A playground, playpark, or play area is a place with a specific design to allow children to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors (where it may be called a tot lot in some regions).^[1] While a playground is usually designed for children, some playgrounds are designed for other age groups. Berlin's Preußenpark for example is designed for senior adults age 70 or higher.^{[citation needed]} It is possible for a playground to exclude children if they are below the required age for entrance.

Modern playgrounds often have recreational equipment such as the seesaw, merry-go-round, swingset, slide, jungle gym, chin-up bars, sandbox, spring rider, monkey bars, overhead ladder, trapeze rings, playhouses, and mazes, many of which help children develop physical coordination, strength, and flexibility, as well as providing recreation and enjoyment. Common in modern playgrounds are play structures that link many different pieces of equipment.

Playgrounds often also have facilities for playing informal games of adult sports, such as a baseball diamond, a skating arena, abasketball court, or a tether ball.

Public playground equipment refers to equipment intended for use in the play areas of parks, schools, child care facilities, institutions, multiple family dwellings, restaurants, resorts, and recreational developments, and other areas of public use.

A type of playground called a playscape is designed to provide a safe environment for play in a natural setting.