Berkeley's Best Playgrounds

Hey moms and dads, grandmas and nannies, friends and neighbors! It's time to slide, swing and sandbox it up for your favorite kid (or kid at heart.) We've scoured the web and reviewed the Yelpers thoughts to narrow down the best tanbark pit in town. Today, let's take a look at Berkeley's Best Playgrounds.Tag, you're it!

Codornices Park

1201 Euclid Avenue
Berkeley, CA
(510) 981-6700
Codornices Park

You can't beat a 40 foot concrete slide, not to mention basketball courts, a baseball field, BBQ pits and a tunnel to the Berkeley Rose Garden. What more could you want in a playground? This 1915 vintage park has been delighting children of all ages for nearly a century.

Tilden Regional Park Merry-Go-Round

Tilden Park, Berkeley, CA
(510) 524-6773
Tilden Regional Park Merry-Go-Round

One Yelp reviewer nailed his review: "Stuff like this is what makes living in Berkeley so freakin' awesome." This gorgeous merry-go-round is inexpensive, features a snack bar, in located in the huge and popular Tilden Park and takes debit cards, thus making it easy and convenient to have an awesome afternoon.

Shorebird Park Nature Center & Adventure Playground

160 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA
(510) 981-6720
Shorebird Park Nature Center

Open weekends from 11-5, the Adventure Playground is a hit for anyone that like to get dirty. As seen in National Geographic, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, this spot is regarded as one of the top five play spaces in the country! Kids 7 and up can play on funky forts, zip lines and towers at this conceptual playground. The playground is free for up to four children as long as they're accompanied by a grown-up. And don't worry. The grown-up gets to play too.

Children's Fairyland

699 Bellevue Avenue
Berkeley, CA
(510) 238-6876
Children's Fairyland

For over 60 years, this a ten-acre park on the shores of Oakland's Lake Merritt has brough children's literature to life with whimsical storybook sets, gentle rides, friendly animals, wonder-filled puppet shows, and inspired live entertainment. Admission is $7 for everyone, and don't miss the PB&J at the Johnny Appleseed Cafe.

Frog Park

Hudson St and Claremont St
Oakland, CA
Frog Park

This park was built by the actual North Oakland Community it serves. The huge, wooden playground looks like the ultimate treehouse, complete with thinking nooks, a bouncy bridge and a creek for exploring. Walkers can stroll the connecting greenbelt path, which is fully accessible for the disabled. The only downside is: no potties. Plan accordingly.

photo: via My East Bay Agent Blog