Our play environments

Whether it’s climbing, running, jumping, creating, or simply having fun — play helps people of all ages stay active, connected, and well.

Play is more than just fun — it’s a vital part of healthy development and lifelong wellbeing.

For tamariki, play helps improve:

For rangatahi, adults, and kaumātua, play can help:

While Auckland has more than 940 playgrounds across the region, not all tamariki and families have the same opportunities to play.

a lack of safe places to play
unsafe routes to get to parks or playgrounds, for example a lack of safe road crossings or dangerously fast roads which discourage active transport
cost to access play facilities
limited access hours for play spaces, including those in schools
limited play structures in some neighbourhoods
limited time to enjoy play, because of busy family schedules.

To support healthier communities, we want Auckland’s environments to better support safe and free play. This can be achieved through:

providing more free, local, and inclusive play opportunities
increasing access to parks, playgrounds, and greenspaces
creating safer walking and cycling routes to public play spaces
increasing support for community-led, culturally relevant play activities
making the spaces we use everyday more playful — our footpaths, driveways, parks and living rooms.

To create more equitable access to play in Auckland, we can:

support local initiatives that provide free and low-cost play
promote inclusive and culturally relevant spaces
design neighbourhoods that make it easier for everyone to be active and playful
increase support for community-led play, working with tamariki, rangatahi, whānau, hapori and mana whenua. This will help create play environments that are welcoming, accessible, and relevant to the people who use them.

Play doesn’t need expensive equipment. It simply requires opportunities for imagination, movement, and social connection.

Everyday play can be sparked by simple ideas such as: