James Coke Park, Norwood | Review

James Coke Park behind Norwood Mall is one of our top picks for playgrounds in Adelaide for toddlers and little kids.

The biggest drawcard for us is that it’s fully fenced. It’s also nice and close to important amenities – like supermarkets for last-minute snacks or impromptu lunches, and cafes for the all important caffeine fix. And it’s surrounded by beautiful green space.

There are shade sails (newly replaced recently), a rubber play surface for soft falls, and brightly coloured play equipment designed for little people. A hot favourite with the toddlers is the small house which you can climb up into via little steps. It has a roof on it and a small table area inside it, and a nice gentle slide.

If you want somewhere to go where you can relax over a coffee knowing that your little person is safe to enjoy the play equipment James Coke Park is a great option.

What we love about James Coke Park Playground

❤️ It’s fully fenced with two safety gates which open out onto an attractive grassed area.

❤️ For older kids there is a tower to climb with a slide – our school aged kids still enjoy this.

❤️ Kids of all ages will love the oversized seesaw which has room for a bunch of kids to go on all at once – and parents too.

❤️ The brightly coloured musical play equipment, such as the bongos, is fun for little musicians.

❤️ The playground has swings including a toddler swing.

❤️ The lawn area outside the playground is large and has a lot of seating options. There are also some benches inside the playground itself.

❤️ There is a drinking fountain available outside on the grassed area so you can enjoy some filtered water or refill your drink bottle.

❤️ Tables and seats under the shade are a great spot for a picnic lunch. There’s also park benches outside the fenced playground area.

❤️ There’s space for imaginative play – our kids love clambering along the low wall around the edge of the garden, and leaping off onto the path. They also enjoy playing hide n seek amongst the bushes along the fences of the play space.

Things to consider:

❤️ More adventurous toddlers may be able to climb up the large tower, and it’s a bit of a fall to the ground.

❤️ The nearest public toilets are facing the carpark outside Coles, towards the Parade. Be aware they can sometimes lack a bit in the cleanliness stakes, so you might want to have some hand sanitiser and wipes at the ready.

❤️ The toilets are a small walk from the fenced play area so if you’re on your own you will need to take everyone with you when you go. There are nicer public toilets inside the shopping centre where Foodland is situated, including a baby change room (across the other side of The Parade).

❤️ Depending on the time of week it’s usually easy to grab a park in the Coles carpark on Edward/George Street, or alternatively you can park on Coke Street. Be aware of parking limits – the parking inspectors are very conscientious around here.

Coffee and food options nearby

With so many options just along the Parade you can’t go wrong. Coles and Foodland are within a short walk, and there’s so many cafes to choose from if you’re after coffee or gelato. We particularly like Pave for coffee, (3 minute walk) Cafe Bravo (3 minute walk) or Gelatissimo (6 minute walk) for gelato, Grill’d (6 minute walk) for burgers (they do kid-sized burger meals that come in little boxes), and Kintaro Sushi Train (4 minute walk) for a fun sushi lunch with kids. There’s also Cherry Blossom sushi, Boost Juice and Wendy’s in front of Foodland.

Argo (7 minute walk) and Cibo Espresso (5 minute walk), both on The Parade, are also very popular options for coffee.

Click here for all the Best Playgrounds for Toddlers

See our Top Parks & Playgrounds Around Adelaide here.

About Susannah: I’m a mum to three boys and a little girl and I am learning to embrace the chaos. I love my morning coffee, exercise, cranking up some good tunes on the stereo, and heading away to new places on holiday. Originally from New Zealand, I now call Adelaide home and I love getting out and about and exploring all the fabulous things for families to do in Adelaide.

What: James Coke Park

Where: Coke Street | Norwood

When: Anytime

Who: Great for toddlers but primary school aged kids will still find something here to entertain them!

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go.

Want to get all the latest events and activities straight to your inbox?

Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest posts and find out what’s on, where to go and what to do with the kids in and around Adelaide. Newsletters are only sent once a week, and you may even get the odd ‘special offer’ exclusively sent to our newsletter subscribers only!