What if play begins with the place itself?

The most memorable places to play aren’t always playgrounds.

Think back to the places you loved playing as a child.

Chances are, some of the most memorable weren’t playgrounds at all.

A creek. A fallen tree. Rocks to climb. Somewhere to hide. Something to balance on. A path that seemed to lead somewhere unexplored.

Children have an extraordinary ability to turn a landscape into a playground.

It raises an interesting question for the design of play today.

Rather than simply placing a collection of play equipment into a park, can the character of the place itself inspire how children explore it?

Nature-based play can offer something different from highly prescribed play.

There can be uncertainty. Texture. Movement. Imagination. Different ways of interacting with the same thing.

A log might be somewhere to sit, balance or climb. A rock can become an obstacle, a meeting place or part of an imaginary world.

The environment doesn’t necessarily tell the child what to do.

It gives them possibilities.

The landscape masterplan identifies Gawler River Connection & Play as a central design driver, with nature play intended to encourage creative exploration and sensory engagement through materials inspired by the site itself.

The Fairland team, working with JPE Design Studio, saw the opportunity to let the river landscape influence the experience rather than introduce a playground that could exist almost anywhere.

The proposed play elements draw their materials, colours and character from the Gawler River and are intended to engage toddlers through to older children, as well as different ages and abilities.

The concepts include opportunities to climb, balance, scramble, cross, explore and engage with sound and texture.

There’s something particularly appealing about that.

The play experience becomes connected to the identity of the place itself.