Playgrounds today are more than a sandpit and swings – they are places for kids to explore, imagine and learn.

1. MARGARET MAHY PLAYGROUND, CHRISTCHURCH

Welcome to the largest playground in the Southern Hemisphere, with a designated toddler area, plenty of inventive climbing options for older kids and equipment the whole family can use together such as a giant slide. Named for the beloved children's author, the playground was built in 2015 as part of the city's innovative rebuild project following the 2011 earthquake.

2. ANNENBERG COMMUNITY BEACH HOUSE, SANTA MONICA

This beachfront playground (pictured above) is located on the grounds of a former mansion owned by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who gifted the villa to his mistress, actress Marion Davies. It’s part of a beach club complex offering facilities including beach courts, a games room and a pool. Mixing fun with sustainability, most of the equipment features recycled materials, such as repurposed tyres used for cushioning.

3. POD PLAYGROUND, CANBERRA

With giant acorn cubby houses, banksia cones, climbing nets and swings that resemble giant birds’ nests, the Pod Playground (pictured left) inside the National Arboretum Canberra is as much about imagination and education as it is about physical play, which is exactly what the Australian design firm Taylor Cullity Lethlean was aiming for.

4. TIONG BAHRU PARK PLAYGROUND, SINGAPORE

This playground features a slanting train as its centerpiece, with topsy-turvy ladders and staircases leading in and slides ready to zip kids out. Half the fun is inside; the incline of the train can make it tricky to stay upright and netted sections further add to the challenge. There’s also a zipline and toddler maze.

5. RASMUS KLUMPS PLAYGROUND, COPENHAGEN

Danish design firm Monstrum is known for its thematic playground designs, having created everything from rockets to supersized ladybirds – all handmade from wood – for kids to play in. The firm’s Tivoli Gardens playground, designed in collaboration with American architect Jumana Brodersen and Tivoli’s architect Jonathan Wright, is based on the Danish cartoon Rasmus Klump and populated with adored characters.