INSIDE: Everything you need to know about the Stratford Olympic Park Playground.
Tumbling Bay playground at Olympic Park in London near Stratford station was our afternoon goal, after a delightful morning spent exploring and playing at the Discover Story Centre in Stratford.
To get there, we walked towards Westfield Stratford City, and crossed the pedestrian bridge, heading towards the London Olympic Park Aquatics Centre.
We were surprised by the many things to do at Olympic Park London – not just playgrounds.
Take a look below for details!
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Best Things to do at Stratford Olympic Park Playground
No.1: Olympic Park Orbit London
The first thing that comes into view is the Olympic Park Orbit (real name: ArcelorMittal Orbit) sculpture, the statuesque red spiral tower with the giant Olympic Park slide.
Head towards it.
Image credit: Alistair Ross via Wikipedia CC BY 2.0
The Orbit Slide
Did you know you can RIDE THE SLIDE at the ArcelorMittal Orbit?
It’s the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide, and it’s inside this amazing sculpture artwork!
Be prepared to whiz down at speeds of up to 15 mph!
Family friendly for kids who are at least 1.3 meters in height and a minimum of 8 years old.
Buy tickets here through Get your Guide
No.2: The Waterworks Fountain
Right in front of the Orbit, the Waterworks Fountain, a labyrinth-shaped water park made up of 195 shooting jets of water, danced in a rhythmical pattern.
Ned dodged the freezing streams of water, but the toddler couldn’t quite beat the unpredictable streams and drenched his ONLY pair of shoes!
Uh oh.
RELATED: The Big List of Best Things to Do in LONDON with Kids
No.3: Olympic Park Carnival Rides
To the right, the Vintage Carnival Rides caught our eye.
Ned flew down the super fun Helter Skelter slide,
Carousel of Cars
Jack rode the carousel of cars.
Best Olympic Park Playgrounds
A little further along, we spied the Pleasure Gardens Adventure Playground in the distance.
The kids ran for it, and I chased after them with the stroller.
That was it.
We didn’t make it any further!
Playgrounds in London for kids
Pleasure Gardens Playground Olympic Park was our final stop for the day, a big afternoon of adventure play and parkour jumping that wore them out.
(Tumbling Bay Playground is back on the list for our next UK trip!)
READ MORE: The Ultimate Guide to the BEST London Playgrounds for Kids (NEW)
Pleasure Gardens Adventure Park London play equipment
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Playground Stratford features:
There’s a GIANT sized sandpit!
BYO sandpit toys.
Slide
And, a super wide silver slides for racing your friends
Swings
- Oversized swings (spider web swings for multiple kids)
- Freestanding climbing walls
Boulder Walls
There’s a vibrant red climbing wall with handholds for bouldering.
Leaping from structure to slide to boulder wall is the ULTIMATE PARKOUR adventure.
We stayed until dark!
How to get to Pleasure Gardens playground
From the Vintage Carnival rides, turn right and walk along this wide pathway (above) until you spy giant upright logs standing to attention.
Walk towards them, then turn left to enter this Olympic Park playground.
Image credit: https://landezine-award.com/tumbling-bay-playground/
How to get to Tumbling Bay Playground Olympic Park
The actual Tumbling Bay playground in Olympic Park is further away in the northern part of Olympic Park.
This natural environment nature play area features:
- very cool rock pools with water pumps
- fountains and wooden platforms
- swings, and
- plenty of space to run about.
The Tumbling Bay nature playground is whimsical and full of quirky timber treehouses with netted walkways, wobbly bridges, and rope bridges too.
Tumbling Bay playground has giant slides, a hands-on sand play area, bark pathways, and more.
It’s the best nature playground in London to play hide-and-seek with your newly found friends.
The Tumbling Bay kids playground in London sits alongside the Timber Lodge community centre and café. Parents and kids can relax with a range of fresh, home-cooked food and drink.
Tumbling Bay Olympic Park playground is 10 minutes walk from Stratford station (if you can get further than we did!), or enter via Abercrombie Road if you arrive by car.
These are the two best Olympic Park activities for kids.
THE INSIDE SCOOP: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Playground London
Correct at time of publication on Roam the Gnome. Please check with venue for updates. We apologise in advance if there have been any changes we are unaware of. All prices in British pounds, unless otherwise stated
Visit Olympic Park for both Pleasure Gardens Adventure playground, and Tumbling Bay Playground
Address: The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Kids Playground for children is on Olympic Park Ave, London E20 1DY, UK
Entry fees: FREE (Vintage Rides & the Orbit cost extra.)
Olympic Park London Opening Hours
9am to 5pm
Olympic Park Water Fountain Opening Times
The Olympic Park fountains opening times are from 9am to 5pm.
Water fountains operate from March to October, and are closed during the winter months due to lower temperatures.
How to get to Olympic Park London by tube, train & car
By Tube: Stratford station (20 minute walk) is served by the following:
- Central & Jubilee lines
- Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
- National Rail services operated by Greater Anglia and C2C.
- London Overground
By Train: Stratford international station (20 minute walk) is served by the following:
- Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
- Southeastern High Speed 1 services
Pudding Mill Lane station (10 minute walk) is served by the District Light Railway (DLR)
Hackney Wick station (20 minute walk) is served by the London Overground
By Bus or Bike: Please click here for details
By Car: Don’t bother. Take public transport.
Olympic Stadium Parking
The closest car parks to London Stadium are at Stratford Westfield.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Map
Toadstool Rating: Olympic Park London Playground
MORE Things to do near Stratford London for Kids
Here’s a perfect London day out with kids itinerary.
No.1: V & A Museum of Childhood London
Begin your day with a trip to V&A Museum of Childhood.
This is one of London’s best museums for kids, with bucketloads of toys to play with, hands-on activities and the best kids meals around.
No.2: Old Spitalfields Market
Stop by Old Spitalfields Market for a peek around the stalls if it’s the weekend.
No.3: Discover Children’s Story Centre London
Head next to the Discover Story Centre is opposite the Stratford Tube Station on High Street.
We HIGHLY recommend this place for kids under 10.
Awesome!
Finish the day by visiting the Olympic Park playgrounds in the early afternoon to wear the kids out before bed.
Done. London Explorer Day sorted!