Parklands Reserve

Parklands Reserve playground is best known for its themed equipment: a helicopter with a slide and a tractor with a large steering wheel are the pieces children gravitate to first, set inside a five hectare sports and play park in the Parklands suburb of northeast Christchurch. It suits toddlers through to primary age well, with older kids drawn more to the basketball half court and open fields than the play equipment itself.

Equipment

Alongside the helicopter and tractor, the playground has a junior multi-play structure with slide, a climbing structure, a see-saw, swings including an infant seat, a tyre swing and a carousel, with the junior area fenced off from the wider reserve. Bark and woodchip cover the fall zones. Reviewers rate the tractor and helicopter as the clear favourites for younger children, though some recent visitors have noted the equipment is showing its age.

Practical info

Toilets and seating are on site, and parking is available in the reserve. The Parklands Community Centre and library sit nearby on Queenspark Drive, and the reserve's large open fields host football and community events, so it can be busy on event days. For families in the Parklands, Queenspark and Northshore area it works as an everyday local stop rather than a destination in its own right.