What we've heard so far

Many thanks to the kids and families who shared their ideas to help us plan for a new children's play space for the Kings Square redevelopment.

We received many contributions that gave us some great information about what kinds of play activities are most preferred, specific things people would like to see included and key design considerations.

This is what you told us:

What would you like to do most in the Kings Square play space?
The top three selections from local school children were: climbing, water play and swinging.
The top three selections from parents were: water play, climbing and being in nature.

Through their worksheets and models, local school children expressed a preference for the following play elements:
Climbing (including ladders), sliding, trees (including treehouses and cubby), flying fox/ zip-line (speed), stepping stones (balancing), water elements.

Parent and carer's responses across the ideas board showed clear preferences for: water play, natural elements (including use of recycled materials, making use of the trees, keeping elements simple to inspire imagination).

Elements to include for inclusion (specifically autism spectrum) include: tactile elements, activities that use and develop gross motor skills and cause and effect/motivation.

Underpinning the overall design are two key considerations that were raised frequently in our discussion with parents:
Flexible space – “give it a festival feel and mix it up” ideas included accommodating children’s events, library activities, creative or drama activities and concerts.
Design for multi-ages – elements for little ones but also consider older siblings and teens; make it a multi-generational space where people can mix informally.

Other considerations raised were: safety and security, refreshments nearby and shade / shelter.

We will now use this data to develop a draft concept design for the new play space, which we'll present to the community early 2018.