City Services Minister Chris Steel declared traditional playgrounds "out of vogue", with the opening of a nature play space at Kambah District Park, which he said would allow kids to connect with the environment.

"This new space is being built to incorporate natural elements, rocks, logs and built into the existing natural environment," he said.

"Nature play playgrounds offer an opportunity which perhaps doesn't exist in those traditional playgrounds that are still dotted around Canberra."

Construction will begin next week on five playgrounds at Richardson, Narrabundah, Warramanga, Torrens and Higgins, as part of a $1.5 million project.

"These are play spaces that have been designed in consultation with the community and four of them are located near shopping centres," Mr Steel said.

"The new play spaces include a climbing net, log steppers and basketball court at Torrens, a dirt bike track, accessible spinner and picnic shelter at Higgins, a nature play circuit, climbing slope and birds nest swing at Narrabundah, and skate ledges and ramps, a nest swing and spinner at Richardson."

As COVID-19 has returned to the ACT this week, with four cases detected in two days, the community has been once again reminded of the importance of maintaining physical distance and good hand hygiene.

Mr Steel said it was safe for families to gather at playgrounds as current restrictions allow, but said they needed to use "common sense" and leave if equipment was busy.

"[Families need to be] making sure they're distancing themselves from others and if there's too many people using the playground, thinking about going somewhere else or going at a different time of day," he said.

As part of the government's plan to fast track development during the COVID-19 pandemic, 50 playgrounds have also been given a refresh.

Construction of a nature playground at Yerrabi Pond District Park is expected to be completed at the end of July.

The site will include a mural depicting local wildlife by Aboriginal artists Matilda House, Kirrily Jordan and Annick Thompson.

Mr Steel said all the new playgrounds had been designed with community consultation and hoped they would be accessible to everyone including children with disabilities.

The construction at Kambah and Yerrabi ponds cost around $400,000 with the upgrade work on the fifty sites costing $600,000.