There’s a particular kind of boredom that sets in once a child hits six or seven and a standard playground stops being interesting. The slide gets done in one go, the swing lasts about ninety seconds, and then you’re standing around while they ask what’s next. Variety Place, tucked into the Saw Avenue Picnic Area at Kings Park, is the answer we didn’t know we were looking for.
This isn’t a playground you do in fifteen minutes. It’s built almost entirely from natural materials, bush, timber and rock, and it rewards kids who want to climb, crawl through tunnels, cross rope nets and work their way along a balance beam rather than just push a button and wait for something to happen.
Where to find it
Variety Place sits within the Saw Avenue Picnic Area, on the Subiaco side of Kings Park at Saw Avenue, Kings Park WA 6005. It’s a short walk from the Kulbardi Carpark, and if you’re coming from the city side of the park, it’s easy to combine with a longer wander through the botanic gardens on the way.
Entry is free, as it is everywhere in Kings Park, which makes it an easy add to a school holidays itinerary without touching the budget.
Why it suits the bigger kids
Most Perth playgrounds are designed with toddlers and preschoolers front of mind. Variety Place feels different. According to Kings Park’s own listing for the precinct, children can discover their adventurous side through a fort, a climbing net, bridges, tunnels and climbing logs, and that’s a fair description of what you’ll actually find once you’re there.
There’s a fort set up on higher ground, reached by climbing rather than a ramp, so smaller children will need a hand while older ones can go it alone. A metal maze runs through part of the site, along with rope nets, a large bird’s nest swing, log bridges and rock piles to scramble over. Wooden insects have been carved into the structures around the playground, which turns wandering around into a small scavenger hunt if your kids are the type who like a reason to explore rather than just a place to run.
It’s the kind of play space where a child can set their own little challenge, get to the top of the fort, cross the balance beam without falling, find every carved insect, and feel like they’ve actually achieved something by the time you’re packing up.
Built for every kid, not just some of them
One detail worth knowing before you go: Variety Place was developed with input from Variety WA, the children’s charity, specifically to include children with disability. Sections of the playground are wheelchair accessible, and the surrounding paths and picnic area were designed with that in mind rather than added on afterwards. If you’re travelling with a mixed-ability group of kids or cousins, this is one of the more thoughtful playgrounds in Perth for making sure nobody’s left watching from the sidelines.
What to bring
There’s very little shade directly over the play equipment itself, so a hat and sunscreen aren’t optional, especially over the WA school holidays when the weather can already be warming up. The grassed picnic area around the playground is a different story: mature trees give plenty of shade there, which makes it a genuinely pleasant spot to lay out a picnic rug while the kids play themselves out.
Practically, you’ll find:
Free parking at the Saw Avenue Picnic Area, with additional bays and ACROD parking at the nearby Kulbardi Carpark. Toilets on site, including accessible facilities, plus a Changing Places facility near Kulbardi Carpark for those who need it. Free electric barbecues and picnic tables scattered through the grassed area, so lunch doesn’t need much planning. A pavilion nearby that can be booked for parties, useful to know if this ever becomes your child’s go-to birthday spot.
Bring water regardless of the season. There’s a fair bit of climbing and running involved, and kids tend to burn through a drink bottle faster than you’d expect at a normal playground.
One thing to know before you go
Because the playground leans so heavily on natural materials, log paths, timber and rock rather than rubber matting and plastic, its condition can shift a little with the seasons and with how recently it’s been maintained. A few recent visitors have mentioned overgrown sections or missing equipment during quieter periods. None of that stopped our visit being a good one, but it’s worth going in without expecting a brand-new, freshly resurfaced playground. Part of the appeal is that it feels like bushland with challenges built into it, not a manicured play set.
Worth the trip
If your child has reached the stage where the local playground no longer holds their attention, Variety Place is worth the drive. It rewards kids who like to work for their fun, climbing, crawling, balancing, hunting for carved insects, rather than kids who want a quick go on a slide and then somewhere else to be. Pair it with a picnic under the trees and you’ve got a genuinely free half-day out that doesn’t feel like every other Perth playground trip.
If you’re mapping out where to take the kids these school holidays, it’s also worth checking how to avoid the worst of the holiday crowds before you head out, particularly if you’re visiting Kings Park during the busier weeks.