FunKidsActivities

Benefit Playground

9320 38th Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98118, USA

Overview

Category:Outdoor Sports for Kids
Location:Seattle, WA

Expert Summary

Detailed Insights

Benefit Playground stands out as a consistently quiet and uncrowded neighborhood park in Beacon Hill, offering a diverse array of activities suitable for various age groups, from toddlers to teens. It's particularly valued for its safe environment away from major roads, extensive green space for running, and amenities like a skate park and BBQ facilities, making it ideal for relaxed family outings and informal gatherings.

Key Highlights

  • Consistently described as a quiet and uncrowded park, making it ideal for families seeking a peaceful environment, even on weekends.
  • Features diverse amenities including a playground, sandbox, swings, a decent-sized grass field, basketball courts, and a skate park suitable 'for all ages'.
  • Includes BBQ facilities and a covered area, which are frequently used for family gatherings and birthday parties.
  • Located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, it's not too close to major roads, contributing to a safer play environment for children.
  • The park fosters a respectful community atmosphere, with reviewers noting that 'people are always nice and respectful'.

Standout Features

  • Dedicated playground area with equipment, swings, and a sandbox.
  • Small skate park catering to 'all ages'.
  • Basketball courts/hoops.
  • Large, decent-sized grass field for open play, running, and dog walking.
  • BBQ facilities available for public use.
  • Covered area, frequently utilized for birthday parties and gatherings.
  • Quiet and uncrowded atmosphere, even on a quiet Sunday.

Perfect For

Toddlers & Young Children (1-7 years): Excellent for 'little ones' with a dedicated play place, playground equipment, sandbox area, and swings. Plenty of room to run around.
School-aged Children & Pre-teens (8-13 years): The decent-sized grass field, basketball courts, and small skate park provide ample activities.
Teens & All Ages: The skate park is specifically mentioned as 'for all ages', and basketball courts offer engagement for older kids.

Ideal For

Families with young children seeking a safe, uncrowded playground.
Parents looking for a park with diverse activities that appeal to a range of ages (e.g., younger kids on playground, older kids at skate park).
Casual family picnics or BBQ gatherings.
Dog owners who want a safe and spacious area for their pets to run.
Low-key birthday parties or group meetups, utilizing the covered area and BBQ facilities.

💡Pro Tips from Reviews

  • **Plan for no on-site restrooms:** Bring hand sanitizer and ensure children use facilities before arriving, as permanent restrooms may not be available.
  • **Ideal for a BBQ outing:** Make use of the BBQ facilities and covered area for a family meal or gathering.
  • **Bring sports equipment:** Pack skateboards, basketballs, or balls for the grass field to maximize activity options.
  • **Perfect for active kids (and dogs):** The expansive open space is great for children and dogs to run and play freely.
  • **Consider for informal birthday parties:** The covered area and BBQ facilities lend themselves well to casual, self-organized celebrations.

Things to Consider

  • A significant concern is the lack of readily available restrooms; one review explicitly states, 'They need to bring back the Port-a-potties,' implying their absence or removal.

Price & Value

As a public neighborhood park, Benefit Playground is free to enter and use, offering excellent value for its range of facilities including playgrounds, sports courts, and BBQ areas. There are no mentioned fees for any of the amenities.

Accessibility & Special Needs

  • No specific accessibility accommodations (e.g., wheelchair-accessible playground equipment, sensory features) are mentioned in the reviews. It appears to be a standard park setup.

🍎Food & Drink Policy

  • BBQ facilities are a featured amenity, indicating that outside food and drinks are not only allowed but encouraged for picnics and grilling.

🚗Parking Info

  • Parking details are not explicitly mentioned in the reviews. As a 'neighborhood park' in Beacon Hill, street parking is likely the primary option, but its ease or availability is not described.

👥Crowd Levels

  • Consistently described as 'quiet,' 'never too busy,' and 'not too many people around' (even on a quiet Sunday), suggesting it rarely gets overcrowded, providing a relaxed atmosphere.

🛡️Safety Features

  • Positioned 'not too close to any major roads,' which enhances safety for children playing.
  • The 'neighborhood park' setting contributes to a respectful community atmosphere, with 'people are always nice and respectful' noted.

When to Avoid

  • If immediate access to clean, permanent restrooms is a high priority, as the park reportedly lacks sufficient facilities.
  • If seeking highly structured activities or staff-led entertainment, as it's a neighborhood park focused on open play.

Pricing/Package/Events

🍎Food Policy

  • Picnics are explicitly allowed; the park features a picnic shelter and has reservable picnic areas.

🛡️Safety Policy

  • Emergencies / Illegal Activity: Call 911.
  • Non-urgent requests/problems (e.g., graffiti) can be submitted through the Find It, Fix It mobile app or by calling (206) 684-7587.
  • Graffiti on public property is aimed to be removed within 10 business days.
  • Graffiti on private property is aimed to be removed within 45 to 60 days.
  • Hate graffiti on public property receives high priority treatment, with a goal to respond within 24 hours.

📅Booking Policy

  • Picnic areas are reservable.
  • For Picnic Site Reservations, contact (206) 684-4080, extension 2, or email sprevents@seattle.gov.

🚗Parking Information

  • Not specified. As a public park, street parking would be common, but no dedicated parking information is provided.
Information extracted from official website • Last updated: Sep 29, 2025

What People Say

What's Great

  • Spacious play areas (mentioned in 4 reviews)

Areas for Improvement

  • Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 3 reviews)

Recent Reviews

David

David

6 years ago

Nice little park near Beacon Hill,seems quiet and ok.Playground equipment and bbq small skate park and hoops.Good place for dog walking.Went on a quiet Sunday,not too many people around,seems ok.

Unique Pecelunas

Unique Pecelunas

a year ago

Really mice playground nice place to bbq and bring the kids and dogs to play and run around even exercise

Alesia

Alesia

4 years ago

A quiet park in the beacon hill neighborhood that is never too busy. Its a great place to bring your little ones, personally this is one of my son's fave park. It's not to close to any major roads, has lots of room to run, a skate park for all ages & play place for kids. I go back often ☺️

scott j

scott j

3 years ago

Great little neighborhood park with a playground, sandbox area, swings, and a decent sized grass field. It also features basketball courts and a small skatepark. As it's a neighborhood park, people are always nice and respectful. It has a covered area that I've seen multiple birthday parties as well.

Jovonneb “jovonneb”

Jovonneb “jovonneb”

6 months ago

Best playground in Seattle. Big trees and nice play area. I am a bit biased as I grew up around here. They need to being back the Port- a-potties.

Contact Information

9320 38th Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98118, USA

View on Google Maps

Opening Hours

Monday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Thursday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Friday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Saturday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Quick Stats

Overall Rating
4.3
Total Reviews132
Recent Reviews5