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Kensington’s Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, which opened in 2000 as a tribute to the late royal and her enduring love for children, closed last year for a much-needed refresh. The free-to-enter playground draws over a million kids a year, so it came as no surprise that after more than two decades of action and play, some of the equipment was in need of a little TLC.
The Royal Parks charity, which manages 5,000 acres of historic London parkland including Kensington Gardens, pumped £3 million into a full-scale refurb, which has now been completed. The iconic playground reopened on Wednesday August 5.
So what can we expect from the newly minted play area? Well, to start, its new centrepiece comes in the form of a huge galleon sailing ship which has been moored on a sandy beach – complete with two crow’s nests, a large tunnel slide and a telescope, as well as a play kitchen and plenty of nooks and crannies to hide in below deck.
A new water play area features a huge crocodile feature, though we should warn you that current Thames Water hosepipe ban means you’ll have to wait until the rules are relaxed before making a splash.
Elsewhere there are not one, not two but three different ‘treehouse’ towers to climb up, as well a four-metre tunnel slide to get back down. Talk tubes, musical instruments and games like tic-tac-toe are on offer via an accessible walkway, while a redesigned area for younger kids has timber houses, play ships and a large sandpit.
Accessibility has been Royal Parks’ priority for the revamp. Wheelchair-accessible spaces have been built into the galleon and the treehouse, and a new accessible path and raised tables in the water and sand areas have been added. Sensory planting, an upgraded musical area and interactive play features also make the space more welcoming for all.
Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, Kensington Gardens, W2 4RU.
Did you see that these are officially best free things to do with kids in the 2026 school summer holidays?
Plus: Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall is being turned into a big maze this summer.
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