Sackville Playground is a park in downtown Toronto’s Corktown neighbourhood. It’s located along King Street East, a few minutes walk east of Parliament Street. If using public transit, the King streetcar (both 504A and 504B) will get you right there (there’s a stop right in front of the park). As well, the Parliament street bus (bus 65) plus a short walk east also works.
A completely revamped version of the park was opened in late 2018. It is a huge upgrade from the former park. The previous version of Sackville Playground wasn’t well used. It was the park you would take your child to if you were trying to avoid people – all the while inspecting the ground carefully upon arrival. Now, the complete opposite is true. It’s rare to be there by yourself – and it’s super kid friendly. It’s a real testament to the work the city did to make the park a great destination for kids.
Now, let’s get to the details. Most of the park is fenced in (the playground, splash pad and most of the grass), with a smaller portion of the park outside of the fenced area.
Large trees make up part of the park, providing a shady escape, if needed. There are a few picnic tables on the grass area – with the playground in full view. In addition, there are benches throughout the park (one in particular being right along side the main playground area).
Most of the playground portion of the park contains the rubberized surface you see in many modern playgrounds now. It’s great for kids jumping around (and makes it easy to spot anything on the ground that may be concerning). The swings section of the playground contains a mulched/wood chip base with the splash pad portion of the playground being concrete.
What does Sackville Playground offer for the kids?
- Two slides: One fat/short one for smaller kids, and another that you need to climb atop the structure in order to use.
- A dedicated log/rope climbing structure
- A modern roundabout that’s climbable (it’s fairly heavy to turn, so this is a job for the parents, in many cases)
- A main structure that’s climbable in multiple ways: Rope ladder, wooden ladder or by conquering the log and rope combo that’s connected
- Vertical logs that make a game of tag much more interesting
- A small splashpad: Controlled by push-button, there’s a fountain/trough portion as well as multiple other fountains, along a concrete base
- Swings: Seven swings in total (three standard swings for smaller children; two ‘big kid’ swings; one adaptive swing; one saucer swing)
Forgot extra water? There’s a bottle filling station in the park.
Does Sackville Playground have washrooms? Unfortunately, no. The closest ‘public’ washrooms are likely at The Distillery District, which would be around a 10 minute walk south with your child. Else, take a break and support the local businesses. Grab a snack or lunch and make use of the facilities. One option: Henrietta Lane: A small cafe/eatery offering everything from sandwiches to cookies to beer and wine. Additional options exist a short walk east along King Street, closer to River Street.
Can I bring my dog? Only if it stays in certain parts of the park. Dogs aren’t allowed on the playground/water portion of the park, as well as in the garden beds. That said, this park tends to be a favourite of dog owners in early morning hours.
Sackville Playground is highly recommended by this writer. The playground offers something for all ages – with unique and challenging play structures. A large amount of grass allows for easy picnicking. The water features help on those hot summer days.
If you live in Corktown, St. Lawrence, Moss Park or Canary/Distillery Districts (possibly even the west side of Riverside), this playground will be one of your staples.
Have a take on Sackville Playground? Feel free to share in the comments below.