Kids on the cargo net climb at Centenary Lakes Nature Play

Centenary Lakes Nature Play is a throwback to how kids used to play – exploring unhindered, challenging themselves and developing their sense of wonder through elements of the natural environment.  This ‘first of a kind’ project for the Cairns Regional Council wonderfully integrates creative play elements into tropical garden surrounds.  Kids can play and interact freely, inspired by elements such as rope climbs, balancing logs, stepping stones, cubby house builds, water pumps, dinosaur bone digs, fairy gardens, tunnel crawls and giants snake paths.

It was great fun to capture kids exploring this innovative playground as part of a photography shoot for its creators – a collaboration between local landscape architects, LandPlan, and PAWA Architecture.  The nature play concept supports unstructured outdoor play, which has been shown to have a positive impact on children’s cognitive and physical development. It focuses on enjoying the outdoors and exploring the simple wonders of the surroundings.

A giant snake path for kids to meander and practice their balance

Kids running up a mound to take the slide down

Kids stimulating their sensory play in the herb garden

Digging for dinosaur bones – one of interactive elements of the new playground

Kids slide in the tropical surrounds of the playground

Building cubby houses using frames and palm leaves

Working the water pump – one of many fun elements at Nature Play

Balance logs meant for climbing and exploring

Kids testing their agility on plank paths and balance logs

Log steps and tunnels to negotiate

Exploring the fairy garden environment

Rope tunnels and other rope features for kids to climb

Father and child on the new landscaped slippery slide