Most playgrounds are like chain restaurants . . . comfortably familiar with the same old menu of slides and swings at each one. That makes the 96th Street Playground more like the eclectic café with fun stuff you can’t find anywhere else. The playground, located near Central Park, features tire swings, lots of climbing areas and slides. The most popular attraction, however, is the 5-foot-high tree house where kids can climb and play before exiting down a pole. There is also a concrete-enclosed sandbox for toddlers. The closest bathrooms are located about five minutes away in Central Park, so you might want to take a potty break before you get there. The 96th Street Playground is open daily from dawn to dusk.