Explore Inclusive Playspaces: WA All-Abilities Playground Directory
Thinking of new places to explore this school holiday? Heading to an all-abilities playground could be a great way for your family to explore sensory activities, practice turn taking and other social skills and make some new memories together. We have collated a list of all-abilities playgrounds in Perth, Bunbury and Albany along with some of their key features to explore. There’s also a great all-ages playground in Katanning if you’re heading south on the Great Southern Highway and you would like to break up the journey.
What is an all-abilities playground?
Play is great way to have fun, express creativity and learn, so safe public play spaces that consider all-abilities including sensory, social and accessibility support needs are important resources in our community. For people with Autism, play equipment and considerations that can make playgrounds more accessible include:
- Communication boards to help non-verbal kids communicate what they would like to try and how they feel’
- ‘Chill out zones’ to help with sensory processing
- Fencing for safety
- Cooperative play equipment
- Water and sound play equipment
- Wayfinders and instructions to help people know where to explore and how to use equipment
- Swings, carousels and other movement play equipment
Other features to make playgrounds more accessible and inclusive:
- Ramps and soft flooring
- Wheelchair and mobility device accessible play equipment
- Flying foxes with seats and seatbelts
- Touch panels for people with visual impairments
- Accessible bathroom facilities and picnic areas
Scroll down for our list of all-abilities playgrounds with directions and their best features below. Or click here to find the closest playground to you!
Photo: Landscapearchitectureprojects.com
- Jo Wheatley All Abilities Playspace in Dalkeith, Perth
Great features:
- Sensory garden with musical instruments
- Water and sand play area
- Fully fenced
- Swings including upright boat swings, birds nest swing and parent and child swing
- Balancing beam and other climbing obstacles
- Nature play area
- Rope climbing net
- Games area with ping pong tables, ground markings and activities and funnel ball
- Double cable flying fox
- Wheelchair access including wheelchair accessible carousel
- Ramp access to the main wooden play structure
Photo: David Baylis via Perth Now
2. Livvi’s Place Playground in Brabham, Perth
This playground was specifically designed with Autism considerations in mind.
Great features:
- Sensory play equipment including musical instruments
- Sandpits and sand tables
- Water play equipment with pump and channels
- Swings including birds nest swing
- Rope tunnel bridge and climbing net
- Large tunnel slide
- Fully fenced
- Double cable flying fox, including one with seat and safety belt
- Roundabout at ground level with wheelchair accessibility
- Toddler play area
- Rockers and baby swing
Photo: Kids Around Perth
3. Piney Lakes Reserve Playground in Winthrop, Perth
Great features:
- Sensory garden including speaking tubes and labyrinth with coloured peep holes
- Nature-based setting with lots of natural shade
- Large sand pit with play equipment including buckets, pulleys and a conveyor
- Water play with pump, flowing into a creek
- Balance equipment and climbing frame
- Seesaw
- Swings including double toddler swing, all-abilities swing and birds nest swing
- Ring obstacle course
- Waterfalls, lakes and pathways throughout the park
- Wheelchair accessible roundabout
- Accessible toilets with adult change equipment
Photo: City of Albany
4. Eyre Park Albany in Middleton Beach, Albany
Great features:
- Sensory flowers with auditory and visual features
- Talk tubes
- Balance beam and rope climbing frame
- Sandpit with sand conveyor belt, scoops and buckets
- Flying fox including seat and safety straps
- Duck pond
- Wheelchair accessible roundabout
Photo: Whiteman Park
5. Pia’s Place in Whiteman Park, Whiteman
Great features:
- Nature-based playground
- Quiet nooks and ‘perch points’ allowing for observation of play
- Carousel swing, sway rocker, tunnel, nests and basket swings
- Sand play tables and sandpits
- Balance logs
- Lighthouse with large tunnel slide
- Harness swings for the flying fox and pogo swing
- Changing Places® accessible bathroom facilities
Photo: Kids Around Perth
6. Kwinana Adventure Park in Calista, Perth
Great features:
- Sand play area
- Splash pad with interactive buttons
- Musical activities
- Water play area with pump, creek and interactive dam
- A wheelchair accessible tree maze with elevated pathways, climbing walls, balancing beams and sensory play activities through the trees
- Racing slide and tunnel slide
- Toddler area with smaller slides, cubbies and a spinning wheel
- Flying fox with seat and harness
- Giant birds nest swing
- All-abilities carousel
- In-ground trampoline
- Picnic and BBQ facilities including a picnic shelter for hire – perfect for parties
- Shade under the trees throughout the playground
- Accessible bathroom
Photo: Kids Around Perth
7. Sykes Foreshore Playspace in Lyons Cove, Bunbury
Great features:
- Aquatic themed with a huge ship to capture the imagination
- Rainbow harp
- Sand play
- Climbing equipment and balance beams
- Birds nest swing
- Parent and child swing
- Four person clothesline swing
- Handle bar flying fox
- Sea creature sculptures to discover throughout the playground
- Short walk to boardwalk over the water from the playground
Video: City of Cockburn
8. Bibra Lake Regional Playground in Bibra Lake, Perth
Great features:
- Yarning circle and talking rocks teaching local stories and features of the lake that are important to Nyungar people
- Sculptural sprinklers and splash pad
- Musical instruments
- Giant turtle sculpture
- Sandpit with Diprotodon fossil to discover
- Tree style structures and aerial walk
- Double flying fox including seat and harness
- Curly tunnel slide
- Tunnel through a hill
- In-ground trampolines
- Challenging obstacle course for older kids and adults alike
- See saw, nest swing and balance beams
- BBQ and picnic area
- Bathroom facilities with height-adjustable adult-sized change table and a tracking hoist
Photo: Buggybuddys.com.au
9. Variety Place in King’s Park, Perth
- Nature-based design including stunning wood carvings throughout
- Balancing logs
- Nest swing
- Climbing nets and a climbing tower
- Informative signs and find and seek activities
- Rock tunnels and caves to explore
- Maze
- Fort
- BBQ and picnic facilities
- Bathroom facilities
Photo: BuggyBuddys
10. Shipwreck Park in Hibert, Perth
- Shipwreck themed play structure with multiple deck levels, climbing ropes and sea containers, slides
- Climbing wall
- Sandpit and water play
- Double cable flying fox, one with seat and seatbelt
- Basketball court and fitness zone
- Seating areas and a covered BBQ and picnic shelter
- Fully fenced
Photo: Bump Into Mums
11. Woodbridge Riverside Park and Play Space in Woodbridge, Perth
- Double cable flying fox, one with seat and harness
- Cooperative play rope swing
- Wheelchair accessible carousel
- Nature-based setting with tunnels through the rocks
- Sandpits along with ‘fossils’ to uncover, conveyor belt and digging equipment
- Pirate ship
- Water play feature that encourages cooperative play
- Winding path throughout the park
- Liberty swing – a swing that can be used by wheelchair users with full safety locking in place. It can truly swing as opposed to rocking back and forth.
- Fully fenced
Photo: Visit Rockingham
12. Fantasy Park in Waikiki, Rockingham
- Sensory garden
- Touching panels
- Toddler friendly playgrounds
- Large stone sculptures designed for interactive play
- Caves and tunnels
- Disc golf course
- Shaded picnic and bbq areas
Photo: City of Bayswater
13. Gibbney Reserve in Maylands, Perth
- Toddler sensory play
- Sandpit play area
- Logs, steppers, trees and boulders
- Hammock
- Climbing pyramid
- Play mounds and trampolines
- Accessible connecting pathways
- Shade sails
- Park infrastructure including a picnic shelter, seating, BBQ and water fountains
- Native planting throughout the park
Do you know any other fantastic all-abilities playgrounds in WA that should be on our list? Let us know by emailing Communications@autism.org.au.
