Looking for a great new adventure playground? The new Thornlands Community Park, opened mid-2020, is the result of a collaboration between the Redlands City Council and the local community to create an outdoor space for fun, activity, and adventure. Young minds are inspired by the different play areas, while parents can relax in the shade within its fully fenced and serviced boundary. Take a look at what makes Thornlands Community Park an epic family destination!
Thornlands Community Park play areas
Whatever your child’s age or ability, they’re going to love the inclusive play areas! There are several themed areas, safely appointed with soft fall of mulch, sand, lawn or rubber.
The ‘pre-school’ play area
The toddler and pre-school play area has a farm and produce theme. A quirky little cubby house serves as a store and cafe, with play plates at the tiny ‘dining’ area and an educational display board of fruits and vegetables. Place your order through the speaker box and exit the store via the mini slide!
Scattered around this area are giant fruits and vegetables for your child to find and identify, plus other fun and educational activities to explore.
The ‘big kid’ play area
How awesome is this fort! The huge climbing and adventure area is a dream come true for active kids. When ‘the floor is lava’ there are limitless escapes through this maze of sky-high net tunnels, epic climbing towers, scramble nets and giant slides, elevated over a mulch soft-fall base. Suitable for ages 4 (with close supervision) up.
The sand play area
There’s lots to dig about this area! Children can hone their gross motor skills on the mechanical diggers, or discover a dinosaur in the archaeological dig box. Bring out their inner koala or bear with a race to the top of one of the climbing poles!
This area is a sensory paradise of texture with different surfaces to explore. Suitable for toddlers and primary children.
The water play area
You know you’ve found the water play area when you spot the giant frogs! While it’s not quite a splash zone in the league of Springfield Water Park or South Bank Parklands, the kids can certainly get wet!
This water play area teaches your creative engineer how to move water from one area to another. A series of troughs, pumps and pipes all lead to a shower head for a cooling soak. The spiral tube magically draws water up from the basin at the bottom into the trough at the top – a great STEM learning activity for little kids.
Best suited to kindy and primary aged children.
The flying fox
The flying fox has a twin zip line perfect for races!
Inclusive play equipment
Play equipment has been provided for wheelchair users and children of different abilities. A wheelchair ramp leads the way to a rocking tractor ride, and a specially designed swing is available for some wheelchair-free flight time!
The mini roundabout is great for all abilities: it is on flat surface providing perfect access for wheelchairs, and has a seat and standing area so everyone can join in the fun. Signing boards are provided to enable verbal and non-verbal children to communicate and form new friendships.
Thornlands Community Park facilities
Take a picnic or snags along with you and find a table under one of the gazebos or shady trees, or spread a blanket on the lawned areas. Toilet facilities are also located within the fenced playground area.
The park is well catered with numerous shade and seating areas, free barbecues, water bubblers and bottle filling stations, and litter bins. There is a car park alongside with 39 regular spaces and five disabled parking spaces, plus on-street parking for busy times. Parking is also available in the neighbouring Pinklands sporting complex.
What else can you do at Thornlands Community Park?
There’s no denying this playground is awesome, but it gets better! The playground is part of a bigger area that includes a huge oval for ball games and running around, and level paths for cycling and scootering. The Moreton Bay Cycleway runs through the park on its journey through nearby bush and wetlands, including the Thornlands Community Park as a convenient pitstop for a picnic and refreshments.
Keep an eye on the council’s what’s on page for open-air cinema and community events held at the community park.
Getting to Thornlands Community Park
The Thornlands Community Park car park is located on Waterline Boulevard, Thornlands, just off Cleveland-Redland Bay Road.
Please note: dogs are not permitted within the fenced playground but can be walked on a leash around the oval.
Things to do nearby
Thornlands Community Park is centrally positioned between Cleveland and Victoria Point. Visit Cleveland Point for great fish and chips as you watch the sun set behind the lighthouse. A stroll along the stunning Victoria Point foreshore provides fabulous views of the islands and the opportunity for beach play. Shopping and dining is available at both towns.
Grab a coffee
A mobile coffee van makes a regular appearance at Thornlands Community park, but timing is intermittent. If you miss it there are several options nearby.
Jungle Beans Cafe on nearby Dinwoodie Road is in a beautiful enclosed outdoor setting with mini farm animals that your child may be able to pat. A personal favourite of ours is what we affectionately call The Library Cafe, but is properly known as The Espresso Bar. This cafe has excellent value for money delicious meals, and is part-way incorporated into Victoria Point Library. You can choose to sit inside the library, where children can browse the books and activities on offer, or outside in the fresh air. Find it at the Lakeside Shopping Centre, Victoria Point.
Looking for more things to do in the Redlands? Check out our Redlands round-up here.
It would be helpful to have a google map.