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Play area with giant tree climbing tower

Nature's Playground

We’ve unveiled a spectacular natural adventure play area in our Outdoor Gardens, brimming with imaginative, sensory play. 

Entry to Nature’s Playground is included in Eden admission. Adults do not need to pre-book entry to the Playground, but all children must be accompanied by an adult (maximum of two adults per child/maximum of three children per supervising adult). 

Please be aware that water play is a key sensory element of the playground, so we recommend that you come prepared for your child(ren) to get wet. All children are the responsibility of their accompanied adult.

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Children playing with water coming down a bamboo water shoot

About the Playground

Nature’s Playground is one of the biggest outdoor play areas in the South West, covering nearly 500m², Nature's Playground is located behind the Core Building in our Outdoor Gardens and is created with nature and adventure at its heart.   

Nature’s Playground consists of a wood wide web, a willow coppice soakaway, a water course fed by recycled ground water, a china clay pit, slides and ladders, swings, and a majestic nine-metre-tall Tree of Life tower, providing year round play. 

Little girl shouting with joy under water play rain drops

Inclusive and accessible play

Sensory and imaginative play has been woven into the design, with accessible activities wheelchair users can easily engage with.

The design of Nature's Playground follows Touchwood's inclusivity guidelines which seeks to give everyone opportunities to play in a fun and safe environment.

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About our Playground's design

Eden commissioned Touchwood to design and build Nature’s Playground. Touchwood are a bespoke playground design company who use regenerative and sustainable methods and materials – they have been specialists in play for over a decade.  Sensory play, imaginative play, physical play and inclusivity are considered in every build.

For Nature’s Playground, Touchwood sourced UK Douglas fir, European robinia, UK oak ‘stag-wood’, UK larch, locally quarried stone, recycled rubber grass matting, ‘no-dig’ ground anchor screws, living willow and oak sleepers (from sustainably managed forests).

Why play...in nature?

Connecting people with each other and the living world is at the very heart of Eden’s mission – play is one way to achieve this.

Through play, children make sense of the world and learn how to thrive within it – physically, emotionally and mentally.

Playing amongst nature helps connect us to its wonders, provoking lifelong curiosity and greater understanding. Research shows that when playing outdoors, children are up to five times more active than playing indoors and use five times as many words.
 

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