Moncrieff Community Recreation Park

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Posted 2018-01-15 by Sue W ⇒ follow

Moncrieff is a newly-built suburb of Gungahlin, located 25 minutes north of the city centre. This new area is still in progress, with local residents settling into their new homes, as well as new houses still being built in the streets around them. In the heart of the suburb is a brand new playground, , which opened on 8th December 2017, by Minister Yvette Berry. This extensive and colourful playground has quickly become the hub of the community, with over 500 locals attending the opening and just as many kids visiting it every day during the school holidays. This impressively-large yellow and orange playground sits on top of a hill, so you can see the playground from all around the region – making it a beacon for all the kids in the area.

My daughter and I love discovering new playgrounds as they are full of imaginative ideas and fun challenges to conquer. We have visited many playgrounds in Canberra and although we have our favourites, this new Moncrieff playground is one of the largest – and one of the best! We could have easily stayed there all day if we had taken a picnic lunch, as there are toilets, picnic tables, shade and a HUGE array of play equipment to try out. Did I mention HUGE? Your kids won't know where to start…

When you first walk into the playground, there are so many areas to explore that it is hard to know where to start. The play area above, with the largest slide, takes up half the playground and is particularly fun for older children who can climb up the netting tower to the top of the slide. There is a rope bridge to get there, climbing ropes all around it and rubber matting to help them get up and down. The inside of the tower is tricky to get up, with layers of levels and challenging angles to climb, making it an achievement when you reach the start of the slide. The slide down in slippery – but not too slippery – making it the perfect balance of fun, without flying off the end!

Just near this area is a fenced-off basketball court, which also doubles as a soccer field with metal nets, so you can play a variety of sports in this one area if you take a few balls. Nearby is also a cricket pitch with artificial grass and a wicket at the end. In this central area is also a shaded picnic table area, BBQs and a grassy reserve to run out onto (when the grass has grown in). If you are feeling energetic, there is also an outdoor gym area for adults, which would rival any local gym.

The other side of the playground is ideal for younger children, with a smaller version of the net tower and slide, netting bridge, climbing ropes, spongy mounds to climb up, two small slides, net swings, rock climbing, toddler swings and even a circular, spinning tube to run around like a hamster! Phew! The kids can't say there isn't enough to do!

Remember to pack your scooters or bikes, as there is also a Learn To Ride track around the outside of the playground with stop signs, pit stops and a smooth surface with no bumps, so it is easy riding for all ages.

If that's not all, there are two table tennis tables to play on – just remember to take your own bats and balls!

When you first walk into this playground, the one word you will say over and over again for the first five minutes is "Wow!" It is colourful, large and a wonderland of fun for children, with many different areas to explore. This new playground is also just as enjoyable for adults as it is for kids, as there is plenty of shade and the flooring is spongy - so you know that your kids can safely explore and try out each piece of equipment, as they make their way through the extensive playground.

Although my daughter and I could have easily stayed there all day, we had to pull ourselves away eventually. It won't be our last visit to , however, it is our new favourite playground in the whole of Canberra. Which is a big call…