If you want to support us and are looking for a complete listing on Morris, Bergen, or Sussex/Warren county guides, purchase one of these playground guides via this link, you are supporting the efforts of our NJ Playgrounds Site and Amy Lamperti of “the playground guide“, another fabulous mom of 3.
Map of some of our biggest/best Northern Playgrounds (missing Montville). Check out our descriptions below and our Central/South Jersey playgrounds too.
Over the summer, we have visited quite a few playgrounds thanks to recommendations from other moms and dads from parks, and also from City Data If you’d like to see ones that got our interest, click on Featured Playgrounds
This includes:
North Jersey (Bergen/Hudson): Lyndhurst Town Park – which has a great sprayground open from 11am-4 in the summer. It’s open as of June 20,2009! Also it is pretty new, and it has a great wall to practice handball or your tennis swing.
Van Saun Park (Paramus), my favorite in Bergen County that has a train you can ride for a $1.50, that takes you through a dark tunnel and through part of the zoo. Yes there’s a zoo, stables, a newly renovated half-finished playground, but should be done soon, and a carousel. My boys think the train is the best part. check out our link
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I recently visited Ross Park in Fort Lee, which is really great for grillling and very scenic, (you drive right under the George Was by the rocks you can throw some bread to feed the ducks.
They also have the super spinner thing that the kids clamor for (see photo on right)
North Jersey (Morris/Essex/Union): Castle (Shunpike) Playground (Chatham), word of mouth suggestion from many many parents, when I ask what’s their favorite this one comes up in the Summit/Madison/Short Hills area.
Camp Jefferson (Jefferson), great big fenced one, with a skate park. Dodge Field (Madison) – Nice fenced in one close to downtown Madison.
Gardner Field (Denville) is wonderful. There are some jumbo slides once you get past the little obstacle course.
Verona Park- Beautiful picturesque area, and great playground. Watchung Reservation- Hey, how can I forget my own county, I love Watchung, it also has a great Trailside Nature Center open from 12-5PM daily.
Another great one is the Community Playground in Montville that has some great structures. It is sprawling, and has great structures for all ages, including the super slides shown on the left.
If you want gigantic, you have to visit Ralston Playground in Mendham, I’ll have to start getting stats for square footage, because it is getting tougher to compare big playgrounds.
North/Central Jersey (Somerset/Hunterdon): Kidstreet is a great wooden castle playground with picnic tables, wooden structures. If you are on your way to PA on Rt 22, this is a great stop. Rainy day? Stop at KidJunction, an indoor favorite of our family.
Central Jersey (Monmouth/Ocean): Castle Park II (Toms River)- Awesome playground which is huge, fenced and very popular;
Dorbrook Recreation Center (Colts Neck) – Wow, this place is hopping in the summer with a great water table, sprinklers galore in a fenced area. The playground is also very expansive with a huge sand area with multiple sand tools available.
If you are searching for a park for summer sandal weather, check out our No-Wood-Chip Parks Post, it has some really nice playgrounds there as well, including some mentioned here. Also we really want people to post feedback, so PLEASE comment (register first) on parks you have visited, we’d sincerely appreciate it!
As a bonus, we’re having a giveaway, click here for more info!
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