Southern Maine and the Seacoast of New Hampshire
I’ve created a similar post, linking all our favorite free and low cost activities in the southern Maine and New Hampshire seacoast area, but this post will contain just some great playgrounds we love! If you’re looking for a little more to do, check out my other post HERE! All of these places below are free and parking is free! Enjoy!!
Exeter, NH- Planet Playground
Located at the Exeter Recreation Park at 4 Hampton Road, Exeter, NH this playground has a lot to offer! It is fully fenced in, shady, brand new, bathrooms (porta-potties in the winter) and this is right next to the Exeter Pool! There are also tennis courts, pickle ball courts and basketball courts to use!
Parking is free and the playground is free! It costs money to use the pool and there is a picture included below of the prices. My kids had a blast here, they did a really nice job with this playground. It is a little high, but it is better enclosed than some other high playgrounds we have been to!
Newmarket, NH- Newmarket Recreation
Located at 1 Terrace Drive, Newmarket, NH this playground is pretty big, partially fenced in (so the kids can’t wander into the woods) and it is right next to a free splash pad! There are bathrooms open when the splash pad is open, there is some shade and picnic tables near the playground and under one structure that people often use for birthday parties.
The splash pad is a hit! We love that it is free and it is fully fenced in. There is limited seating around the splash pad, so bring a towel to sit on and we’ve even brought a pop up tent to use before. The bathrooms are located in the splash pad area with a water fountain. There is also a small snack shack open on the weekends. The only drawback to this splash pad is that is is used in the summer for camps and it is closed most of the summer during the week. It will open around 4:30 weekdays and be open on the weekends.
New Castle, NH- Maude H. Trefethen School
Located at 142 Cranfield Street, New Castle, NH which is also the elementary school. This playground is a great alternative to Great Island Commons because it is free and the playground is MUCH more little kid friendly compared to the Common’s new playground.
Obviously this is located at a school you can not visit here during school hours, but it is a great weekend spot or summer activity! There is a ton of shade here, multiple areas to play and pretend. Our kids loved it! There’s also a basketball court here we played at!
Madbury, NH- Moharimet Elementary School
Located at 11 Lee Road, Madbury, NH this is a classic! Moharimet is a wooden playground with very fast slides (that are a little too fast, but the kids love them), and it is fully shaded so it is also a great summer spot! And since this is a school you cannot visit during school hours. Check out my post HERE on Moharimet to see some pictures.
Portsmouth, NH- Pierce Island Playground
Located at 200 Pierce Island Road, Portsmouth, NH. We are frequently here, I post about it a lot! Check out my blog post on Pierce Island HERE. Peirce Island is spelt two ways on my phone! If you search for it, it is called Peirce Island, but the playground is called Pierce Island. I have no idea which is correct…
Portsmouth, NH- Little Harbor Elementary
Located at 50 Clough Drive, Portsmouth, NH this is a fun elementary school playground! There’s two areas here (I didn’t photograph the full fenced in area because there were people there), but it’s great because it is geared towards 5-8 year olds. The playground itself is a little older, but it is all close to the ground, no high areas, and reminds me of the old New Castle, NH playground. There’s no shade here, so it would be best to check this one out on a cooler day. There is a basketball court here and a large area that would be great for littles riding bikes. But remember, not during school hours!
