East Lodge Recreation Ground Playground

If you’re local to Portsmouth and want somewhere the kids can run around without you having to chase them across a car park, this one ticks the box — the play area is fully enclosed, so smaller ones can go on the swings and slides while you actually breathe for five minutes. The football pitch gets a decent amount of use on weekends, and there’s plenty of open grass if you just want to kick a ball around without booking anything. The real talking point, though, is the horses in the adjacent field — kids absolutely lose their minds over it, and honestly it makes the whole trip feel a bit more special than your average rec ground visit. Worth knowing if you’re a grandparent doing the school holiday shift and need somewhere that holds attention for more than twenty minutes.