New nature playground on Teesside to spark children’s interest in wildlife

TEESSIDE’s RSPB Saltholme site has opened a unique playground designed to focus young visitors’ interest on the nature reserve’s real-life inhabitants.

The new playground is intentionally based around the wildlife typically found at RSPB Saltholme.

And elements, such as the wooden carved ‘duck hops’ – a series of carved timber ducks where children can jump from duck to duck – have been designed to ignite their imagination and spark interest in nature.

Featuring a two-metre tower Wren’s nest, a Starling roost climb and Caterpillar wobble bridge alongside an accessible DDA swing and fully accessible roundabout, which will accommodate a wheelchair, key elements have also been especially designed for children with disabilities, alongside an accessible sensory play area.

Henry Bowlby, managing director of Flights of Fantasy, which created the new attraction said, “We’ve never done a job quite like this before. 

“We wanted to create something unique for Saltholme and Teesside. 

“For example, when children climb up the bird’s nest platform, carved out of rhododendron wood, they can imagine they are within a bird’s nest – and just touching raw untreated timer is a sensory experience in itself”. 

Other elements include a Bullrush stilt post, an interactive low-level bug hotel, made up of pinecones and straw which children can touch and feel as well as a large swing basket. 

The entire playground has been made from locally and responsibly felled wood, using a mix of timbers, such as sweet chestnut, oak and willow and the natural twist, knarls and kinks of the Rhododendron bark add to the sensory experience.  A fully accessible path meanders through the centre of the space, where there are bamboo chimes and a finger maze helping a squirrel to find acorns, made specifically for children who are visually impaired.  A noughts and crosses interactive play panel is embossed so children can feel their way through the game.

The new playground was tested out with the help of children from High Clarence Primary who gave the new equipment their seal of approval. 

Claire Freeburn, visitor experience manager at RSPB Saltholme, which currently attracts around 50,000 visitors a year, said: “We wanted to create a new totally original and accessible play area.  We also wanted to offer a totally immersive experience, so children are playing within the natural environment they find here at RSPB Saltholme.  We’re thrilled with the results and the children are too!”

David Kitchen, chair of the Teesside Environmental Trust, which has funded the project, said: “Play is an important part of the learning journey of our young people and the playground aims to help them understand and protect nature. We hope many generations of children will continue to enjoy this playground for many years to come.”