Dinosaur plants at the Fantasy Planet and Dinosaur Park, Perdana Botanical Garden. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
EVEN in its bustling urban landscape, the Klang Valley still keeps pockets of green lungs as fantastic public outdoor playgrounds for its young urbanites and their families.
Not only do these playgrounds – each with its unique attractions – offer children an afternoon of fun and adventure, they also make good venues for wholesome family outings.
Here is a list of Klang Valley’s public outdoor playgrounds where every swing and slide brings joy to the whole family.
Fantasy Planet & Dinosaur Park, Perdana Botanical Garden, Kuala Lumpur
This playground has the advantage of being part of the Perdana Botanical Garden, one of the components of greater Heritage Park of Kuala Lumpur.
The playground is set in a theme of fantasy and prehistoric times. This immense outdoor fantasy land has several giant multi-play units like castles with toboggan slides, play panels and monkey bars – all set on rubber ground.
Kids can easily spend hours here under the watchful eyes of beautifully-carved dinosaur plants. There is also a beautiful pond with picnic tables scattered around it.
There is another playground at the Perdana Botanical Garden called Taman Sang Kancil dan Buaya, located at the end of the park.
Bukit Jalil Park (Taman Rekreasi Bukit Jalil), Kuala Lumpur. —YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
Bukit Jalil Park, Bukit Jalil
About 20km from the city centre, Taman Rekreasi Bukit Jalil, or Bukit Jalil Park, is the place to go in the city’s southern suburbs.
Covering an 80-acre site of lush greenery on gently sloping terrain, the low-key park is known for an extensive fitness area with sports fields suitable for football and basketball games, undulating jogging trails, an international garden and playground areas.
Located at the north gate, the playground has three medium and large-sized playgrounds and picnic areas, making it a perfect place for a family day out.
Designed to offer numerous activities and stimulate mind-and-body balancing skills, the park features several play structures like swings, slides and climbing frames.
There are also water play areas and splash pads for little ones to cool down on hot days. Facilities like benches, surau and toilets are available opposite the playgrounds.
Central Park, IOI Resort City, Putrajaya
Since its official opening in mid-June, the 10-acre Central Park in IOI Resort City has been receiving rave reviews on social media, with some saying it is the best park in Putrajaya.
Situated next to Palm Garden Hotel and just a stone’s throw from the enormous IOI City Mall, the park is designed with everybody in mind, from families with little children to fun-lovers and furbabies.
The park offers various sporting and waterfront amenities like a skate and bike park, courts for basketball, badminton, and futsal, and a pet-friendly zone with an obstacle course, among others.
For the little ones, Central Park has a dedicated playground that comes with ample running space between play stations.
Not only does it give children a safe place to let loose, it also allows parents to keep a good eye on them with fewer blind spots.
While it has the typical playhouse, monkey bar and open and fully-covered tube slides, the playground also has fun, made-for-children obstacle courses.
KLCC Park Playground, KLCC. —YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
KLCC Park Playground, Kuala Lumpur
While it doesn’t sit in a residential area, the KLCC Park Playground – in a little oasis surrounded by high-rise office buildings, hotels and the country’s iconic Petronas Twin Towers – is still a top choice among KLites.
The kiddie park is one of the biggest in the city, offering expansive, interconnected playhouses as the centrepiece, with a variety of play equipment scattered around it.
There are also equipment to work up the children’s physiques.
However, what will get the children all excited is the water play area that offers fountains, splash pads and shallow pools while giving parents the opportunity to snap some photos of their kids having a splashing good time with the Twin Towers on the background.
There are plenty of benches for parents to sit while keeping an eye on their children.
Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur. —YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur
Not too far from KLCC Park, Taman Tasik Titiwangsa makes a good contender.
The vast, scenic lake garden has different playgrounds for different age groups – toddlers, younger children and older children.
The toddler and young children section has the usual swings, climbing walls, slides, a rope bridge, tunnels, balance poles, rocking chairs and a spinning wheel, but without the typical playhouse.
For older kids, their playground lets them test their adventurous spirit with a huge wire-cage structure that offers a few levels of obstacles and two spherical climbing structures.
The playgrounds seem to move away from the typically generic, brightly-coloured plastic playhouses to offer more calculated-risk and mind-and-body adventures.
There is also a water play area that conveniently has a changing room with showers and toilets nearby.
