There’s nothing better than finding a new (and newly renovated) playground that offers FREE fun and outdoor play for your kids. Here are some of our favorite parks and playgrounds in Metro Detroit, perfect for your kids to run, jump, slide, swing and even zip-line!
Belle Isle (Detroit)
Kids Row – 7000 Inselruhe Ave, Detroit, MI 48207
Playground on Oakway Road – 176 Lakeside Drive, Detroit, MI 48207
Not only does Belle Isle offer great views of the city and fun (and FREE) museums, it has epic playgrounds too! The new Playground on Oakway Road is located next to the Belle Isle Nature Center and has zip line swings and a tall tree fort slide. Kids Row has multiple play structures with space and areas for kids of all ages.
Booth Park (Birmingham)
210 Harmon St; Birmingham, MI 48009
Booth Park has a scenic walking trail that follows the Rouge River, and a labyrinth and tunnel with beautiful landscaping. The play features include a massive castle-like structure with a water spray feature perfect for hot summer days. There’s a separate toddler area with a large trolley, sandbox, and swings along with a shaded table area with a Little Free Library. The most unqiue feature is the artificial turf hill that kids love sliding down with cardboard boxes!
Country Farm Park (Ann Arbor)
2230 Platt Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
The former farm features a farm themed play structure including a butterfly and windmill that are great for a photo. Community farms are located next to the playground for kids to see how things grow, there are miles of nature trails and public restrooms.
David H. Shepard Park (Oak Park)
24198 Church St, Oak Park, MI 48237
Shepard Park has a play structure, tennis and basketball courts, an ice arena, sledding hill, walking trail, outdoor pool and a giant wooden train for kids to climb on!
Hess-Hathaway Park (Waterford)
825 S Williams Lake Road, Waterford, MI 48327
Hess-Hathaway has a large playground for kids and even better it has a historical farm house and real farm animal!
Inglenook Park (Southfield)
20901 W 12 Mile Rd Southfield, MI 48076
Inglenook’s play structure is designed to look like a farm and it’s located next to a historic barn. There’s also jogging trails for a walk and restrooms.
Lakeshore Park (Novi)
601 S. Lake Drive Novi, MI 48375
Lakeshore Park has beach access, bike trails, two play structures, pavilions and several washrooms and open play fields. The trails are for either one main walking and hiking trail, or several mountain bike trails. They just added some small little trails in the open areas for kids to practice their biking skills. In the winter it has a really good sledding hill.
Mae Stecker Park (Shelby Township)
8600 Twenty Four Mile Road, Shelby Township, MI 48316
Mae Stecker Park features three play structures that are great for kids of all ages. After the kids wear themselves out at the playground take a stroll around the lake and through Heritage Gardens to find fairy gardens.
Maybury State Park (Northville)
20145 Beck Rd, Northville, MI 48167
The new playground at Maybury State Park is a must visit. The modern structure has zip line chairs, ropes course, fast slides and a firetruck. Not only that but it’s located right outside the entrance to Maybury Farm, close to gorgeous walking trails and bathrooms.
McClumpha Park (Plymouth)
46640 W Ann Arbor Trl, Plymouth, MI 48170
McClumpha Park has two large play structures a traditional wooden castle structure the kids will love to get lost in and a newer ADA playground with large slides, bridges and rocking seat. There’s a children’s train next to picnic shelter and paved walking path. In the summer months kids can run around on the open-access splash pad.
Rotary Park (Livonia)
Six Mile Rd & Hubbard St, Livonia, MI 48152
Rotary Park is one of Livonia’s largest parks and features a new universally-accessible playscape, horseshoe pits, baseball diamonds, volleyball and tennis courts, picnic pavilions and a walking trail.
Shiawassee Park (Farmington)
32340 Shiawassee St, Farmington, MI 48336
Shiawassee Park in downtown Farmington has a bigger structure for the older kids and a smaller structure for the littles. It is surrounded by a large fence to provide peace of mind that your kid won’t run off without you noticing. There is also a creek that runs along a paved trails for walks or duck sightings.
Waldenburg Park (Macomb)
19225 21 Mile Rd, Macomb, MI 48044
Play at the playground, there’s a large structure for bigger kids and a smaller one on the side for toddlers. Then take a stroll along the Middle Branch Clinton River.
These are some of our favorite parks but we want to hear from you! Where do you take your kids to play outside and why?
Photo credit: County Farm Park
