15 Fun Connecticut Playgrounds

Playground season is here. Truthfully, we have been loving playgrounds all year long. We’ve been doing the 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge, and have already made it to 30 different playgrounds so far this year!

We’re giving tours of them on our TikTok and Youtube Channels if you’d like to follow along. Don’t have time to watch? Check out our list of 15 Connecticut playgrounds worth seeing:

 

Adam’s Adventure, Tolland

167 Rhodes Rd
Tolland, CT

This 3 story Boundless playground was built for children of all abilities. Kids love the giant slide, all the climbing equipment, the music area, and the amount of swings. Parents love that it’s fenced in which makes for easy supervision. It’s also stroller friendly with plenty of parking. They have a covered pavilion which makes for a fabulous picnic spot and seasonally available restrooms.

 

 

 

Josh’s Jungle, Hamden

2875 Dixwell Ave
Hamden, CT 06518

Another Boundless Playground that transports kids into a rainforest right in the middle of Hamden. Kid testers loved the bountiful slides and mazes in this all abilities play area. They also had a boat that you could rock back and forth and so many hiding areas to play pretend. Their favorite part was definitely meeting all the fun (pretend) animals – like gorillas and giraffes! Plus, they had a great view of the community garden and it was super stroller friendly, which I appreciated. 

There is a port-a-potty on site, and it’s close to the library if you need indoor resources. Definitely a worthwhile stop!

 

Mill Pond Park, Newington

123 Garfield St
Newington, CT 06111

This boundless, all-ages-and-abilities park has tons to offer: Boundless playground, Basketball Court, Baseball field, Soccer fields, fishing pond, waterfall, nature trail and even an outdoor pool. Kids will absolutely love the cool climbing area and variety of play equipment. Young kids will enjoy the sandbox. Adults will like the versatility, stroller-friendliness, and the ability to stay for a little while or a long time. Seasonal bathrooms are available- plus, it’s in the same complex as the Newington Library! 

 

 

Dart Hill Park, Vernon

680 Dart Hill Rd
Vernon, CT 06066

This play area features sections for big and little kids, swings, nature hike, a Storywalk, exercise trail, and a brook that is tons of fun to play in. Kids will love the mix of structured play equipment and natural elements- there’s always a group of kids flying a kite, wading in the brook, or running through the woods. Adults will love the chance to stretch on the exercise equipment and relax in the gazebo. Most of the path is stroller friendly, but the terrain can be a little tricky on parts of the Storywalk. Also- fair warning- bring a change of clothes because my kids always get soaked in the brook!

 

Buckingham Park, Avon

11 Buckingham Rd,
Avon, CT 06001

Another wonderful Boundless playground, Buckingham Park has lots for kid testers to play around with. Our kids especially loved the music area, wiggly boat, and sandbox. The highlight, though, was all the slides: they had a small slide for tots, a couple medium sized ones and two “big fast ones!” The options for climbing are plentiful.

Surrounding the park are well marked trails- most of them are paved, which means they’d be great for strollers, ride ons, balance bikes, roller skating- you name it! Better yet, the park is right on the parking lot, which means easy access if you have a kid who tends to run at the parking lot.

Peckham Park, Middlefield 

161 Strickland Rd,
Middlefield, CT 06455

This is one of our favorite play areas in the whole state- probably because it is DINOSAUR themed, and we are suckers for dinosaurs. They have this giant dinosaur skeleton that kids can climb all over on the way in, and a sandbox just behind it to dig up fossils. Plus, there were multiple play structures so that kids of all ages can play together on equipment that is just their size. Next to the playground is a skate park and several large fields to run around on. It’s ruggedly stroller friendly (some of the trails can be a bit bumpy), and has seasonal restrooms and port-a-potties. The parking lot is in close proximity to the play area, which makes for easy loading and unloading. 

Elm Ridge Park, Rocky Hill:

Elm St,
Rocky Hill, CT 06067

Looking for a park that is as much fun in the winter as it is in the summer? Elm Ridge park caters to every season with ice skating, three play areas, swings for 20, a dog park, a pool, wading areas, fields and more! Our kids loved running from playground to playground, and I loved that the openness made for easy supervision. It’s not fenced in, but it’s relatively set back from the street. There are summer bathroom facilities. 

 

 

Jonathan’s Dream, West Hartford:

355 Bloomfield Ave,
West Hartford, CT 06117

Jonathan’s Dream is the first ever Boundless Playground- and it absolutely sets the standard for the amazing play structures around the state. This unique play area is designed for children of all ages and abilities to come together in the spirit of adventure. Our kid testers had a blast making music in the music area, climbing the big towers (available via step and ramp), swinging and sliding. The best part, however, was the giant plane in the middle that they spent about an hour playing with. The whole area is fenced in, which meant that I got to relax and watch them play. 

 

Allyn Brook Park, Durham:

50 Pickett Ln
Durham, CT 06422

Allyn Brook Park in Durham features a beautiful brook, walking trails, two play areas, huge baseball/soccer fields and tons to do!  The play area is divided into an older kid section with a more traditional climbing area, and a baby/toddler section. The baby/toddler section featured areas to play music, a tree house that my toddler called “the fairy house,” a tiny slide, play tables, cute little ride on bouncers and more! Surrounding the baby area were a multitude of things to climb on including a rock wall, a swinging ladder, and a twisty structure. They had an abundance of big kid swings too! 

As a parent, I loved that it was all stroller friendly with ample free parking by the play area. Parking lot is just off of the road, which makes loading and unloading a bit tricky with young children, especially when there is a lot of snow gear to put on and off. It was a quiet street, but we did see a few cars. They have summer bathroom facilities, and a port-a-potty for the winter. Plenty of walking trails around the playground to bring strollers. The playground itself is a bit uneven- better to park the stroller just off the trails. Thankfully, they’re very close.

Blish Park Playground, Marlborough

32 Park Rd
Marlborough, CT 06447

My inner 90s child absolutely LOVED this wooden playground in Marlborough. The huge castle reminded me of the play areas we used to road trip to on vacation, and it seems like it’s built with these fantastic little hideouts for kids. It has all the old favorites- a tire swing, a maze, several slides, sandboxes- the list goes on and on.

With areas for big and little kids, there really was something for everyone. It was easy to take our stroller into the toddler park and both kids had a blast climbing all over everything. On the other side of the park is a lake, which is open to residents and their guests during the summer. They also offer hiking trails, basketball/tennis courts- there really was something for everyone here.

Note: It is residents only at certain times of the year and requires a pass to access.

Hubbard Park, Meriden 

999 W Main St
Meriden, CT 06451

Meridan’s Hubbard Park has something to offer everyone. The huge, fenced in playground is built for kids 2-12. It featured like 10 slides (including a triple slide kid testers loved racing one another down!), a wide range of climbing equipment like rock walls, monkey bars, and sliders. There was an older kid exercise park, music area, and buddy bench. Swings came in sizes for big and little kids, and they even had Little Free Libraries for books AND puzzles! 

They also have a pool and fields, but the biggest hit was a long walking trail that surrounds a lake and leads to a gorgeous waterfall with real dinosaur tracks and fossils. They were well marked and it made the history of our area really come to life. Definitely worth a visit, especially for kids who love Dinos! Parking was easy with a lot right next to the playground. It was a quiet area, and very easy to unload kids into the fenced off playground. There were summer facilities and a port-a-potty for the winter. It was highly stroller friendly. 

Nevers Park, South Windsor: 

Chief Ryan Way
South Windsor, CT 06074

South Windsor’s Nevers Park is another Boundless Playground that features something for everyone- sports facilities, accessible areas for big and little kids, a skate park, exercise trail, miles of hiking trails and even a dog park.  The toddler play area was a hit with the large firetruck play structure, music center, and smaller playground- the real star of the show was the huge sandbox, complete with toys and a sand table. On the older kid section, there were plenty of swings, a climbing wall, and two giant slides. Teens will appreciate the skate park, and parents will appreciate the ability to supervise both little and older kids at once. The hiking trails take you past two ponds (complete with wildlife ranging from birds to beavers), a gorgeous barn, and some fun climbing equipment. 

The playground is removed from the road, but it is not fenced in. It’s also worth noting that it can be hard to supervise young kids if you are in the older kid area. Definitely a must stop for sand lovers or for kids of multiple ages (especially if you bring a spare set of hands!) Also- there are multiple parking lots. They are all connected via walking trails, but the one closest to the play ground is by the South Windsor Community Center.

Beacon Falls Recreation Complex

100 Pent Rd
Beacon Falls, CT 06403

Along the Naugatuck river is the Beacon Falls Rec Complex. The complex offers a wide range of ball fields complete with concessions, pavilions to play on, and beautiful walking trails along the stream. The larger play area is under construction, but our kid testers had a blast on the smaller play area and are so excited to see what the renovation brings! 

Parking is plentiful and there were seasonally available bathrooms as well as port-a-potties for the winter months.

 

 

Riverfront Park, Glastonbury: 

300 Welles St
Glastonbury, CT 06033

Glastonbury’s Riverfront Park features beautiful walking trails, basketball court, soccer fields, a dog park, baseball field, boathouse and boat launch, as well as two separate playgrounds for kids and a seasonal ice rink. Our kids especially love digging in the giant sandbox and the plethora of climbing equipment. I love that each playground area is separately fenced in, making it ideal for supervision. 

There are YEAR ROUND bathrooms available in the boathouse complete with changing areas. The parking area is very close to the playground and parking is abundant. 

 

Seamester Park, East Hampton:

20 Smith St
East Hampton, CT 06424

This park is located next to Memorial School, but is open to the public all day long. Designed by kids and built in 2019, it is a modern twist on the old school 90s wooden playgrounds. Every time we go, I feel like I’ve been transported to Cape Cod Vacations. Our kids adore the two play areas- there’a a car/train side for kids, and a boat/bell tower/castle side for older kids. There is also a StoryWalk run by the library, several swings, and some very cool climbing equipment.

There is plenty of parking and the play area is easily accessible from the lot. If you’re in the mood to play with other kids, arrive just as school is getting out- it’s a great time to make new friends!