More often than not, weird is just another word for unique. The very best play spaces in Brisbane are the unique ones, that drive imagination and transform an ordinary playground into the extraordinary. If you are looking for a play space that offers something a little different for your child, whether it is because of their intriguing designs, unusual features, or wacky and imagination-fuelled play spaces, below are some of the weirdest playgrounds we have found in Brisbane.
Hidden World Playground
First up on our list is the Hidden World playground in Fitzgibbon. Filled with all the usual fun play equipment it also has a touch of unusual about it that makes it somewhat magical for kids. In the centre of the playground is a gazebo, within which lies a utility hole. One of two found in the play area, it tells an imagined story of historical creatures once found there. There are also coded messages (in Sentient Mouse Language) hidden throughout the playground for curious minds to discover and decode.
It’s all very weird, but also truly wonderful for children who love a bit of mystery and adventure.
Weird Factor: The utility holes with stories of imagined tales and creatures printed on them, and the secret coded messages hidden within the playground.
Other Playground Features:
- Toddler-friendly playground fort
- Boardwalks
- Slides
- Swings
- 3-Way Spinner
- Wheelchair carousel
- Musical elements
- Fenced dog off-leash park
- BBQs
- Sheltered picnic tables
- Accessible toilets
- Parking
Address: Roghan Road, Fitzgibbon.
Ken Fletcher Park
It is little wonder that the next playground on our list was created by the play space masterminds that are Urban Play. Known for their highly creative structural feats, Ken Fletcher Park in Tennyson is a climbers paradise all wrapped up in a weird and wacky industrial power station-themed playground.
Built like no other playground in Brisbane, the area features numerous different play spaces including generous sand and water play sections and multiple large square climbing structures. One main climbing space includes a patchwork of leather squares and holes that children need to navigate across, as well as multiple above-ground rope climbing bridges.
Steel chimneys mimic those found at the Tennyson Powerhouse that once resided there, and some interesting relic grinders can be found on the waterfront too.
Weird Factor: Industrial power station-themed playground with multiple unusual shaped climbing areas. Steel chimneys, powerhouse themed placards, and relics from the Tennyson Powerhouse.
Facilities:
- Industrial power station theme playground
- Multiple intricate climbing apparatuses
- Water play
- Sand play
- Powerhouse themed placards
- Swings
- Steel chimneys
- Bulldozer climber
- See saw
- Slides
- Riding paths
- Public pontoon
- Amphitheatre
- Waterfront picnic terrace
- BBQs
- Covered picnic tables
- Accessible toilets
- Parking
Address: King Arthur Terrace, Tennyson
Bradbury Park
A perfect example of how weird can create a recipe for sparking imagination in young children can be found in Bradbury Park. Housing two extremely different play spaces, the playground has been built to cater for children of all ages and to challenge them in both their mind and body.
Both of the main play spaces are unique to Bradbury Park, with nothing similar to be found in any other playground in Brisbane. The large black climbing fortress that dominates the main play area is a climbers paradise, with challenges for teens to navigate within and smaller climbing sections at the base.
But it is the magical forest area that we really adore about this park. Built into the natural surrounds, the forest is home to numerous hidden sculptures, brass creatures, mirrors and a generous offering of nature play elements. Kids can let their imagination run wild as they enter this land of mythical creatures and even take a seat on the twin Guardian Thrones that also reside here.
Weird Factor: Mystical magical forest area with Guardian Thrones, hidden sculptures, mirrors etc. Towering unusually-shaped, multi-levelled, black climbing fortress.
Facilities:
- Nature play
- Mystical magical forest
- Guardian Thrones
- Enclosed, colourful, twisting slide
- Multi-level climbing fortress
- Climbing walls at all heights
- Large green space
- Balancing obstacles
- Looped, obstacle-filled scooter track
- Basketball half court
- Fenced dog off-leash area
- Net and rope climbing
- Picnic tables
- BBQs
- Accessible toilets
- Parking
Address: Marine Parade at Suttons BeachKen Fletcher Park
Johnston Park
A little drive west of Brisbane, in the Ipswich suburb of Rosewood, lies Johnston Park. Here you will find picturesque picnic grounds, a delightful playground ideal for smaller children….and a reconstruction of the theropod dinosaurs that once lived there!
Although the playground itself is pretty standard, it all gets a little bit weird when you discover the many different dinosaur elements that are to be found within the park. In the mid to late 1900’s, dinosaur footprints were discovered during tunnel mining for coal in Rosewood, some 140m below the ground. Also unusual, these footprints were reversed – and rather than being imprints were actually solid rock forms left extruding from the mine ceiling.
Known as the ‘Rosewood Swamp Trampers’, Ipswich Council decided to honour the creatures that roamed the area 165 million years ago. Once again residing above ground in the land they once inhabited are reconstructions of the dinosaurs, their eggs and their footprints, all to be discovered within the park.
Weird Factor: Reconstructed “Rosewood Swamp Tramper”, replica dinosaur eggs and fossils. Information boards tell of the history of the previous inhabitants of the land.
Facilities:
- Reconstructed theropod dinosaur
- Replica dinosaur eggs
- Replica dinosaur fossil
- Fully-fenced playground for toddlers
- Toddler fort and slides
- Swings
- Large climbing trees
- Sheltered picnic tables
- BBQs
- Toilets
- Parking
Address: 61 John Street, Rosewood
Hercules Street Park
Absolutely bespoke in both its design and clever arrangement of differing play equipment, Hercules Street Park is by no means your usual playground. Unlike anything we have seen before, this ‘weird’ play space is extremely popular with local families and its not hard to see why.
From afar it may not look like it takes up that much space, as it sits within a mostly industrial part of Hamilton. On closer inspection though you will see that the cleverly-designed playground is actually jam-packed with a variety of different play equipment that easily caters for all ages.
From the large cage-like fort maze that kids can explore above the ground, to the netted scrambling tunnels and obstacle courses found below. There are tunnels to uncover, climbing walls and slides, and for the older kids a multi-court play area too. Probably one of the main drawcards on a hot day is their water Aquativity centre, made up from a row of thin-beamed showers. Again, weird, but a big hit with the kids!
Weird Factor: Large, elevated, cage-like maze. Scrambling tunnels. Row of thin-beamed showers for Aquativity water play.
Facilities:
- Large cage tower course
- Tube slide
- Obstacle rope course
- Tunnels
- Climbing walls
- Scrambling nets
- Aquativity area
- Swings
- Spinning wheel
- Multi-court play area
- Green space
- BBQs
- Accessible toilets
- Limited parking
Address: 40 Remora Street, Hamilton
Frew Park, Milton
You would be a little weird yourself if, upon first laying eyes on the playground at Frew Park, you didn’t take a little step back and gaze at it in wonder. Built as an accordion-like structure of high concrete walls that jut out at sharp angles, each one houses within it another exciting and unusual play space for the kids who visit.
Definitely one for the older children, the park includes a multitude of angled climbing walls, 3m high and 3m wide slide, multiple soft play climbing areas, and just a whole lot of unusual places to play in. Although older kids will love the challenges posed here, smaller children are also catered for with musical play equipment and smaller, toddler-size climbing areas and slides.
Built where the infamous tennis centre once resided, Frew Park still plays homage to its historical site in many ways. Giant tennis balls embedded in the grassy lawn make wonderful jumping steps, a giant racket lines one wall of the tennis courts, and discoverable along the many pathways are fun sculptures depicting those who may have once visited the space, from children with their ice-creams and spectators to the tennis.
Weird Factor: Unusual concrete structure and equipment, sculptures depicting children and spectators that would have visited the tennis centre in the past, 3m x 3m slide, overall construction design.
Facilities:
- Angled climbing surfaces
- Giant twist slide
- 3m x 3m slide
- 8m high mesh cage
- Giant tennis balls embedded in the ground
- Fun sculptures paying homage to park’s previous history
- Toddler climb and play area
- Balance spring stepping pads
- Imaginative play control room
- Tennis courts
- Bike and scooter paths
- Tunnels
- Fireman pole
- Mini hirdy girdy
- Musical and interactive play equipment
- Large picnic green
- Cafe
- BBQs
- Accessible toilets
- Parking
Address: Haig Road, Milton
Bray Farm Park
Bray Park makes our list of weird playgrounds mostly because of its unique desire to mix fantastical play equipment with oversized vegetable and fruit play sculptures. Its like the designer wanted to throw in a whole heap of different elements to ensure any child who played here would not be lacking in imaginative play opportunities.
With its Harry Potteresque climbing towers, large scale tomatoes and pumpkins that lay scattered around the playground, and small native animal and bird sculptures that perch proudly atop of the various play equipment, this park is overflowing with interesting and unique fun just waiting to be discovered. Even its sphere-shaped climbing area is like something we have never seen before.
Whilst it may only be small, this playground packs a lot of punch when it comes to spaces that inspire imagination, storytelling and adventure in young minds.
Weird Factor: The unusual mix of playground themes found in one spot. Harry Potter-like towers, oversized produce and native animal figures dotted throughout the playground.
Facilities:
- Harry Potter-like climbing towers
- Slides
- Native animals and bird sculptures
- Dome climbing structure
- Oversize vegetable and fruit sculptures
- Bridge
- Sphere climbing net
- No toilets
- Parking
Address: Riverbreeze Estate on Rivermint Street, Griffin
Colmslie Beach Reserve
Giant marine animals so large you can walk straight into their mouths and a skeleton-like pirate ship with arpeggio pedal notes. That all sounds pretty standard, right? Well, actually no. It is definitely a little weird in comparison to the standard swing sets and slides that most playgrounds exhibit – and that is exactly why we love Colmslie Beach Reserve Playground so much.
Here, your child is limited only by their imagination, with giant fish, octopus, crabs and more opening up a world of play fun beneath the waves. Kids can become an adventurous explorer as they travel in the sweet submarine creature, or find themselves swallowed whole by one of the many larger-than-live sea creatures. There is even a ship carcass whose protruding bones double as arpeggio pedal notes.
Weird Factor: A playground that has giant marine animals you can play within and a bone-like pirate ship that doubles as an arpeggio pedal instrument.
Facilities:
- Two giant concrete fish cubbies
- Bone ship with arpeggio pedal notes
- Submarine climbing creature
- Giant octopus and crab
- Interactive play equipment
- Water play area
- Balance beams
- Flying fox
- Swings
- Bike and scooter track
- BBQs
- Sheltered picnic tables
- Accessible toilets
- Parking
Address: Colmslie Road in Murarrie
We love all of the incredibly unique playgrounds that exist in Brisbane and love the fact that designers are constantly thinking outside of the box when it comes to spaces that will excite curious little minds. If you love playgrounds with a difference you may also enjoy:
Unique Playgrounds in Brisbane
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