Constable Hyde Memorial Garden Playground Leabrook
Review by Susannah Marks 20 March 2019
We are excited that this brand new playground at Constable Hyde Memorial Garden is now finished and ready to be enjoyed.
Constable Hyde Memorial Garden Playground is just over the road from Woolworths Marryatville Kensington Road and is located right in the middle of Leabrook, Heathpool, Kensington Park and Kensington. With a tranquil park setting and appealing play equipment, Leabrook’s playground upgrade is a great addition to the eastern suburbs.
The playground is mostly fenced and has lots of grassy space where kids can run free, as well as trees for natural shade.
The play equipment is brand new and includes a basket swing and a metal slide, as well as some climbing equipment that will be a fun challenge for older preschoolers. When we were there today there were a few workers in high-vis putting the final touches on the landscaping, but the presence of a few noisy leaf blowers tidying up freshly mown grass was nothing to deter the bunch of enthusiastic toddlers who were keen to give Leabrook’s newest playground a test run.
Play equipment at Constable Hyde Memorial Garden Playground Leabrook
- basket swing
- slide
- two man-made hills
- little library
- lizard
- some nature play elements
- wooden washboard noise maker
- climbing structure
With a variety of play equipment including some nature play elements, there’s sure to be something to keep most kids happy.
Lizard
The bright red, shiny lizard was the first thing my little person spotted as we arrived at Constable Hyde Memorial Garde Playground. It’s sure to be a big hit with little people who will enjoy climbing on it and walking along it.
Hills
You’ll also find two manmade “hills”: one with a climbing structure on top of it, the other with a metal slide.
There are log stairs to climb to get up to the metal slide.
Slide
The slide is good fun to race your friends down – it’s quite a fast slide so be prepared for the ‘dismount’!
Climbing structure
The second of the two hills has a rope bridge you can walk along to get to the top of a climbing tower. You can also climb up the tower via a climbing wall or ladder.
Birds-nest or basket swing
We love a birds-nest, or basket swing. They’re so much fun for multiple children to enjoy together.
Wooden washboard noise maker
I’m not sure what the technical term for this is but our playground testers enjoyed making noise with it by running the stick attached to it down the side and over the little grooves along each side.
Little Library
Look out for the little library at the southern edge of the playground.
It’s such a nice idea to bring a book from home and swap it for one of the books in the little library, or you could just borrow a book to read while you’re at the playground.
There are a few shady spots to sit and read a book, or to watch the action.
Bring bikes or scooters and enjoy the paths through the park.
Things to consider
- It’s not entirely fenced
- There are bark chips under some of the play equipment which you may want to keep an eye on if your toddler likes to put everything in their mouth
- There are no shade sails and although the park does have some established trees we’d still recommend bringing hats and sunblock
Map link for Constable Hyde Memorial Garden Playground Leabrook
Food and coffee options nearby
We stopped in at the Woolworths in Marryatville (on Tusmore Avenue, just off Kensington Road) and grabbed ourselves a picnic lunch to enjoy at the park. There were a couple of nice shady spots to sit including a picnic table with bench seating. Other people were enjoying picnicking on the grass.
In addition to the supermarket there are other food options in the same shopping area including:
- a cafe
- a Noodle Box
- a bakery; and
- a Yoghurt Shop
Or you could go a bit further afield. Options include:
- Saha – for excellent coffee | 303 The Parade | (1km away) and the Dulwich Bakery next door
- Eats – they also do great coffee | 324 The Parade | next to Surreal Hair
- Eastern Sushi Bar | 329 The Parade | (850m)
- Marryatville Pizza Pan | 236a Kensington Road | (3 min walk)
- Hula Hoop | 2/269 Kensington Road | (more for grown-up nibbles and drinks); and
- the family-friendly Marryatville Hotel just over the road.
❤️ Given the new Constable Hyde playground is so close to the supermarket and other amenities we think it could be an excellent spot for birthday parties. There’s even the Regal Cinema over the road.
This review was written and photographed by Susannah Marks. Originally from New Zealand, she now calls Adelaide home and loves getting out and about and exploring all the fabulous things for families to do in Adelaide. See her blog Seesaws & Cellar Doors for more of her work.
Our list of the best playgrounds for toddlers
See our top parks and playgrounds around Adelaide here.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Burnside Council website.
What: Constable Hyde Memorial Garden Playground
When: Open Daily
Where: Cnr Kensington Road & Tusmore Avenue, Leabrook (opposite Woolworths Marryatville)
Who: While this playground will have elements that are fun for toddlers, we think it’s idealy suited to children aged 3-7 years
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 Susannah Marks for Play & Go. See her blog Seesaws & Cellar Doors for more of her photographs.
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