Play parks on the Isle of Wight

Let the kids (big and small) run off some steam at one of our play parks. Many are completely free to visit but we have also included some paid entry ones that are just too good to miss out…

North Wight

Gurnard Seafront

A popular haunt with little ones. Gurnard Playpark houses a fantastic pirate ship climbing frame ready for kids to let their imaginations run wild. The setting is possibly one of the best on the Island too - you can be pushing the swings whilst looking straight out across The Solent. It’s also a great spot for a picnic or you can visit the pub just opposite, The Woodvale, for a bite to eat to get your energy up for another round at the park!

Cowes

Set next to the local community club and opposite Cowes Skate Club, this park is a large space for kids to really let loose. There’s a good mix of traditional park apparatus as well as some more modern pieces, all designed for fun. With the skatepark next door, it’s a great location to bring your board or scooter and give it a go.

Northwood House

A great place to explore, Northwood House is set in approximately 10-hectares of landscaped grounds and even has tennis courts available to use. A popular spot with dog walkers and families, the grounds are beautifully maintained. There is a dedicated children's play area that is fenced off, housing the classics including swings, a slide and a seesaw.

Venner Avenue, Northwood

One for the football lovers. The park itself is small but well-equipped and maintained, but what really makes it worth visiting is the small football pitch alongside it. Great for a kickabout, or even a semi-serious game.

East Cowes, Osborne

Just by the carpark for Osborne House, you’ll find a great play area for families which is completely free. If you are paying to visit Osborne, you’ll find another playpark by the Swiss Cottage and also ‘Victoria Fort’, a mini barracks built by Prince Edward and Prince Alfred as a birthday surprise for Queen Victoria.

East Cowes seafront

A perfect pitstop when you’re that bit too early for the Red Funnel ferry, East Cowes park faces out across the sea towards what’s known to local sailors as ‘The Shrape'. The park itself has a paddling pool which is a godsend in the hot sun, as well as a zip wire and a little cafe serving up family favourites.

Central Wight

Church Litten

Right in the heart of Newport, the Island’s capital town, Church Litten is a large expanse of green field with a small playpark fenced off. Ideal for smaller children, the location is perfect when you have a bit of time to kill or need to bribe the kids to go around the shops for a bit.

Seaclose Park

Positioned alongside the River Medina, it’s a great spot to let kids and dogs have a good play. There is a paid-for car park nearby, although if you eat in the local Table Table restaurant at the bottom of Seaclose, you can get your parking for free, so it’s a good park to combine with a family meal out.

Victoria Recreation Ground

A bustling park, you will find children, dog walkers, keep fit, yoga and park runs all going on. There’s also a cricket pitch in the middle. The playpark itself is fenced off and you can park for free here. Set on the outskirts of Newport town, it’s a great place to stop on the way home from the shops.

East Wight

Puckpool Park

Set in an old barracks, you can have some much fun here just roaming around before you even try the playpark, crazy golf or tennis courts! The park is good for a wide age range with a variety of apparatus, including zip wire, roundabout and large climbing frames. There’s a cafe on site with a lovely garden to sit in when the weather is fine.

Appley Park

Set right opposite the golden sands of Appley Beach in Ryde, this park is a great one to combine with a visit to the beach, or a flat walk along the coast. Stroll along and grab a cuppa at one of the beachside cafes at either end of this strip and then let the little ones play as you look out across The Solent.

Bembridge Park

Right in the heart of Bembridge Village, this playpark is a great find. Set within a large pitch which is perfect for picnics, running around, playing cricket or football, there is even an outdoor adult gym meaning you can get yourself a workout too! There’s free parking on site as well as well-maintained public toilets

Rainbow Park

Set in Sandham in Sandown, the Rainbow park is a great place for kids to let off some steam and for parents to have a bit of a rest. As the name suggests, it’s a bright and colourful park with all the equipment you would expect, plus useful picnic benches to sit and eat together as a family.

Shanklin Park

On the outskirts of Shanklin Old Village as you head towards Bonchurch, Shanklin Park is a large grassy area set alongside woodland and with a small lake attached. Ideal watching ducks as well as having a good play, it’s perfectly situated for a stroll into the Old Village afterwards.

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

As well as steam engines, woodland and a cafe, the Steam Railway also has an appropriately themed playpark for families to use so you can really tire the kids out all in one place!

Wildheart Animal Sanctuary

Spend a day at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary and also enjoy a play about in the recently upgraded animal-themed park featuring a giant tiger play frame, monkey hut with lion lookout point, meerkat boulder stack, basket swing, toddler swings, lizard climbing beam, lemur climbing course, trampoline, rope swinger, also a lion, duck, wallaby and turtle bench. Phew!

Amazon World

After marveling at the variety of exotic animals, you can choose from an under 5s play area, over 5s play area or the paid-for soft-play barn.

South Wight

Ventnor Park

Although there’s no play equipment here, this award-winning park is well worth a visit. Beautifully manicured lawn and flowerbeds surround a meandering stream that runs through the park, where you can feed the ducks. There’s a putting green and a great little cafe and you’ll often find free live music taking place at the old bandstand.

Seabreeze Playground

The view from this park is worth the stop alone, you look right out over the English Channel and across Ventnor Esplanade. There’s a good mix of play equipment plus the quirky town of Ventnor is right on the doorstep, making it an ideal way to pass some time as you spend a day in Ventnor.

Ventnor Paddling Pool

Although not technically a playpark, it’s well worth a mention as who doesn't love splashing around in a paddling pool shaped like a mini version of the Isle of Wight? Kids can play on the island, finding their favourite places whilst grown-ups can marvel at the beautiful Cascade gardens that hug the cliffside.

Ventnor Botanic Garden

Finding the park in Ventnor Botanic Garden is half the fun as you get to explore the gardens too. It’s a great spot for a picnic and you’ll often find families rolling out a blanket and producing Tupperware out of bags. There are great places for kids to make a den and more than enough space to run around.

West Wight

The Stroud

In the heart of Freshwater Village, The Stroud offers a large space, perfect for a kickabout and you’ll find plenty of dogs chasing a ball. There is also a good range of play apparatus as well as a fenced-off park for the little ones, plus a fun adult gym area too.

Yarmouth Park

Set just off Tennyson Road, this park is popular with locals and is set alongside a football pitch that gets regular use. There’s a good mix of equipment, much of which is fairly new and very well-maintained. This is a great place to wait if you are that little bit early for the Wightlink Yarmouth to Lymington ferry.

Brighstone

This large expanse of greenery sits in the pretty village of Brighstone and is a regular haunt for the local children with the school being very close by. There is a pretty stream that hugs the edge of the park and if you’re feeling adventurous, a walk to the legendary Dragon Tree is only a few minutes away!

Tapnell Farm Park

There’s so much to do at Tapnell Farm Park, that it’s a great all weather day out. There's a jumping pillow, sledge slide and Wallaby Walk for finer weather. Indoors, you’ll find trampolines, peddle go-karts and straw bale play zones, with bridges and tunnels to explore.

Discover more things to do on the Isle of Wight here.