The playground at Artarmon Reserve offers loads of updated equipment and a perfect playground (plus a bike track) to explore. Our North Shore Mums Discoverer headed out with the family to put the fabulous new playground to the test.
Artarmon Reserve playground was the perfect spot to spend a hot Sydney day with the family, so one recent Sunday morning, my boys and I headed for our first visit to the newly refurbished Artarmon Reserve where we had arranged to meet friends for a park play & picnic. Artarmon Reserve has always been a favourite for North Shore Mums, so we were extra keen to see the update!
The entrance to the reserve is at the end of Burra Road, Artarmon. Just inside of the entrance, to the left, there are steps leading down to the playground. But if you have bikes like we did, then it’s a bit of a steep hill that winds down to the playground. This part my friends and I found tricky as we had our boys (ages 3, 4 & 6) on training wheels.
The entrance to the reserve is at the end of Burra Road, Artarmon with steps to the playground
New Artarmon Reserve: Lower playground
Once we made it down the hill, the boys parked their bikes outside the playground gate and off they ran! This was our first visit here and my first thoughts were, ‘Wow, this is beautiful!’. The lower playground is set among a beautiful bush setting with lots of towering trees providing plenty of shade.
The lower playground has a beautiful bush setting with lots of towering trees providing shade
The playground offers such a great space for kids to run around and play on the equipment, but the bush setting adds another level of playing by providing them the opportunity to go and explore the nature around them. During our visit, one family were having a great time constructing a tee pee from fallen branches. It was so nice to see the little ones running around trying to find the biggest branch that they could!
I would say that the equipment in the lower playground is suited more to toddler/pre-school aged kids
Playground equipment includes:
- Timber fort structure with slide and climbing wall
- Double swing
- 3-way see saw
- Basket swing
- Slide
- Sandpit
The basket swing is a secure, shallow dish alternative to a classic swing, good for all ages
The double swing is next to the timber structure and the climbing for, all under the shade
This seesaw is a new design that allows three children to counterbalance instead of the usual two
New Artarmon Reserve: Upper playground
The former Artarmon Bowling Club site has been developed to extend the playground with an additional level, its focus primarily on providing equipment that engages older children. The big open space has been very well designed, there is so plenty of room for kids to run around, perfect for a game of tip! Our boys even had a kick around with the soccer ball on the green patch in the middle of the playground.
The new equipment includes:
- Double flying fox
- Spinning disc
- In-ground trampoline
- Double slides
- Climbing structure
The former Artarmon Bowling Club site is now the playground’s additional upper level
The more advanced equipment is primarily aimed at engaging older children in play
The more complicated designs are great for kids to apply teamwork and building fitness
Inside the climbing shell there are multiple challenges such a rope ladders and suspensions
The steeper stairs and free slides may be more challenging for young kids or toddlers
In-ground trampolines are always a fave, with no springs to catch little fingers or toes!
We spent most of our time in this new part, mainly because of the flying fox. I would say that this was by far the star attraction of the entire playground, evident by the teens who were queuing to have their turn! It was made even better because it was a double flying fox, meaning that the kids had so much fun racing each other to see who could go the fastest and the furthest!! Great for the kids, not so much for us poor parents who had to keep retrieving them when they got stranded half way…..let’s just say I got quite a workout here!
The great thing about the flying fox is the harness seat, which meant that young ones could safely sit in on their own, or they could sit on their parent’s lap and experience the joy of flying down the zip line.
While we loved the big open space, it meant that there was no shade except under the picnic shelters. Being out in the sun, it got quite warm and we found ourselves moving in between the 2 playgrounds, heading back down to the lower playground whenever we need a break from the sun/heat. In time, the new trees which have been planted will grow to provide the much needed shade in this area. Until then, don’t forget the hat and sunscreen.
New Artarmon Reserve: Bike path
After a good solid 2 hours of playing, the boys were keen to get on their bikes to explore this wonderful new park. From the gates of the lower playground, we headed left onto the bike/pedestrian path, otherwise known as Cordia Way (or the Artarmon Link Path) which runs from Artarmon Reserve to Shepherd Road. We were limited for time, so the boys cycled until we reached an underpass where we came across some beautiful murals of native animals. While we would loved to have kept going, it was time to go home, so we turned around and headed back towards the playground.
From the gates of the lower playground, head left on to the bike/pedestrian path, Cordia Way
The boys cycled through an underpass painted with beautiful murals of native animals
Essential Details: Artarmon Reserve
- Where: Burra Road, Artarmon. There is plenty of on-street parking on Burra Road. The park is located 250m from Artarmon Station.
- Features: Fully fenced and enclosed, seating areas and undercover.
- Facilities: Bike path, Upper Playground, Lower Playground, picnic areas. Toilets – there are no toilets within the enclosed playground area, however toilet facilities located next to the sportsground are a short walk from lower playground gate
