Over the summer break, something special took shape in our junior school playground. Completed in January, just in time for the start of the school year, our new playground has quickly become a favourite place for our junior primary children before and after school.
Designed and built in partnership with Playco, this is more than just a playground. From the very beginning, our focus was on creating a high quality space that is safe, durable and genuinely exciting for children to explore. We wanted something that would last, support active play, and spark imagination and curiosity every day.
The ship themed structure offers plenty to discover. There are bridges to cross, binoculars to peer through, a pole to slide down, obstacles to climb on, up, around and through, nets and ladders, monkey bars, a slide and a suspended balance beam. Every element invites movement, balance, coordination and plenty of storytelling along the way.
The playground features specialist artificial surfacing that is spongy, durable and designed with safety in mind. Coloured to reflect the sea, it ties beautifully into the ship theme but also providing a surface that works hard for energetic play.
Running alongside the playground is another new feature, ‘Cross Bones Creek’. What began as a practical solution to winter flooding soon turned into a creative opportunity. By rethinking the drainage, our property team helped transform the area into an interactive play space where water becomes part of the experience. A 500 litre rainwater tank collects runoff, and with a hand pump, children can send water flowing down the creek, launching little boats and watching them travel along the man made stream. On warm days, it has been a huge hit.
This playground is designed for our Year 0 to Year 2 students, but it has also attracted a few older visitors. Our Year 3 students, who have recently moved up to the next playground area, have been making the most of it after school, enjoying a final chance to play and explore in the space they just missed.
It has been wonderful to see the playground full of laughter and movement each morning and afternoon. Spaces like this play an important role in school life, giving children the freedom to climb, imagine, problem solve and simply enjoy being kids. This new playground does exactly that, and we are delighted to see it being so well loved already.
