HAGS 2023 in Review: New Playgrounds from Around the World

2023 has been a whirlwind of creativity and accomplishment at HAGS! We've dedicated ourselves to designing, innovating, and delivering state of the art playgrounds to communities, businesses, schools, and recreational spaces worldwide.

Looking back at this incredible year, picking our favorite new playground is no easy task—they're all spreading smiles and laughter to children across the globe! We managed to narrow down some top picks for this article, but we want to hear from YOU! Drop a comment and let us know which one stole your heart!

Sweden

Djungellekplatsen Playground, Loftahammar, Sweden

A fun and unique jungle themed play area for the local community opened this year. The students at a nearby school got to be a part of the process and describe their favorite things in a playground, what they would want and then ultimately decide what the playground should be called. This playground is filled with a variety of of play activities. There is a big custom UniPlay unit and a UniPlay shaped as a monkey for the smaller kids. Children can climb, slide, swing and let their imaginations run wild!

Lassag?rden, Vara, Sweden

At this playground children's imagination is bursting like never before! There is no shortage of adventure and fun games at this newly installed Farm Themed playground. It’s a place where they can explore, create, and play freely!

United Kingdom

Bourton Park, Buckingham, UK

The nature themed play area is aimed specifically at 2–7 year olds and is designed to allow much better access to and around the site and to be as inclusive as possible – aiming to challenge, excite and inspire as well as encourage children of all abilities to play together.

The design fits seamlessly within the environment of Bourton Park, with natural shapes and bright colours of the play structures that have been specifically chosen to symbolise Buckingham’s local flora and fauna. For example, otter and kingfisher aluminium rubbing posts, oak, poplar and beech leaf stones, and Bourton Park’s bespoke ‘wildlife ticket office’ play hatch.

Kenyngton Park, Sunbury-on-Thames, UK

The Friends of Kenyngton Manor Park's aim was to promote all types of play, enabling children to develop physically, socially and cognitive-creatively in a safe environment.

The group worked with the local community, inclusivity campaigner, SEN families and asked the local school children to design their ideal park. Their ideas were used in the planning of the new area.

The community has been brought together from this project. Having a new playground has led to community events and forged some amazing new friendships.

St Helier Open Space Playground (Opposite St Helier Hospital), London Borough of Sutton, UK

Incorporating outdoor play areas near hospitals is not about diminishing the seriousness of healthcare but enhancing the overall experience for patients, their families, and the healthcare providers. These play areas provide positive distraction, reduce stress and tension, improve the efficiency of medical care, and create a more inviting and comforting environment for everyone involved. Hospitals are places of hope and healing, and investing in outdoor play areas is an affirmation of this mission.

A new play area features an array of exciting equipment designed to provide a unique and enriching experience for children of all ages. The centrepiece is a bespoke themed NHS ambulance, symbolising our commitment to fostering a sense of community and celebrating the invaluable contributions of healthcare professionals. We've incorporated themed springers, a thoughtfully crafted toddler unit, inclusive play panels, and an assortment of musical instruments to enhance sensory exploration. The inclusion of a trampoline, our wheelchair transferable Mirage Revolution Roundabout, Swings, and bike thermographic further adds to the diversity of play options available for the local community.

Germany

R?merspielplatz Campingplatz Seecamping Langlau, Brombachsee, Germany

At the heart of the campsite playground is an impressive large UniPlay unit with a design reminiscent of the Roman buildings along the German Limes Road, which are the most impressive and largest archaeological monuments in Europe.

This is complemented by a variety of individual play equipment such as a seesaw, nest swing, balancing device, hammock and carousel. In order to offer an interesting play experience for the youngest children, there is also a play area with a similarly themed UniMini play area and a UniPlay playhouse with sandpit, a multi-seater spring rocker in a carriage design and a 3-way swivel with toddler seats.

It was also important to provide children with disabilities with sufficient play opportunities so that everyone can play together. All the equipment in this playground follows this principle. The result is a playground with a wide range of play and exercise options, which - as the first season has shown - is very popular with all children.

Dschungelspielplatz Steinfurthhof, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Playground Steinfurthhof, in the City of Gelsenkirchen, Germany, opened for the whole community to enjoy! We were delighted to be chosen to create this unique playground for the community.?Our team worked hard to incorporate the Jungle theme and the children’s input into the design, and we are thrilled with the results. It’s a pleasure to know that the kids of this community will have a safe, fun, and exciting place to play for years to come.

France

Saint Gratien, France

Children are be able to play, explore their imaginations, zip down cable cars and enjoy their new wooden playground in Saint Gratien. Wooden playgrounds offer several benefits compared to other materials such as metal or recycled plastic.

Courbevoie, France

Half a millennium ago, Leonard de Vinci revolutionized the world through his inventions and discoveries. Architect, painter, sculptor, anatomist, engineer, he was a true genius of the Renaissance. If Da Vinci had created play areas, what would it look like?

Récré'Action and HAGS France have imagined a modern interpretation of what the Italian master could have created. The Da Vinci playground is a place of dreams and adventure, where children can let their imagination run wild.

Spain

The Salvador Allende Playground, Carabanchel, Spain

Play and learning go hand in hand! This incredible playground has two areas with a Medicine Theme. One area is a children's medical play center and the other is a scientific medical laboratory.

Designed for children of different ages and abilities, these areas offer a unique and fun way for children to learn about medicine and science while playing. The accessible pedestrian pathway allows for easy movement between the two areas, and there are even fun medical and scientific drawings on the pavement!

Denmark

Jetsmark School, Denmark

HAGS Denmark had the pleasure of being part of making Skolecenter Jetsmark something truly special. Norconsult, Nordic Office of Architecture, and Learning Spaces have created a fantastic school center for Jetsmark, a school that was even nominated for the 2023 School Building of the Year.

Arkplan Landskabsarkitekter has designed the overall plan for the school, which includes school-adjacent play areas, a communal landscape, soccer fields, and a street environment with a skatepark.

HAGS contributed with equipment, all specially tailored to the project and color-coordinated with their vision. We are confident that all users of the school and its outdoor areas will benefit from both the spaces and equipment for many years to come.

Poland

Szscecin, Poland

Small Pirate Themed play area for the local community to enjoy! A themed play area adds great value to an urban or country setting and gives a unique identity to your local area, which leads to a stronger sense of ownership and pride from the local community. It also provides children with a stimulating play experience, sparks their imagination and encourages role play.

Slovakia

Ra?ianska Street, Bratislava, Slovakia

Our distributors have truly outdone themselves with this urban residence project in Slovakia – a playground space that's a skater's paradise! This innovative design not only makes the most of the available ground but also incorporates a variety of exciting features, including a large UniPlay unit, swings, rockers, and much more. A great way to get local children outdoors and active, racing on their bikes, rollerblades and skating!

Netherlands

Zeeland Camping Zonneweelde, Netherlands

At Zeeland Camping Zonneweelde in the Netherlands, families can immerse themselves in a world of excitement and joy! The large HAGS UniPlay indoor playground, is specially designed to let children unleash all their energy. They'll have a blast climbing, scrambling, running, and jumping, making the most of their time at this campsite. The indoor playground is truly a paradise for kids, complete with climbing nets, an exhilarating long slide. With hours of guaranteed fun, little ones won't want to leave! What a creative way to encourage an enjoyable experience for the entire family, ensuring cherished memories for years to come!