Adventure Playground

Wonderful playground that offers a unique experience for kids. Must sign a waver before entering and most definitely monitor your children. The playground offers free donated wood to build with, tools - hammers and hand saws- nails, hinges, and water based paints. In order to acquire hand tools kids must use a magnet on a string to find lost nails or pick up trash. The playground has been constructed with donated lumber. The kids use their imaginations to build something. They can also add onto existing infrastructures and paint their projects. The playground inspects all new additions daily to assess any public safety issues. The playground is a close walk to ample parking and the view of the bay is stunning! Kids love this place!!

Parents, watch your heads when helping little ones. Lot of low beams. Our kids had a blast!

Something for everyone here. Kids use powerful magnets on a string to collect discarded nails, then turn them in for a tool (hammer/saw). It's equal parts a fun place to play and imagination wonderland. Kids can nail or saw anything they would like. The saws are pretty dull, so they are really hard for kids to use. The ziplone is for ages 6 and up. It's fun. Parents must accompany any kids under 18 and sign a liability waiver at the entrance. The entrance is free. There are public restrooms and a playground right next door. Great place to pack a lunch and spend the day.

When I took my seven year old here, he took a long look around before declaring "Dad this playground isn't safe!" I wouldn't have it any other way, I've never seen him so cautious. Needless to say he loved it, it still has the 'they let kids do this?' Charm I remember from coming when I was a kid. Super dangerous, super fun, I highly recommend. There is regular playground nextdoor if it doesn't fit your liking.

I love that this place still exists! I frequently came here as a child in the early 90’s and got to visit with my boys before a flight out of Oakland recently. It’s close to the airport and easy is a great place to get some energy out for kids before a flight. Great place for kids in general!

Adventure playground is an awesome place to play and let your kiddos explore my son has been coming since he was 2 along side his older sisters. Now that he is 8 , he really enjoys building and adding on to the playground. The adventure usually last anywhere from 2-4 hours. We usually take a break at the park next door, eat and return to adventure playground.

I’m sure adventure playground is fun. The ground is the sound mixture which my kid doesn’t like. The communication and information about hours is so unclear. The website made it seem like to go midweek in the summer we needed a reservation. However when we showed up it was drop in and free. We could have avoided the hassle of coordinating a group.

My kids' favorite place in Berkeley. They could spend good 3-4 hours easily here. They keep themselves very busy with building forts with boards and also hammering away. Great way to be creative with building materials. A little bit of supervising for safety (using nails and hammers), it's a great place for kids to experiment. The zipline there is an icing on the cake! All the staffs & volunteers I've met are so friendly and dedicated. I've noticed that they were always very patient with kids. This is one of those places that I would recommend to visit and experience while visiting SF bay area with kids in age of 6 to 13. It's now much harder to find this sort of kids playground in US.

Since many of the Bay Area cities run parallel to open water, "Shorebird Park Nature Center" is the perfect destination for family-fun activities. Located adjacent to the southern shoreline of the Berkeley Marina and right off of University Ave in the western part of Berkeley, this 6+ acre park is a perfect place to enjoy year round as they are open every day from 6:00am-10:00pm. Ever since its opening back in 1984, it has become a very popular destination for families, children, and pets. I came here with my lady during the afternoon of Saturday 4/12/2025 at around 3:30pm. Surprisingly, there was an abundance of available parking spots even with the beautiful 68°F weather that this area was seeing this particular weekend. I will say that the abundant space this place provides makes it a family-friendly destination for every walk of life. Some of the amazing views combined with the dedicated shorebird Nature Center, picnicking sites, and children's play areas really make this place shine. Since I wanted to emphasize how beneficial this place is for children, there is a tot play area (for children under 6), an adventure playground (that is a wooden structure), and lots of space for the kids (and pets) to freely roam and explore. There are also public restrooms, BBQ pits, lots of trash bins, picnic benches and walking trails that wrap around the entire marina. I also wanted to add that there is a gravel beach that is sometimes used for kayak launching as well as small boats. All in all, "Shorebird Park Nature Center" is one of the better destinations that caters to all walks of life. Whether you are into picnicking, catching in some Vitamin D (on a sunny day), taking the dog(s) out for a walk, or watching your kids enjoy their childhood, this is a clean, well-manicured park that will impress many. With that said and done, I am giving this place a unanimous five-star review.

I mean giving kids hammers and saws and letting them f&$k s&$t up is so FUN! What could go wrong? Let's find out. If you hurt yourself oh well maybe you should be more careful with tools. It's beyond awesome. My son loves this place. Highly recommend if you're a free range parent.

The Shorebird Park Nature Center & Adventure is clearly a special place to come and walk, take advantage of water sports and number one... bring the kids. This park is located in the Berkeley Marina area and the perfect spot to enjoy nature and take in some relaxing views. I was visiting my grandchildren the Berkley area and my son arranged this day trip for us. What a fun place to be. Parking was extremely easy and it's just a minute walk to the water and kids adventure playground. Adjacent to the park is the 'Adventure Playground' which is a great area where kids can be kids and explore. They build, paint, create structures and add to the exsisting ones. What I saw most of were kids with hammers and nails building (with the moms next to them of course.) It is a fun and 'creative environment for them to explore and be kids while working collectively with their parents. After my my grandkids finished playing in this area, they all ran down to the water, climbed rocks and really had a good time. The park itself offers picnic areas and lots of benches to sit and watch all going on around you (see pictures). KUDOs to the teams at Shorebird Park Nature Center & Adventure Playground

Shorebird Park Nature Center is absolutely incredible! Their conservation work with wildlife, like turkeys, is impressive. It's a vibrant, inspiring spot that shows how much we should respect our environment. A must-visit for an energizing nature experience!

Such a unique and awesome playground. The park reminds me of growing up in the country and making fun out of whatever your surroundings are. My kids love the zip line, rolling in the tires, creating new structures within the park and creating art.

Easy path, close to the water. A lot of signs posted about car break ins so just be aware and careful!

I love the playground and area. The staff here needs to get trained on customer service . My son and I were here yesterday and we asked the girl that was working there how we make wood into a circle, and she shrugged her shoulders and said " I don't know ". Another lady told me that she asked her questions and she didn't know the answer or would give her answers that had nothing to do with her question. For reference, there was two Hispanic boys, one Caucasian girl working in the back and the girl that we are referring to was African-American . One of the guys did try to help us.

This review is strictly for Adventure playground and not the rest of the park. I went here with my 7 yo son on Sunday Jan 5 as he loves the playground and this wasn't our first time here. I am a cautious parent and believe my child's safety is my priority so he had on an apron before beginning to paint and paint he did throughout the playground staying out of other children's way and really just happily minding his business. Once he decided to paint on a pipe that it looked like two 9 yo girls were also painting on. Before he began he asked them if it was ok if he painted in a specific area and if they could stay out of his area and they agreed. He began painting and I soon saw these rude feral little girls picking on him, painting in his area and throwing sand. At first I let it play out and let him voice to them to kindly stop and leave him and the area he was painting alone. Then one of the little girls says it's not his and they could paint wherever they wanted, and the other gets a full bowl of paint and purposefully splatters it all over my son. It got on his face and all over the apron that he was thankfully wearing. I went to one of the staff and asked them if throwing paint on other children was acceptable and she told me no, and told the girls to stop and to only use the paintbrushes and not pour the whole container out. The feral children's guardian was not even in the playground and once the staff member went away they continued to violate my child's space and boundaries. Once the guardian came back I explained the situation and they straightened the girls out, but the staff failed awfully here. If a child is using a tool in a way that isn't safe and you can see it is affecting others-- why continue to give that child the ammunition to bully and harass? And if you know the children you're bringing are ill behaved make sure you have an eye on them! Idk if we will ever return these staff need to get it together and be more responsible just because it's a kids playground does not mean there shouldn't be respect and rules for safety.

When I was a kid we somehow had wood around and built some amazing forts: underground forts, aboveground forts, 3-story forts, forts in the creek, and forts in the trees. Probably the older kids did most of the heavy labor. I remember getting chances at the hammer and saw and moving around some seemingly hefty lumber. Somehow, the structures ended up being sound enough to hold our weight. Some stood the test of several years. We laughed and played in those forts. Some among us, ran and hid in those forts. We knew how to carry plywood and boards. We knew how to swing a hammer and use a saw. Now I live in the city and I guess kids here don't get those kinds of experiences. But thanks to Adventure Playground kids DO get chances to hammer nails and saw wood. They're allowed to build or destroy things, mostly with wood. Play structures already exist with ample possibilities for climbing and crawling, over and under, and such. We're not allow to cut like, major support beams, but seems like we're allowed to add on or remodel to our heart's content. To get a tool, you gotta minimally help clean up by finding, for example, 5 nails. And tools are limited in quantity, so you kinda have to wait your turn, but they have hammers and saws, paint and brushes, aprons, and fun getting-dirty and building-muscles kinda toys. There's also a zipline! It's FREE! ! ! If you choose to give a thumbs-up or not, I hope you found my review helpful!

BEST PARK EVERR !! My kids had SO much fun, everything is handmade but I enjoy the risky play. They get to paint and build stuff and make friends. There's a clean bathroom nearby and water as well. We stayed until closing, so much fun.

This business is very family friendly and has creative ways for kids to build and use their carpentry skills. Great bonding time for families. :)

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too Went with my girl and some peeps we knew! "Hooray!" "What fun!" Building and painting and running around Climbing and swinging above the ground On the zip line, "It's time we flew!" Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too. Ickle was captain, and Pickle was crew And Tickle served fruit and other things to chew My girl started digging a canal She's a stubborn gal And found a dead skull This park ain't dull! Her energy was higher And higher And higher she flew Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too. Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too Over the sun and beyond the blue. Where the Sidewalk Ends Some of the words were lends Shel Silverstein is the man I am a fan. This park is more than a junkyard. The weekend is here, it's no longer barred. "Hold on!" "Stay in!" "I hope you do!" Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too. Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too An adventure park we never knew And nobody Knows why We can't have a park like this in the Southbay? Worried about liability, true? Dear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle me too.

Although it has been awhile since we visited, this park was really different in that you actually got to build and create the park with your hands. If your kids are creative, like to build, or crafty, try giving this park a try. We had the best experience and stayed much longer than anticipated. Even today, 7 years later, they actually still dream of this park (my younger daughter saw a picture of her and her cousins at this park and asked where this park was because she had a dream about it). She got excited and said that she still want to go even though she was in middle school. My high school daughter came out of her room when she heard the commotion and joined in the excitement asking if they can go back (if you know my older daughter there isn't a lot that gets her to show her emotions nor motivate her to leave the house; she is a lot like Pusheen:) ).

Beautiful park to sit and enjoy some sunshine, it almost felt like a live petting zoo due to all the animals that gather round you while you go for a short walk or sit down for a picnic.

This park is a gem. An excellent place to spend some time with the kids. Totally different than any other park you will visit. The kids get hammers, saws and paint and they go to town. They can build to their heart's desire. It's different now than pre-Covid times, but just as fabulous. The staff is amazing. They really love what they're doing. So happy this is open and thriving.

Review for 11a entrance on a Saturday, August 2021: - highly recommended - wear clothes where you don't mind getting dirty in, have paint on (paint is washable) - closed toe shoes is a must - get there early in case there's no parking in the small parking lot - bathrooms are outside, remind your little ones there is a little walk to the bathrooms - you only have 1 hour allotted time, play on the structures and paint first, then if your little one(s) are interested, started a wooden project/saw/hammer. - Zip line is for kids 6 yrs and older. - there's another playground outside Adventure park with sand, bring sand toys and picnic. - we will be back for sure!

[This review was written by my seven-year-old son.] I like building tire ladders, taking apart the play structures, and taking home wood creations! I recommend using a metal detector to find five nails to get a tool like a paintbrush, hammer, or saw. I don't like the limited hours and it gets crowded.

Adventure Playground is a Berkeley gem that reflects the innovative and somewhat quirky nature of the town. We were invited here for a birthday party, and the kids had a blast creating structures (ramps, walls, steps) with nails, hammers, and wood panels. Can't believe this place is free with a parent supervising, and only $10 is you leave your kid here with the staff. Also there was a cool zipline although that was pretty busy most of the time.

Every community needs an adventure park for kids to climb, paint, hammer and create. Such a fantastic concept and execution, college age kids helping younger kids learn and kids of all ages enjoying. Also a great reuse of old pallets, donated building materials and miscellaneous items including a boat and a piano. Loved every moment of our time here.

Easy five stars, no question about it. The Adventure Playground is a unique play area in the Bay Area. It's designed on the fly, built, and upgraded by kids who grab a hammer, nails, saw, paint, and have fun to their heart's content. No nurses, bandages, or hand sanitizers on site. This is a different approach. Most playgrounds have the structures already set in place, hoping that the kids will have fun with it. At the Adventure Playground, they make their own fun. A have-fun-while-learning, learn by doing and making mistakes approach. It's not pretty, it looks rundown and dirty, and the experts can make it better. But the kids love being creative, play-acting with what they've done, and it's a joy to them to come back to this ever-changing park to see their additions still there. Not surprisingly, this is located in Berkeley, a city that embraces the different approaches. I didn't see any micromanaging parents either. All that I saw had the attitude of "cut them loose, and let's see what happens." That's good for the kids. Good for the parents, too. With so many options of what to do, it's quite revealing to see what the child naturally gravitates toward, so now it's clear where their interests lie. In my girl's case, she was here for two hours and spent most of it painting, painting, painting. Zip line, too. Fun, especially watching the unplanned acrobatics at the end :-) Thank God the lawyers haven't shut this place down. Parents, bring your kids here!

Adventure Playground Would it be unseemly for me to go play in the adventure playground? Yes, I suppose it would be. It would not be nice of me to grab the tools and scoop up the nails for free paint. I would hate to break the zip-line. So for now, I just take my camera and photograph all the wonderful junk. Entry is free. You do have to sign a disclaimer when you enter. For the protective adults this might not be the place for you to take your kids. There are nails on the ground, tools that might cut or scape your children. They might end up bruised. There is paint everywhere, and a lot of dirt. There are places for them to climb and swing, and barrels to roll around it. However, I always see happy kids. They are covered with paint, they hammer, they saw and they are having a great time! The Nature Center Nice building and interesting displays

I can see why this is ranked as one of the Top 10 Outdoor Playgrounds in the nation. Come knowing that your kids will get dirty and might rip their clothes. Most important is knowing that you're kids will have F-U-N. This facility is really special and I feel so fortunate to be in close proximity to it. Wish I had this as a child! My son is so lucky! At first glance, the place may look like a large junkyard. Kids have carte blanche to hammer, saw, paint like it's Neverland! There is a zipline so that you can pretend to fly like Peter Pan. Ok, not really like Peter Pan but it's really awesome.

My 5-year old LOVED this place. He is begging to go back and we just got back home. I like the idea of having to find nails and such before beginning. It keeps it safe and allows the kiddos to work for what they want. I am thankful but surprised there isn't a small fee to enter! From the words of my kiddo, "this is the best place I've been, better than any Park or play place." I did leave my 2-year old at home. It would have made this super fun trip a little nerve wracking. There were other toddlers there, but those families were having to do a lot of the "be careful's and watch outs." We will be back for sure!

I don't have kids, but I guess this is fun for them. The Shorebird Nature Center is very small and kinda boring. We went in and back out in about 10 min. Building is made of straw bale..hubby wondered about if they had a fire. They have some animal skulls in glass cases, some fish tanks with many small fishes..and those were the highlights. One festival w/ free sailing that was printed and scheduled is not going to happen because of funding..whatever. Outside saw a average-looking playgrounds, kids though seem to be having fun. Whatever..I didn't care. Bathrooms nearby-separate men and women. Women's had seat covers, toilet paper, and sinks had water & soap. That's more what I care about.

My 5 year old daughter and 10 year old son loved Adventure Playground. Entrance & parking are free. Kids can paint, nail, saw wood & build forts. They loved the zip line & they spent over 3 hour exploring all the forts & making up obstacle courses. Go early in the morning to beat the crowds. Make sure you wear tennis shoes & old clothes that can get dirty. The paint does not come out easily. Open M-F from 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-5pm There's a regular playground right next door. Kids had fun playing there afterwards. Bring a picnic lunch.

Where can you let your kids loose for the day with a hammer, some nails and a bunch of junk? Adventure playground!! If they are not building a structurally unsound addition to one of the pre-existing forts on site, they might be careening down the zip line, rolling down a hill in a barrel, or collecting trash or nails to trade in for a paint brush and paint. We have gone 3 or 4 times now with girls and boys ages 6-14 and everyone has had a blast. There are some site supervisors (mostly college age) who moderate the tool distribution, the fort modifications, and general safety.. There is a traditional playground adjacent to the park with a play structure, grassy area, a few picnic tables, and restroom. It is a great venue for a birthday party, but you need to reserve through Berkeley parks and recreation.

We had a blast! Right away this park engages your kid with the banging and sawing sounds plus all painting going on! The big rule board advises how to get a tool and my kid went right to work trying to find nails and splinters and a "Danger Dan" (I think thats the name) which is a board with a nail sticking pointy side out. Once he turned in his found items he was able to borrow a tool. They can also return and borrow another tool after that. Its great fun and definitely encourages them to take risks, learn from their experience and sometimes pound fingers. It was great fun and I'm so pleased we found this little gem!! Definitely coming back!!

It's okay. A lot of dangerous things but good for older kids. I think they need more workers to be going around looking after kids that the parents just sit down and not watching them cause a kid was being really crazy with a hammer when I came here last time. And yes free range but not with tools in the air swing. Wish they sold maybe drinks or snacks to for kids to have in between working.

From Adventure Playground Website: Donations: We love small wood pieces or long 2X4 & 4X6. We welcome donations of scrap materials that stimulate creative play: fabric, sturdy old wooden furniture, 8D, and 16D sinker nails, washable tempera paint, large 3/4" or 1" thick plywood pieces, long 2 by 4'sor 4 x6's or very small blocks of wood. We cannot take the following items: no pressed wood or particle board no pallets no materials that could hurt a young child with bare hands - no metal, sharp, splintery wood or house paint. No old wood or thin wood please. The dumpster fees for hauling away the materials are very high for us. Call first, if you are planning on dropping items off so we can let you know if we can use them, and help you unload. 510 981-6720 Yes, we do take pianos, but only in the summer.

So happy to see this place still open! I used to come here as a child and it was by far one of the best memories from my childhood. Long live the adventure park!

I am part of the radical "Free Range Parenting" movement. The general philosophy is that kids are not in constant peril, as 24 hour news stations would have us believe, and needn't be bubble wrapped or even constantly supervised. We believe some reasonable risk taking and independence, with guidance, is healthy for growth into confident, capable adults. This place was made for parents like me. In fact, I had read an article about a similar playground in the U.K. and was jealous that there was no such thing in the U.S. Not only was I wrong, but this gem has been around for decades! In our own backyard! I didn't tell the kids where we were going. When pressed for a clue, I said... they might have a zip line. Without a harness. Littlest M wasn't having any of that. Uh-uh. No way. I told her she didn't have to if she didn't want to. When we arrived, the first thing was the make shift wood shop area. They could earn hammers, saws (yes, real saws), paint, "metal detectors" to find nails, and more. Then they could go to work and make what they wanted. Little M set to work on a coat rack. They soon found that hammering and sawing are not as easy as they seem, but they didn't give up and had a blast with their creations. There were some whacked thumbs along the way, but recovery was speedy. Littlest M still didn't want to do the zip line. Until Little M did it. How much fun is it to launch off a tower on your own power, zip down a slope, land ungracefully in a pile of dirt, and then run the zip line back to the next kid in line? Super fun. They did some more exploring, then got a pail of paint and started painting everything. Littlest M got red paint spatter all over herself, and then went into zombie mode with her creepy new outfit. Unobtrusive volunteers are watching over, but rarely intervene, except with a suggestion or two when kids are having trouble. Love, love, love this place!

The Adventure Playground is no place for Helicopter Parents. It's an evolving space that allows kids to build things like forts, decorate it as they like, and then tear it down and try something else. It's People's Park meets Survivor. This place is creative, physical and scares the hell out of some parents who want to jump right in and protect Junior at the first scratch or skinned knee. I only wonder how long the City of Berkeley can fend off the legal hounds. My advice? Let the Kid take chance, think for him/her self, and thrive. Mine did. Pounding nails, riding on zip lines, playing King of the Mountain, and getting dirty goes a long way on the road to self confidence and problem solving.

Mad Max + Sanford & Son + Survivor + those-junk-sculpture-things-that-used-to-line-the-Bay-when-you-were-driving-to-the-Bay-Bridge-in-the-1970s + a mild Lord of the Flies = Adventure Playground. Meant for older kids, at least 7 years and up, this is what I witnessed: * Kids running around with saws (!!!) * A kid who dropped a hammer from a treehouse - luckily no one was below * A young boy dismantling a play structure with a hammer * A girl who face planted in a dirt mound after using the zipline However on the other side I saw: * No electronics! No one glued to their DS, Nintendo or anything. * Lots of running, swinging, climbing, exploring * Kids handling tools for the first time, learning how to work with wood * Paint! Kids encouraged to paint anything they wanted; grafitti as art * Working cooperatively with other kids, trying to construct sculptures, a bench, whatever you wanted with scrap wood * Freedom to be kids - no one telling them NOT to do something There are adults who do supervise this playground, but parent supervision is a must. Not the helicopter type who squirts hand sanitation gel every five seconds on their kids hands, but a parent who will kindly instruct a child how to hold a saw so they don't lose any digits. Located next to the marina, you get a lovely view of the bay and the windsurfers. Loved the outdoor pianos and the fact that my daughter was the rogue Hello Kitty grafitti artist extraordinaire for the afternoon!

This review is being contributed by my 11-year-old. ~~~~~~~~~~~ OMG it was amazing. They had a zip line. You could build things with a hammer and nails. But to earn tools you had to find at least 5 wood splinters or loose nails on the ground and trade them in. Also, if you found a nail sticking out of a plank of wood (this is called a "Mr. Dangerous") you could earn extra. The zip line was my favorite part because you got to stop yourself on a pile of dirt. But you had to be careful not to get turned around because then the dirt would go up your pants. My friend and I made a couch out of wood and painted it neon blue. It was fun. ~~~~~~~~~~~ In summary, my kid came home filthy and exhausted with only minor injuries. Just like the good ol' days!

If it were a couple of years ago, while I was still in school, I'd be on the intarwebs signing up to volunteer for this. This was one of the service projects in high demand.... Manual labor? High demand? Yup. For kids, it's a place to build, learn, grow, be creative, and have tons of fun. Nails are strewn across the sand, so that kids can find them and exchange them for a hammer. Then the real fun begins. Where else do you get to use a hammer, endanger yourself with planks, paint, and 2 inch nails?? It may be a lawsuit just waiting to happen, but of course Adventure Playground is all about safety as well. For volunteers, like myself, it's a place to tear things apart and do some damage for the benefit of kids.. hell yeah! The frame of the play structure stays, but the volunteers get to tear down the add-ons and sort them back into the wood pile. Nails are taken out and left on the ground.. *lawsuit*... Sand piles are built at the end of the zip line to crash into.. And finally when we're done..the kids pour in and start the madness all over again.. We are just a part of the cycle of all that is adventurous in said playground... and did i mention, there's a zip line... ;D weeeeeeeeee!

So all your child life you are told to not run with scissors. You're banned from the garage when your dad is working with his tools. You're weren't allowed to play with sharp objects. No parent would ever allow their child to play with tools. "But WHYEEEEE?!?!?!? I wanna play with the hammer!!!! I know how to use it!! Watch me!!" No. Then one day my father took my brother, sister and I to Adventure Playground. OH MY...wondrous of wondrous places!!! You want to build something?? GO AHEAD!!! You want to hammer something?? Go ahead...here are a handful of nails!!! Paint the wooden shed! Hell...paint the wood that's lying there on the ground! Hammer a nail into that piece of wood!! Hammer a nail into ANYTHING you want!!! Run around with the thing and discover you inner carpenter!!! Build a real life fort...go beyond couch cushions!!! Are you a little girl and want to roll around a play in the mud and imagine your life as a bikini clad wrestler? Shit...you can do that here too!! Or practice your James Bond moves by flying across the park on cable only to land on a pile of dirt. Run around with rusty nails and a hammer in the dirt and grass!! Sharp objects and mother's warnings be damned!! Dammit..I wish I was young again...I don't think they let grown ass people into this wondrous land of danger and fun. At least not without a child in tow.

We havent been here in a while but I wanted to post because we always loved this place. We would take our son and about 4 of his friends. Pack a picnic lunch and then release them to run wild. The playground, zip line, painting, building with real tools hammers and nails. It is straight out of lord of the flies and they loved it there. They had so much fun. Its not you average safe boring plastic structure playground. Bring some Neosporin, bandaids, wipes, antibacterial gel, play clothes that can get mud and paint on them, and a picnic basket and you're all set. We liked to eat at the tables by the water with all those little gopher rodents that harass you for your food. Kids loved the rocks n water too. At least they weren't watching tv and playing video games all day. Its cool if they get all dirty..kids are washable.

As every kid in the area knows, this place rocks.

I cannot rave about the Adventure playground enough. We had SO much fun and my kids (and us parents) felt totally free to be. As an educator, parent and childcare provider I am so in love! Would recommend for ages 4 and up. And yes they are only open on the weekends during the school year, check their website :) A few highlights: Hearing a probably kindergarten aged child calmly and kindly explain to a preschooler why he shouldn't try to saw a small bridge in half... Teaching my kids how to bend nails so they aren't a safety hazard. Watching them navigate all the safety hazards cause kids are TOTALLY capable of doing that and we don't give them enough credit. Stilts. Paint splattering. A whole family swinging on giant ropes. Zip line! Much thanks to the staff and folks who keep this place running, it's an absolute treasure and we can't wait to go back!!

I know one of the people that works here, I have visited several times. I wish to hell I was 10 years old, I would practically live here... if had small children we would be here all the time making things or just having fun Every time I have been by there has been plenty of staff keeping things as safe as they can, they do a great job both with the playground and working with the children. The staff tends to teach the kids to be creative, imaginative and to just be kids, and then they just stand back and let them have fun Some really anal people can't help but panic about the wood and the nails, I didn't see any real hazards. I think most people that come here recognize that the hazards exist and are automatically a little more cautious than they would be in a modern "safe" playground.... I actually think that makes this place safer than your neighborhood playground if your 8 year old is one of those that have to touch the hot stove 10 times before they learn not to touch, keep them away. If your child has ever eaten a booger and thought it was funny, bring them here One time when I was here I heard a little girl say "this is the funnest place in the whole word. Funner than magic mountain" she was right because it is a place where the kids have to use a little imagination; some kids still enjoy that and the chance to be free. When we were children we made things with wood at home, jumped our bikes off homemade ramps and other equally dangerous and stupid things, we lived through it all a little wiser , a little more creative and able to actually think for ourselves... we had creative outlets that you don't get from video games and all that. When you get tired of the playground you can take a walk on the shoreline, its maybe 100 yards away see the egrets, ducks, ground squirrels and other critters. Bring your lunch; there is a huge area of grass outside of the play area, it is a great place for a picnic

This is the kind of thing you can only expect to find on Berkeley. A playground where kids (and their parents) can build with wood, nails, and paint... For free. Kids can also ride on a zip line, cargo net and a number of areas that have been built over the years. By far, a family favorite we will keep coming back to until our element year old grows tired of it.

The Adventure Playground is 37 years old. It's one of the three existing Playground of this kind in the US. Because of liability issues, playgrounds like this are a dying breed. It looks like a junk yard of sort and you might not think that there's something to do here. I love it because it fosters creativity and imagination. It also helps children with problem solving. A great way to show consequence and cause and effect. And I love teaching my son that there's fun to be had in simple things such as a piece of wood. And a toy needn't be expensive in order for one to have fun. You and your kids will get dirty here. Wear clothing that's okay to get wet, stained, and ripped. Be ready to have a possibility of getting a splinter and scrapes and what not. Please read the signs. They're not fancy but helpful. Life is not about perfection anyway. Everybody signs a waiver when you enter. And in order to have a tool or paint, you have to find some nails and other things. The Playground is open on weekends only during school year so check the website before you head out. And groups of five children or more have to pay a group fee. You can also leave your child, 7 or older for three hours for a fee. There's a staff that roams and checks occasionally on kids and things. My son loves working with the hammer and saw although he still needs to develop his dexterity, he loves it. He loves to construct things and this place is perfect. He loves adding to an existing structure and making it his creation. The zip line is another favorite and also the tire swing. The wooden rolling cart was a lot of fun but I almost got a splinter from trying to stop it from rolling down the hill to avoid hitting a kid and his parents. And the cart was heavy filled with three kids. My friend and I were yelling for them to get out of the way but they seemed clueless. Then the back of my foot got hit by a heavy rolling barrel because the idea of some small child was to roll it down the hill to a person and I didn't see his parent. Then my friend got hit by a tool because a kid was swinging it while he was standing so close to her. Even then he had to be told by my friend that she got hit and he stopped and apologized. It's really an adventure playground I guess. But I'm glad none of these happened to our kids. We've been here before but not so much adventure like today. This place will make one think of parenting styles. I think whether your parenting styles are free range, helicopter, or tiger style. It doesn't really matter. We all love our children and we want the best opportunities for them. The bottom line is when you come here, (regardless of your parenting style) like what it says on the website, Be present for your child. Put away your cell phones and books. Your child needs you. They're called children for a reason. There's a lot of things to do in the area. There's a marina and also a traditional park next door. I see very young kids going into the zip lines. And kids letting go of the ropes before another kid get a hold of it. We had to stand there to assist to let some of these kids know not to let go until after the other kid gets it. Sometimes it happens up to three times and in the meanwhile the line was getting longer. Because when they let go of the rope, the rope goes back down quickly and the child had to run after it and come back. The continued existence of this playground in the future will depends on the parents. Let's unite and be present for our kids to continue to make this a better place for everyone.

This place is a hazardous unstable crazy fun and exciting playground. I came with my family and one other family. Our children are all 4 years old. They had an absolute blast and although the goal is to find hazardous materials to earn tools and paint we found that they had the most fun they have had in a long time. We hope to come back early enough to build next time but our girls did get to paint. They all found wood with nails and instantly got to chose their paint. They had a absolute blast, as did we. Is it normal to let children run around and play like this, no but that's the best part. They all have common sense on what to touch and what to stay away from. They have a zip line and this time our girls said no but maybe next time they will take the plunge. Our family will be coming much more often.

My nephew had his 7th Birthday party at the Adventure Playground located in the Berkeley Marina area this year. The playground looks like it was built by kids and looks like creative fun for all. The kids at my nephews party all went in for an hour or so while we set up in the neighboring picnic/ playground area. They all seemed to have fun inside the playground creating things and running around. The park was a great location for all. While we set up at the picnic tables and piñata, the kids played nearby and after it was calming down we took a walk to check out the city views from the shoreline. Fun for the adults too. Nice place to hold an outdoor picnic/bbq/kids party that is convenient to both SF and the East Bay.

So much fun! I feel like a kid when I come here. LOL Oh yeah and the kids have a blast too. Gets busy on the weekends but well worth the drive. My girls love to get dirty, paint, hammer ect. Like that my kids can come here, make messes and get dirty. When we leave they are exhausted, ready for a bath & bed time (parents love that!!!!!). Wear old clothes and shoes, there is dirt and wet paint. Bring a light sweater as it gets a little chilly by the bay. Be safe and keep and eye on your kids.

This park has an amazing view of the San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands/Sausalito area. You can walk into the bay via on fishing pier and get a view of the Berkeley Marina and San Francisco and Oakland skylines as well. A nice place to take a short walk, enjoy the sunset, and relax. Mind you, it can get windy - I was there on a sunny day in mid November at sunset, and it was somewhat chilly on the Bay with the wind and got much chillier after sunset. It is an absolutely beautiful place to snap sunset pictures and videos. Fishing seems to be good, too, judging by the number of people I saw fishing in mid-November. I would definitely recommend spending time on the lengthy fishing pier which protrudes all the way into the Bay toward the Golden Gate bridge, breathing in the air and enjoying the views 360 degrees around you. Sunset is definitely the time to go to the Shorebird Park. After dark, you will get nice view of the city lights in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley Heights. Go there and enjoy the nature and solitude in the midst of the Bay Area, in fact right in the middle of the Bay itself! If you are like me, you will not want to leave even if you are freezing.

Every city should have one of these! One of my absolute favorite places to go as a kid and just mess around building stuff with hammers and paint

This place has been there since I was a kid and with the exception of a few new things, has barely changed a bit. The premise of the place is to let kids play as they do, climb, slide etc but also help build and continually change things. Kids can get a hammer, nails, saws, and paint and build to there hearts desire. Make sure you come ready to get dirty and everyone's tetanus shots are up-to-date, as it means occasionally there's a nail poking out and I accidentally put my hand in some green pant, but there is staff walking around looking for some of those things so it really isn't that bad. All time high for the kids was probably the cool zip line that ends in a soft pile of sand. Its definitely an adventure and the kids won't forget it.

A cross between Lord of the Flies and a kid-version of Survivor, the Adventure Playground is an ever changing chameleon. Kids imaginations are unleashed in this place! The swing of a hammer, the push of a saw, the technique of a paintbrush and a new play structure is constructed where a pile of lumber and other discarded materials once existed. Where one grown up might see a not so seaworthy vessel or an unusable surfboard, kids see a pirate ship with sharks circling. Old pipes become connections between forts and old collections of rope are bridges and climbing structures. There's even a zip line to ride! Kids can add onto existing forts or build their own. They can also construct small wood projects to take home. To earn the privilege of using the tools at the playground you need to do one of the following: -- Find 10 stray nails (magnets are available to help accomplish this task) -- Identify a "Mr. Danger" (a nail sticking out of a fort wall) and ask a staff member to bend it for safety ---Collect trash and other discards and turn them in at the tool shed. The Adventure Playground is the most unique play area I've ever taken my kids to and they can't wait to go again! It comes at the best price too --- FREE!!