Top 10 north London baby-friendly parks

Our top 10 north London parks

It isn’t until you visit another big city that you realise how spoilt we Londoners are for big, lush green spaces.  If you look at an A-Z (yes, that outdated book) you will see green expanses across this great city.  If you are a mum with a small baby, or indeed an older child(ren), parks become your stomping ground, your life-line, your saviour at various times throughout the year.  Here are our favourite picks of north London baby-friendly parks (in no particular order).

1)       Waterlow park – set just off the lovely high street in magnificent Highgate, this park is unbelievably beautiful, huge and amazing.  There is a great adventure playground as well as a smaller area for littler ones.  You can visit the ducks as well!

2)       Friary Park – set in North Finchley, there is a great café and a lovely playground perfect for kids of all ages.  (Close by, there is also Swan Lane, which has another fantastic café, a playground and an adventure area.)

3)       Priory Park – Crouch End’s gem, this park is perfect for a picnic, a game of football or a trip to the playground.  It is great for second time mums (or more) as older children can scoot or cycle there.  You may see all of your local friends as it is a ‘Crouchie’ regular hot-spot.

4)       Hampstead Heath – one of London’s great attractions, visit the Heath to take a walk, the kite out, or to meander over to Hampstead high street to do some fantastic shopping!

5)       Alexandra Palace park – wow! Huge, lush, incredible views, events – what more could you ask for? Boats, café etc. as well.

6)       Primrose Hill – When the weather is nice, it seems that the whole of London congregates on this hill to look beautiful, lounge around and enjoy the great city.  Amazing.

7)       Highgate Woods – set in a magnificent woods, you can push the buggy in tranquil surroundings before reaching the playground.  Great café with ice cream as well for those hot, sunny days (when they finally arrive).

8)       Finsbury Park – lots of great runs take place here at this hilly park, with massive play areas, a big café, and a great sand pit as well.

A few more from our readers:

9) The Old Courthouse Park Barnet. Free parking after 12 pm. Lovely playground with lots of benches, cafe selling gorgeous cakes and yummy lunches. Lots of grass space for picnics. A lovely park to meet other local mums. – Charlotte Antoniou

10) Oak Hill Park in East Barnet. Lovely cafe with softplay and a big playground. – Susan Fiddian

One last one making it 11!

11) Golders Hill Park in Golders Green, it has everything-playground, animals, beautiful flower garden, nature trail, and a nice cafe. Parking is quite expensive though. – Natasha Yakubova

What are your favourite parks to visit? Any local ones near you that you’d recommend?