge. The play area has a synthetic rubber surface and is wheelchair accessible, which neither of the other two playgrounds has confirmed. At about 0.2 ha it's small, so there's less room to roam than at Waterloo Park. Milk Crate, a cafe, is about 150 m away if you want a coffee nearby.
Best for: Parents of infants and young pre-schoolers
Wulaba Park: the big slide and climbing tower
- Toilets
- BBQ
- Parking
Wulaba Park's main draw is a slide about three storeys high, reached by rope ladders inside a colourful climbing tower with decks and nets. For the little ones there are three swings, including a communal net swing that takes four or five children at once. A large lawn and a handball court sit beside the play structures, and two table tennis tables give older kids something else to do. Parents can grill lunch here and use the loos without leaving. Without a full fence, the playground asks more of the adults on duty, so it suits families who are happy to stay close.
Best for: Older kids who like climbing, with a lawn and handball court nearby
How the playgrounds compare
By area
Every playground in and near Waterloo
Here is how the playgrounds stack up on the things that matter most for a visit with kids.
| Park | Fenced | Shade | Toilets | BBQ | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Waterloo Park | Partly† | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| 2.Corning Park | ✓ | – | – | – | – |
| 3.Wulaba Park | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4.Waterloo Green | – | – | – | – | – |
| 5.The Rope Walk | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nearby, outside Waterloo | |||||
| Redfern Park · Redfern | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Hansom Cab Place · Redfern | ✓ | – | – | – | – |
| Mary O'Brien Reserve · Zetland | – | – | – | ✓ | – |
| Tote Park · Zetland | – | – | ✓ | – | – |
† Fenced on some sides only; the park's section explains where.
How we picked
Picks went to the playgrounds with the most known facts on fencing, shade, toilets, barbecues and accessible play, with size as a tiebreak. Anything the text leaves out appears as a dash, which means not known rather than not there. Waterloo Green and The Rope Walk have too few known facts to pick, though both are listed.
FAQ
Is there a fenced playground in Waterloo?
Yes, Corning Park has a fully fenced playground at 8 Broome Street, built for infants and pre-schoolers. The playground at Waterloo Park is only partly fenced, so it suits families who can watch the younger ones. Wulaba Park is not fully fenced.
Which Waterloo playground has barbecues?
Waterloo Park and Wulaba Park both have barbecues. At Waterloo Park they sit at the playground itself, so you can cook and play in one visit. At Wulaba Park they're beside the lawn and play area.
What age is the Corning Park playground for?
Corning Park's playground is pitched at infants and pre-schoolers. Its equipment sits at the younger end of the scale. Older kids will find less to do there.
Does Waterloo Park have toilets near the playground?
Yes, Waterloo Park has public toilets on site, so you don't need to leave the grounds during a longer visit. They're part of the same park as the playground, which makes them easy to reach with small children.