Did you know that the city of Berlin has over 1850 playgrounds? No neither did I. Imagine basing your whole visit to Berlin exploring the best of them? Well here is your chance, the best guide to Berlin playgrounds “Spielplatzguide Berlin”.
The Berlin Playground Scene
When we moved to Berlin we had no idea how insanely creative and inspiring the playgrounds here were. The first neighborhood we lived in, Prenzleurberg, had quite a few within walking distance. At the time I thought this was fabulous and attributed it to the slightly more affluent corner of the city we first landed in. I could not have been more wrong. The Playgrounds or Speilplatz”s of Berlin are the hub of every neighborhood or Kiez (I know I’m totally showing off my impeccable German). Kindergartens bring trains of brightly clad children through them every day. After 3:30 pm most are teaming with tiny humans. Some, have enticing themes like Aladin, the Circus, or my favorite, the Dracula playground. Most have water features that get switched on just after Mayday and remain water logged until September. They range from a tiny water pump to a fully synchronized water show. Getting filthy, wet and utterly lost in play is encouraged here and in all honesty isn’t that what childhood is all about.
A few months ago I opened my emails a see one titled “Spieltzguide Berlin”. Well, Halleluja someone had done the hard work for me. A book, fully curating some of the most unique and imaginative of Berlins 1850 + playgrounds. I immediately got in touch with the masterminds behind this title, the Berlin-based publishers Marianna Hillmer and Johannes Klaus and asked to interview the talented travel writer and photographer Cindy Ruch.
Cindy spent a summer visiting Berlins best playgrounds. She would photograph them very early in the morning, empty, often bumping into the crews of maintenance workers quietly keeping these tiny urban oases oiled and clean. Cindy fills the book with not only her photographs but an impressive amount of facts, fun stories and did I mention the Ice Cream tips? Brilliant. Some of my favorites from my Best Berlin Ice Cream guide were here too. What I loved to hear most of all from Cindy was how much these places sparked her own adult imagination and all the hidden treasures (included in the book) that she discovered in her research. The book is currently published in German but even with my limited vocabulary it’s seriously easy to use with beautifully illustrated maps, a rating system of your own, lovely little anecdotes about each location and of course the photographs, so many pretty photographs. BUY IT HERE Or in one of the many independent bookshops dotted around Berlin.
Where to find Berlins Best Playgrounds?
Since I felt like Cindy had really done here research here I asked her to pick her favorites too. Here are her top three.
- Garten der welt – Location, location, location within this incredible Berlin garden complete with funicular try and find the giant wooden whale.
- Heinrich Lassen Scöneberg – a brand new fairytale-inspired castle, little huts with different themes, you can measure how tall you are.
- Ayres rocks in Tempelhof – a pretty good replica of the real deal, you can climb on it and try out your rock climbing skills.
Our personal list of Berlin Best Playgrounds
For those of you who aren’t visiting this site for the first time, you will be familiar with my obsession with Google Maps. I made a humble beginning with the tiniest of great NYC Playgrounds. Full disclosure Manhattan had practically NO playgrounds so this wasn’t a challenge. Our most successful “Second Hand Kids Clothes Berlin” and of course our massive “Berlin Kid Friendly Cafes” I’m not about to start one for playground’s because Berlin Playgrounds is my go to and already does an amazing job. So next best thing a short list of our favorites!
- Spielplatz auf dem Helmholzplatz – Right in the center of Prenzlaurberg, close to ice cream, amazing toy shops, ping pong tables, and even an indoor sandpit should it rain!
- Krausnickpark – Berlins best-kept secret. Behind a house fascad through a tunnel, this urban retreat is well worth the search. Rope swings rose garden and sun loungers!
- Jockel – A giant adventure playground attached to a beer garden. Need I explain more? I should really do a post on this theme alone…
Do you have the best Berlin playground to recommend? The more the merrier, write us in your comments or come and see us here on INSTAGRAM