Twenty thousand square feet of scrap timber, hammers, paint and a zip line, where children build whatever they want and adults are asked to sit on the lawn and stay out of it. Trained playworkers supervise without directing, so five-year-olds and teenagers genuinely run the place. If you want to hand your kids a real afternoon rather than an attraction, this is the one.
What to expect
An enclosed, deliberately unfinished outdoor site full of pallets, tools, paint, dress-up materials and half-built structures. Children aged 5 to 19 play self-directed under trained playworkers while adults wait outside on the lawn. Under-fives use a separate family play area alongside.
Good to know
- Ferries run from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street, and seasonally from Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 and Red Hook.
- All ferry passengers ride free on weekend mornings; later boats are ticketed for adults.
- Every child needs their own waiver; play:groundNYC recommends filling it in online before you arrive.
- Dress children in clothes that can get ruined, and closed shoes are essential.
- Under-fives use the separate family play area rather than the main adventure yard.
- It runs weekends only, so this is a Saturday or Sunday plan.
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Common questions
Do parents go in with their children?
Not into the main adventure playground. Children aged 5 to 19 play independently under trained playworkers while grown-ups wait on the lawn. Under-fives use a separate family play area.
What do we need to bring?
A signed waiver for each child, which play:groundNYC recommends completing online in advance, plus clothes and closed shoes you do not mind getting wrecked.
Is it safe?
It is supervised throughout by trained playworkers from play:groundNYC, a non-profit that has run the site for years. The risk is deliberate and managed: children use real tools and build real structures.
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