Bendigo Botanic Gardens Play Space

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The design for the Bendigo Botanic Gardens Playspace provides a variety of unusual play opportunities. These include:

– An undulating turf area with supplied croquet equipment (to support social play)

– A hand water pump (to allow children to manipulate their environment)

– A vegetable garden (to support cognitive and sensory play and programming)

– A musical fence (to support thematic objectives and sensory experience)

– A pair of carved giant timber thrones from sculptor Nicholas Dunand (to support social and sensory play, as well as thematic objectives)

The opening of the play space was much anticipated by visitors to the gardens, and it became the must-visit destination for Bendigo families over the summer holidays. Children brought their own containers to water the vegetable garden from the hand water pump, carrying sand in from a nearby sandpit, and generally enjoying a great spontaneous natural play opportunity.

Parents and children engage in play activities together; playing croquet on the undulating lawn, walking through the vegetable garden and bouncing on the trampoline.

The playspace has expanded the notion of play in Bendigo, driving up expectations from the community about the kinds of play they would like to see in playspaces and inspiring other play providers to achieve better outcomes. It continues to be a significant feature of the newly extended Bendigo Bendigo Gardens.

Client: City of Greater Bendigo

Collaborator: Nicholas Dunand, Propstuff

Award: Winner of the 2015 National Kidsafe Award for Local Government Playspace <$500,000

The design for the Bendigo Botanics Gardens Playspace was completed by Justine Image as an employee of the City of Greater Bendigo

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