About the space

Croydon Playground Reserve is bound by Queen Street and Day Terrace in West Croydon. It includes two playgrounds - one senior playground (eastern side) and one junior playground (western side), shelter and picnic settings with extra seating, bins, electric BBQ, a single-use, automated public toilet, basketball backboard and hoop, and perimeter fencing.

Dogs are allowed inside the reserve on leash only.

The playground is a higher-level 'Neighbourhood' playground. Neighbourhood playgrounds have good quality 'standard' play equipment, an appealing landscape, and should include some special, more unique play features for young people to enjoy.

What's happening?

We are replacing all play equipment in each of the play spaces in Croydon Playground Reserve from late-2025. We're doing this because the equipment is old and should be replaced to ensure its safe and meets your needs, and the needs of future residents.

The new playground designs are complete. The feedback you shared during consultation and hearing how you love to play helped us to make decisions about what equipment and features to include, and what the senior and junior playgrounds would look and feel like.

There's still a bit to do before we can start replacing the playgrounds. We expect we will start removing and replacing the existing playgrounds from late 2025/early 2026 and we will do our best to have them completed by end-June 2026. We will share an update with project followers and participants when we're getting ready to start work.

To find out what we asked you to share when feedback on the current playground was open, and things in the playground (or reserve) that will not be included in the playground replacement visit the Croydon Playground Reserve playground engagement page. On this page, you can also see some examples of other recent playgrounds replacements we have finished across the City that could be similar to what we can do in Croydon Playground Reserve.

If you are interested in reading about how we made design decisions for this playground, you can read the Croydon Playground Reserve Playgrounds Design Checklist which explains how the playground has been designed for everyone and all the things that were considered.

We asked you to share who you visit the reserve with and why.

We asked how you like to play, your favourite play activities, and what you like about the playground now and what you would change about it.

You also shared which was your favourite playground from images of recent playgrounds we have replaced, shared your theme ideas for the new playground, and anything else about the playground or reserve that you would like us to know about now, or to consider in future if we are making improvements.

Other comments and requests

• Top comment themes were the importance of keeping the train theme, having a separate play area for younger children, surrounding fencings, and dog management (both positive and negative).
• Some enjoyed visiting this space with their dog, including for dog exercise. Others felt better dog management is needed as dogs are often off leash in the reserve and senior playground area. Safety and hygiene matters were raised.
• Inclusive variety of swings for children of all ages.
• Senior equipment is outdated. Request for more height, viewing platforms and specifically agility elements like climbing, hanging and balancing for older children.
• Updates to junior area to include small slides, stairs to structures, imaginative play, safer equipment and some nature play or natural elements.
• Visitors love the other amenities in the reserve like open green space, toilets, water fountain, and the shelter, shade and seating.
• Visitors enjoy the picnic, sport and basketball opportunities.
• Natural materials and less plastic were important for cooler play areas. Some supported use of more bark chip rather than rubber soft fall and pavement, while others requested less bark chip and prefer grass or hard surfaces.
• Inclusive play for those with disability as well as better access into the playground for disables, prams and mobility aids.
• The location is convenient, and the space is community and family friendly.
• Sensory plants and shady trees are great.

Opportunities for future reserve improvements:

• Better dog management/education/more dog amenities.
• Improved lawn, more trees and more greenery.
• More shelter and shade (to help with hot equipment) and more shade provided by trees.
• Other sporting accessories (eg to support soccer/cricket).
• Art installations (eg mirrors or flags that respond to weather and surrounds).
• Indented parking bays.
• Improvements to the basketball court.