Jean Sampson Reserve is a neighbourhood playground and green space at 31 Queen Street in Northcote Point, Auckland, rated 4.6 from 37 Google reviews. Visitors describe a recently upgraded, fully fenced play area with lots of swings, a sandpit, a toddler setup and a half basketball court, plus picnic tables, a public toilet and a big lawn. A fully fenced, gated playground is the gold standard for parents of toddlers: latches you can trust mean sitting down instead of shadowing a runner the whole time. Good playgrounds also work in tiers — sand and low equipment for under-fives, bigger climbing and swings for older kids — so mixed-age families can stay in one spot. On-site toilets and picnic tables quietly stretch a quick stop into a proper morning, which is why experienced parents look for them first. Tucked into Northcote Point on the North Shore, this reserve manages to tick nearly every box on that list in one small corner.