Inclusive Playgrounds and Playspaces you should know about
All-abilities playgrounds are universally designed to include adaptive equipment, high-quality surfaces, and many innovative features to welcome children of all ages and capabilities to play. Inclusive play spaces are popping up all over, and we love seeing them. These eight are within an hour’s drive of us in the Oakland/Berkeley area (on a good traffic day). If you know of more, please drop a comment!
Littlejohn Park (Alameda)
About 20 minutes from Berkeley, Littlejohn Park outdoor playground is wonderful for all abilities with climbers, swings, and sensory playthings.
Location: 1401 Pacific Avenue, Alameda
Memorial Park (San Leandro)
20 minutes from Berkeley, Memorial Park got a complete makeover and is now San Leandro’s first accessible playground. There is ramp access to most play structures, musical instruments surrounding them, an in-the-ground merry-go-round, and a four-person teeter totter. It has lots of slides—including a cool metal tube with a large landing area and a roller slide. Other fun features include permanent corn hole and chess and checker tables.
Location: 1105 Bancroft Ave, San Leandro
Nearby: Zocalo Coffeehouse, highly recommended for its kids’ play area, and lots of great lunch spots less than a mile away on E 14th Street
Matteo’s Dream Playground for Children of All Abilities (Concord)
About 30 minutes from Berkeley, this mostly-gated playground has the goal of allowing children who cannot walk, see, or hear can play safely alongside children who can. Matteo’s Dream is part of Concord’s Hillcrest Park.
Location: 2050 Olivera Rd, Concord
Mia’s Dream Come True Playground (Hayward)
About 35 minutes from Berkeley, this fully-gated all-abilities playground has accessible play structures, swings, slides, and a magical toilet. Mia’s Dream Come True Playground is part of Tennyson Park with additional fields and courts.
Location: 28377 Huntwood Ave, Hayward
Nearby: Within a few blocks on Tennyson Road, you’ll find ice cream, hamburgers, and pizza.
Imagine Playground (Dublin)
About 40 minutes from Berkeley, this inclusive outdoor playground with many climbers, structures, sandpits, climbing domes, lovely landscaping, and all-abilities everything, Imagine Playground is at the Dublin Sports Ground with additional sports fields.
Location: 6700 Dublin Blvd, Dublin
Always Dream Play Park (Fremont)
About 50 minutes from Berkeley, this smallish, inclusive, outdoor playground has water play, sandpits, spinners, and climbers. It is part of the much larger Central Park and Lake Elizabeth recreation area. Learn more about Always Dream >
Location: 1110 Stevenson Blvd, Fremont
Find more resources for families with special needs >
Pine Meadow Park (Martinez)
About 40 minutes from Berkeley, Pine Meadow Park in Martinez is a smaller, all-abilities outdoor playground offering a low-key, inclusive play area. The park features a play structure and swings that accommodate children of all abilities, making it a great spot for a relaxed outing with family.
Location: Pine Meadow Dr, Martinez,
Magical Bridge Playground (Palo Alto)
About an hour from Berkeley, this inclusive outdoor playground in Palo Alto’s Mitchell Park, Magical Bridge is a very large play area for big imaginations and all abilities. We think it is wonderful and worth the drive for East Bay families.
Location: 3700 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto
Inclusive Indoor Play Spaces in the East Bay
Spirited Play Labs (San Ramon)
Membership-oriented indoor play space for children ages 0-7 curated by developmental specialists for your child’s growth and enjoyment. View website >
Locations: 2930 Shattuck Ave #206, Berkeley, and 2220 Camino Ramon, San Ramon
Swings and Wings (Alameda)
Sensory-rich, inclusive play space for children, including developmentally enriching equipment and offering occupational therapy. Visit website >
We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym (Antioch)
An indoor play gym made specifically for kids on the spectrum, though open to all. The gym has uniquely designed sensory equipment that is specifically designed to aid children with sensory processing disorders. Open gym, birthdays, classes, and more>
ZyLand Indoor Playground and Learning Space (Concord)
This indoor playground offers monthly special needs playtime, select Wednesdays at noon (for children under 6). Expect natural lighting, soothing nature sounds, low stress environment, socks optional. More info here>
Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
3 thoughts on “10+ All-Abilities Playgrounds and Play Spaces Near Oakland”
I would like to remind parents of non disabled children that these parks were created for kids like mine that have autism and other disabilities to be able to swing and have fun like other kids. My autistic child has a hard time swinging on a regular swing so an adaptive swing is amazing. What I have noticed is that some kids are very mean to the kids like mine in a park that was made for them. Please remind your kids to be nice to the disabled children that need the park that was made for them. Thank you!
It would be wonderful if Berkeley/Albany could develop an adaptive play area. It really is hard to go to the park with a kid in a wheelchair.
Martinez now has its first ever all-abilities playground in its first new city park in this century. Call Brianne Zorn, our wonderful mayor for the story. Tell her Thousand Friends of Martinez contacted you.
Tim Platt