Children's play areas in Monaco: what do our readers think?

Play areas for tots, sports fields for bigger children, covered areas in case of bad weather… Monaco offers a number of leisure facilities for children, but in sufficient numbers and suited to families’ needs? Here are some of our readers’ views on the subject.

A glaring lack of indoor facilities

While the Principality has a number of outdoor areas for children to play in, the lack of covered spaces was pointed out by many parents.

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Sara’s view is shared by a number of families: “Monaco’s mums would really appreciate having a play area for the children in winter. Birthdays or other events could be organised without having to spend exorbitant amounts of money.”

Alexandra also rues the lack of an indoor alternative: “What’s missing is an indoor space like Palomano for bad weather/cold days and a restaurant like the old Stars n Bars with a children’s area.” Clémence agrees: “There should be an indoor area, because as soon as it rains, there’s nothing for us to do with the children.”

Not enough places for tots

While some play areas include games on springs, swings and slides for toddlers, some parents find the range too restrictive. Joëlle regrets a backward step in terms of green spaces: “Not enough play areas for little ones, they have to go outside of Monaco as usual. Why not bring the little train back to Princess Antoinette Park? The park was much better when I was young. There isn’t much there now.”

Others stress the lack of flat play areas for simple activities like playing with a ball. Camille says: “What’s missing is a big enough level park where children can kick a ball around…” Colombe agrees: “There aren’t enough places to play ball.”

A lack of facilities for teenagers

While the little ones do have a number of play areas, many of our readers feel that pre-teens and teenagers are left out. Carine says: “There needs to be a place for 8/13 year olds, where they can play football or even basketball, or a bigger skatepark, because the one in Monaco-Ville gets overcrowded very quickly. There are children’s play areas all over the place, but when the children get bigger, there’s not much for them.”

Juliana also points out that “There’s a lack of facilities for teenagers, and for our dogs too.”

Multi-sports pitches please

Some residents regret that there is a lack of sports facilities that are accessible to all. Pascal mentions a lack of covered multi-sports grounds: “Not enough multi-sports pitches (basketball, handball, football and others), no covered pitches where activities can still take place in bad weather. Really sad.”

While many residents regret there aren’t more facilities, some recognise that the Principality’s small footprint is a difficult obstacle to get around. Alice says: “I don’t think you can have it all… Monaco is an exceptionally safe environment for children, but with only 2.5 square kilometres, we can’t cater for every demand.”

Overall, the feedback from our readers is unanimous: Monaco does have a number of small play areas, but they are insufficient or unsuitable for certain needs.

The most eagerly awaited improvements include a covered area for rainy days, multi-sports pitches and facilities for preteens and teenagers. Although the Principality has space constraints, families still have high expectations for children to be able to play and let off steam.