Waimairi Beach Playground

Right behind the dunes at Waimairi Beach, this playground has that big wooden fort thing going on that kids absolutely lose their minds over — climbing structures, bridges, the works. The zipline gets a queue on busy days, which tells you everything you need to know. You can easily tag it onto a beach trip since the sand is literally steps away, so bring a towel and make a proper afternoon of it. Restrooms on site, which is a genuine relief when you’ve got little ones.