17 Inclusive Playgrounds for Kids with Special Needs in New York
One thing New York has is playgrounds. There are also inclusive playgrounds throughout the city with sensory and adaptable features that allow kids extra support, such as adaptable swings, cushioned flooring, and parks with wheelchair-accessible features.
Psst… Check out these 10 Mini Golf Spots Around NYC!
Manhattan
Bloomingdale Playground
907 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY, 10025
Bloomingdale Park is praised as one of the best inclusive playgrounds in all of New York. It has a large flat playground with cushioned flooring and safety fences.
The beautiful train-shaped play area is full of exciting sensory activities that are available to all kids with a splash area nearby. There is also a basketball court and grass area open for every kid to enjoy.
East 110th Street Playground
14 East 60th St, New York, NY, 10022
East 110th Street has a simple flat playground that every kid can easily have access to.
This Central Park playground is focused on fostering imagination and creativity with its simple wooden structures and water displays that can become anything in your kids’ minds. The structures have accessible ramps and a layout that make it exciting for any kid to play around in.
Little Flower Playground
Madison St. &, Jefferson St, New York, NY, 10002
The Little Flower Playground is the perfect place to take your kids if you’re looking for some beautiful scenery to accompany their playing. The playground is surrounded by lovely trees, and the design of the play structures also honors the nature surrounding the park.
Everything is very accessible including a basketball court and walking area, making it a place everyone in the family can enjoy.
Matthew P. Sapolin Playground
270 W 70th St, New York, NY, 10023
Formerly called Playground 70, the Matthew P. Sapolin Playground is a fully accessible park that kids can enjoy no matter what capabilities they have.
It has a children’s garden with accessible bridges, musical instruments built into the play area, and basketball hoops with adjustable backstops for those in wheelchairs. It’s one of the top inclusive playgrounds in the city, and will be a joy for any family to visit.
Robert Bendheim Playground
1184 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029
The Robert Bendheim Playground is located in Central Park, and has been recently renovated to better meet safety and accessibility standards.
It has many inclusive features including adaptive swings, water features, sand tables, and sound generating play structures to help stimulate kids’ senses. Everything there is meant to be universally accessible for any kid to enjoy.
Queens
Dutch Kills Playground
36th Avenue &, Crescent St, Queens, NY 11106
Dutch Kills Playground is an excellent location to take kids, especially those who need more open space or sensory activities.
This playground includes several spinning features as well as things your kids can touch and learn from. It has padded flooring to avoid injuries and also features open spaces where your kids can run and create their own fun.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park: Playground for All Children
11101 Corona Ave., Corona, NY 11368
The Playground for All Children was one of the first inclusive playgrounds constructed in the United States, and has been the model for many more after it.
The playground was designed to accommodate children with wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, and more. It also has play structures that stimulate social, cognitive, sensory and motor activity for every kid.
Jurassic Playground
Meadow Lake Dr. & Meadow Lake Trail Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Forest Hills, NY 11375
If your kids love dinosaurs and want to go to the park, this is the perfect combination that anyone can enjoy. Jurassic Playground honors the Jurassic Period with images and structures dedicated to all kinds of dinosaurs.
The playground is also equipped with safety surfacing and other play equipment that makes the park accessible to most any kid.
Laurelton Playground
136-20 Brookville Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11422
Laurelton Playground is a brightly colored park with play cars and structures that everyone can enjoy. The padded ground and flat surfaces make the area accessible for any kid to play in.
It has several sensory activities and cars that will make kids feel like they’re on a real road. The car theme opens your kids’ imagination and allows them to explore the park in a more unique way.
Brooklyn
Elizabeth Stroud Playground
Stuyvesant Ave. and Fulton St., Brooklyn, NY 11233
Elizabeth Stroud Playground is a bright boat themed park that will stimulate your kids creativity and allow them to play no matter what their accessibility limits are.
It is full of interactive gears and the entire play structure is shaped like a boat allowing your kids to be pirates and sailors. Your kids will have a great time in this playground with endless ways to be entertained.
Sandbox Village at Pier 6
334 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
If your kids love playing in the sand and you want to see what other kinds of inclusive playgrounds are in the city, this play area will entertain them for hours with tons of fun sand activities.
This soft sand will engage your kids’ senses and allow them to let out their creativity with the freedom to form anything they can make up in their minds. There are plenty of water elements and fun structures to give kids a fun day out.
Bronx
The Imagination Playground
145th Street & St. Ann’s Avenue, The Bronx, NY
The Imagination Playground is a revolutionary idea thought of by architect David Rockwell to foster creativity and individuality. The playground was designed to be like a trunk full of treasures with playing blocks and other movable objects so your kids can make the experience fun for them.
There are several Imagination Playgrounds in every borough, so you’ll be sure to find one close to your area.
Pelham Bay Park: Playground for All Children
5001, 3533 Bruckner Blvd, The Bronx, NY 10461
Similar to the playground in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, this Playground for All Children was created specifically to accommodate kids who are in need of inclusive playgrounds.
This location has several sensory activities for kids to get involved with, and easy access for kids with wheelchairs and crutches. They also have adjustable basketball hoops, water features, and beautiful scenery to make the trip fun for everyone.
Long Island
Andrew J. Parise Park: Boundless Playground
257 Cedarhurst Ave, Cedarhurst, NY 11516
The Boundless Playground at Andrew J. Parise Park is one of the inclusive playgrounds that focuses on safety and fun for everyone. They have an accessible sprinkler area and ramps on all of their play structures to make sure kids can have limitless fun.
They also have a small rock climbing wall, interactive play features, and other ground level play structures that kids can enjoy.
Bay Park
199 4th Ave, East Rockaway, NY 11518
Bay Park was recently renovated in 2014 following superstorm Sandy, and has included accessibility features to make their playground available to everyone.
They have a spray area and several sensory play features that will stimulate your kids’ mind while they have loads of fun. The ground is flat with no lips in order to allow wheelchairs easy access to all features.
Eisenhower Park: Let All The Children Play Accessible Playground
1899 Park Blvd, Westbury, NY 11590
This accessible playground is one of the largest in the area where every kid can have a good time. This park has dozens of brightly colored play structures meant to be inclusive for all while giving them tons of fun options.
There’s a wheelchair accessible merry-go-round, adaptive swings, climbing structures and plenty of other fun activities to give your kids a full day of fun.
Oceanside Park
3800 Mahlon Brower Dr, Oceanside, NY 11572
Oceanside Park is known as one of the inclusive playgrounds with wheelchair accessible swings that don’t require kids to move out of their wheelchair to play. The swing has a pull chain that allows kids to swing themselves without having to kick their legs.
It’s a special experience for kids who’ve never been able to swing by themselves to feel independent and free. There are other fun play structures that will make for a great experience for every kid to enjoy.
