Martha’s Vineyard playgrounds are amazing and there are a lot of them!
As a frequent visitor to the island, I know that at some point on our vacation, my kids will get bored hanging out with their parents and want to meet other kids, or they’ll just need a break from the beach or a place to burn off some excess energy.
That’s why I’m on a mission to visit all of the outdoor playgrounds on Martha’s Vineyard to find out what ages they’re most suitable for and what else makes them great! Here are my favorites so far.
Best playgrounds on Martha’s Vineyard
1. Robinson Road Recreation Area, Edgartown
The Robinson Road recreation area on Marchant’s Path is located next to the Martha’s Vineyard Boys and Girls club in Edgartown.
This is my number one pick if you’re looking for Martha’s Vineyard playgrounds for toddlers or if you’re visiting Martha’s Vineyard with a baby. It’s an ideal spot for the under 6’s.
The absolute best thing about this playground is the SAND surface! We have always found it to be clean and free of anything sharp or dangerous so my kids whip their shoes straight off when they arrive and don’t put them on again til we leave.
If it’s not quite beach weather but you have a little one who loves to build sandcastles, bring all your beach toys here.
The playground is split into 3 large sections – kind of like big sandboxes with a low wooden wall around them. This creates a boundary which is good for keeping very young children somewhat contained but it’s simple enough for kids over 2 or 3 to hop over.
One section contains a large play structure for young kids, the second section has a large structure for older kids and the third section has swings and a tall spiral slide.
One thing to note – there are no bucket-type swings for babies here, just the standard ones for older, independent swingers. This is the only downside to this playground if you have a toddler or baby who loves to swing but I still think overall, there is a lot for very young children to do here.
There is plenty of parking at the playground but no stores or restaurants nearby so bring snacks and drinks with you and pick up a coffee on the way! It’s about a 10- 15 minute walk from downtown Edgartown if you’re not driving.
Don’t forget the sunscreen (this is one of my favorites for kids) either as there are no shaded areas. There are a couple of picnic tables here but the low wooden wall is a good place for parents to perch because you will have a (mostly) uninterrupted view of your children while they play.
2. Edgartown School Playground, Edgartown
This playground is right next door to the Robinson Road recreation area. We almost never visit one of these playgrounds without going to the other one too. You take a very short walk across a grassy field to get from one to the other so it’s really easy to do both in one visit.
This and Niantic Park (see below) are my recommended playgrounds if you have a group of mixed-age kids because there is something for each age in both these locations.
This is one of a number of schools with playgrounds on the island. These Martha’s Vineyard playgrounds open outside of school hours for visitors which makes them ideal in the summer months. They’re not accessible when school is in session or if there’s a summer camp, but you can use them on Saturday and Sunday.
The surface is wood chip. There is a fenced area with a gate that contains a large play structure and a small sand box. This is fully contained and suitable for young elementary-age kids although my youngest was comfortable playing here from around 2.5 years old, with help in some spots.
There is some shaded areas from trees here and a few picnic tables and benches.
Outside of the fenced-in playground are two large structures and swings which are older elementary kid-friendly. There are no shaded areas or tree cover around these. There are a few picnic tables with benches in this area if you want to have a family picnic.
There is plenty of parking at the school but no bathrooms, water fountains or stores nearby so bring snacks and drinks with you. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from downtown Edgartown if you’re not driving.
3. Niantic Park, Oak Bluffs
Much more than just a playground, Niantic park is an incredible community facility full of family-friendly activities and ideally suited to mixed-age groups of children. The park has basketball courts, tennis courts and pickleball courts.
All the information on how to book a game is on the Oak Bluffs Parks & Rec website. If you are looking for things to do in Martha’s Vineyard with kids, this should definitely be on your list.
There are separate play structures dotted around the park with helpful signs on each showing what ages they are meant for.
The surface is a soft, synthetic rubber material. The playground has some wooden fencing (with gaps) around it so it’s not fully contained.
My kids love this playground but because the structures are spread out and many of them have interior spaces, I find it hard to keep eyes on them as they are moving around. They love to disappear into the wooden lighthouse and not come out for ages!
It also tends to get busy here in the summer months. Occasionally groups of older kids waiting for their basketball court bookings spill over into the playground which can get a bit overwhelming for the small ones
The swing selection here can accommodate everyone! Plenty of older kid swings are available, there is one tyre swing, one bucket swing for babies and two accessible swings with harness straps.
There is a small amount of shade provided by tree cover here and one or two benches. There is a covered pavilion area with a table in the center and bench seating around the outside. This is a great spot for a birthday or other outdoor event but you may need to book the area in advance.
There are restrooms and a drinking fountain on site. There are parking spots on the street but in peak season, it may be difficult to get one close by.
Niantic Park is so central it’s an easy walk (under 10 mins) from Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs town beach, the harbor and ferry terminal so there are plenty of stores and restaurants nearby. Sharky’s is a great family friendly option for lunch or dinner and they have a children’s menu.
State beach is a 5 minute drive away along the scenic Beach Road.
While you are in the area, you should check out Ocean Park. it’s around a 10 minute walk from Niantic Park. If you’re visiting Martha’s Vineyard with a toddler who just wants to walk and run everywhere, this is the spot for you.
It’s a beautiful grassy lawn area with pathways for walking and a pond in the middle. You have a beautiful view of the ocean on one side and the colorful gingerbread houses of the Camp Ground Association on the other.
4. Playground behind West Tisbury Town Hall on State road.
This is one of the smaller Martha’s Vineyard playgrounds. I feel the structures in it are best for ages 6 and under. We love this one because the equipment is totally different from the ones in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs.
There is a merry go round for kiddos who love to spin, monkey bars that are not super-high off the ground, spring riders for rocking and a small rope climbing frame.
There’s also a swing set with the full selection – bucket swing for babies, tyre swing, accessible swing (although harness straps were missing when we last visited) and standard older kid swings.
The surface is wood chip. The playground is not contained although there is fencing on two sides, the town hall on the other and a grassy area on the 4th side separating it from the main street.
There is some shade here from the trees and a few picnic tables with seating. There is plenty of on street parking and you are steps away from some great stores.
My suggested mini-itinerary (if you want to make a morning of it) is to head for 7a Foods first and grab one of their phenomenal breakfast sandwiches and some coffee. I got a delicious cookie here recently which you should absolutely try. Don’t let the name put you off…. it’s called Compost!
Stroll to the playground which is only a 2 minute walk and enjoy your breakfast while the kids play. It’s easy to have them in view at all times with the layout here.
Then head back to Alley’s general store (right next to 7a) to shop for snacks, toys, beach gear, books or pretty much anything else you can think of.
5. Martha’s Vineyard Airport Playground, West Tisbury
This is a really unique setting for a playground. There are not many places you can sit on swing while you watch planes fly by, take off and land.
This is a good playground if you have to kill time before a flight and I honestly think every airport should include one. My children are much more relaxed on a long flight if they can work off excess energy before boarding.
However, it’s a very small playground, the equipment is a little old and some was broken when we recently visited so unless you have children who love planes, I wouldn’t recommend travelling here specifically just to use the playground.
There is one small play structure with a short slide and 3 airplane-themed spring riders for rocking. There’s also a swing set with one bucket swing for babies and 3 regular swings for older kids who can swing independently.
The surface is wood chip and there are lots of trees around to provide shade and a couple of picnic benches
This is my least favorite of the Martha’s Vineyard playgrounds we’ve been to so far. Mainly because strange-looking caterpillars kept falling from the trees! They were on every piece of equipment and we witnessed more falling while we were there.
Of course, my children loved this and were really excited by these odd creatures crawling down the slide. I wasn’t so enthusiastic! Maybe it doesn’t happen year round but if you visit in August, like we did, this is something you might encounter.
The playground is not fenced in but there is a grassy area separating it from the parking lot so you won’t be too close to traffic. The parking lot is large and parking is free for the first 3 hours. There are bathroom facilities inside the airport.
Indoor Playgrounds on Martha’s Vineyard
There are no public indoor playgrounds on Martha’s Vineyard but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do on a rainy day. All of Martha’s Vineyard’s libraries are havens for children on a cold or damp day.
The Oak Bluffs library has a huge kids area with a collection of board games, colouring tables, places to do a craft project, kids computers and various other puzzles and spaces to play in. You can spend hours here and you don’t have to be an island resident to access this service.
The Martha’s Vineyard museum has a small play area inside and there are many more options on this list of 20+ Martha’s Vineyard indoor activities.
The wrap up: Best Martha’s Vineyard playgrounds
We’ve explored some amazing playgrounds on Martha’s Vineyard that are perfect for unstructured play time for kids of all ages. The best playgrounds we found were at Niantic Park (mixed ages) and the Robinson Road recreation area (great for babies and toddlers).
These playgrounds have a variety of equipment, including swings, slides, and climbing structures. They are well-maintained and have soft rubber (Niantic) and sand (Robinson Rd) surfaces, making them safe and fun!
Overall, Martha’s Vineyard has some fantastic playgrounds located around the island that provide a safe and fun environment for kids to play in. I can’t wait to visit more of them and will be updating this post regularly.
Follow Martha’s Vineyard with Kids on Instagram and watch the “Playgrounds” story highlight to see more photos and videos of each playground.
More Martha’s Vineyard things to do with kids
- 25 Epic Martha’s Vineyard Summer Camps for 2023
- The 21 BEST Martha’s Vineyard Rainy day activities
- 5 Best Martha’s Vineyard Jaws Tours (2023)
- Martha’s Vineyard Travel Guide
