Outdoor Play were contacted by RSPB Middleton Lakes reserve to assist with a Play Meadow project they were undertaking after being awarded funding by Enovert Community Trust. Central to the aspirations of Project Manager Katie Thorpe was the requirement to ensure the Meadow wasn’t significantly altered to create a ‘playground’ but to offer play features that complemented the immediate surroundings and topography of the site but also encouraged children to maximise the sense of exploration and engagement with the outdoors.
With a dipping pond and den building available at Middleton Lakes the Play Meadow would complete the visitor experience for families in a natural location surrounded by amazing wildlife, woodland and wetlands.
To really get close to nature key to the brief was to provide an opportunity for visitors to get messy, construct, experiment and be creative in their Play. We included a giant Mud Kitchen deluxe and a bespoke Gravel pit complete with shoot, mixing basin, moveable funnels, look out bubble windows and timber walls depicting British wildlife.
Elsewhere in the meadow a large mound now has a six metre angled climbing wall with a curvy slide to reward those who have conquered the climb. Balancing trim trail pieces can be found whilst walking through the mown pathways providing visitors with a additional challenge or to further encourage imaginative play. Musical chimes with a seating area provide a more playful resting point and a place to focus on the sounds of the Reserve.
Adjacent to the Car Park Outdoor Play also supplied and installed a shelter with tables and benches situated inside to provide a covered space for picnics.
Middleton Lakes now has an enhanced appeal for families to visit and enjoy the surroundings by providing engaging play activities in an already stunning location. The additions have been very well received and this has led to an increase in visitor numbers for the demographic intended.
