At Wicksteed, we firmly believe that play should be for all. So it was with a huge sense of excitement that we were able to finally open the gates on our brand new inclusive play area at Harestanes Country Park.
The play area is a product of over 100 years of experience in play. Our expert in house design team pulled on knowledge gathered from numerous play projects throughout the years to create something, unlike any other play area.
Creating inclusive playgrounds is an effective way of bridging the divide between children of various abilities. Inclusive play areas give users from all backgrounds a chance to mix.
We wanted to create a space where parents and children of all ages and abilities felt welcome, safe and happy.
Sensory Play
Our bespoke Harestanes Country Park Sensory Boardwalk features a huge variety of sensory play experiences. Sensory play is vital for problem-solving, developing fine and gross motor skills and spatial awareness. Taking this into account we shaped our design approach to everything including surfacing, materials, equipment and layout.
The fully inclusive boardwalk features a mixture of surfaces. An exciting array of interactive electronic play panels and wheelchair accessible platforms means bags of play value for all! The site also features our Talking Flowers which provide a great way for children to communicate with each other, from tower to tower.
Inclusive Play
It was important that the new play area provided opportunities for all children. Accessibility was key at Harestanes Country Park. Inclusive play products such as the Inclusive Swirl Roundabout, sensory boardwalk multi-play and wheelchair friendly swing ensured that children of all abilities would still have lots of fun and interaction.
Path layouts and the overall design of the space ensure an easy transition from equipment to the entrance and exits of the play area.
Bespoke Design
At Wicksteed, we pride ourselves on having the ability to create custom outdoor play area projects. This is summed up perfectly at Harestanes Country Park. Taking inspiration from the nearby beautiful Jedburgh Abbey, we designed and manufactured a scaled down, climbable version of this iconic structure.
The bespoke version of Jedburgh Abbey is connected to a huge bespoke pyramid structure.On the bespoke unit children can slide down one of two huge slides. Our completely bespoke sensory boardwalk multi-play is another standout example of Wicksteed bespoke design. Our use of materials, colours and sound mean the play area can be enjoyed by all children for many years.
