Kings Square Gardens

Well, this park and garden is sublime.
And I would know as I am an expert in outdoor parks in and around Old Street/​Barbican/​Islington. Why? Because I have a toddler in London, which means I have a toddler in a small flat, which means we MUST get outside or everyone goes crazy.
So on this particularly lovely Saturday morning we walked to Kings Square Gardens on our babysitter’s recommendation. She has a tendency to exaggerate so I wasn’t expecting it to be so great, but it is.
When you don’t have kids you probably think all parks look the same. I did. Now I don’t. There are some parks that standout and some parks that basically suck, and Kings Square is a GEM.
First of all — water and sand. This combination can keep a small person busy for like 15 hours without much else. I blissed out catching some rays as my little guy trounced back and forth back and forth back and forth back and forth between 2 fountains. He was in absolute heaven. Throw in a few curbs and a HUGE sand pit, and wow — all set.
But it gets better — a great slide built into the side of a hill. Why is this great? Because you don’t need to worry about the small kids and a ladder or about them falling off the sides of the slide. This was an activity on repeat for about an hour as well. Genius.
Beyond that it’s super well cared for, very clean and nice people go here. Police rode through on some horses and waved at the kids. Dogs are welcome and visible from the kid area, but in their own area so things don’t get weird. It’s green and lush with beautiful trees and grounds. It’s peaceful and the kids love it.
We shall be regulars, very happy to have found it and I hope it helps someone else along the way as well! People, we need more park reviews!
Park features (from the
website): play space, large sand pit, climbing frames, swings, slide, play huts, roundabout, grass mound with water pumps, children’s toilets, interactive water play feature, bog garden, pergola, planting beds and seating AND mature trees.