imaginative play

DESIGNED FOR ADVENTURE

Posted on August 3, 2026

INVESTMENT IN HIGH-QUALITY outdoor play can help holiday parks improve guest satisfaction, encourage longer stays and generate repeat visits.

Innovative play equipment is helping holiday parks create exciting spaces that children love and parents remember...

Outdoor play continues to be one of the most valued facilities within holiday parks, caravan parks and campsites. For today’s guests, particularly families with young children, a well-designed play area is no longer simply an added extra – it has become an important part of the overall holiday experience.

As competition across the UK holiday park sector continues to grow, operators are increasingly looking at ways to differentiate their parks, encourage longer stays and generate repeat bookings. Investment in high-quality outdoor play can help achieve all three.

A thoughtfully designed playground creates a focal point for families, gives children the freedom to explore and socialise, and allows parents to relax knowing their children are enjoying a safe, engaging environment. Modern playgrounds have evolved far beyond the traditional swings and slides.

QUALITY OUTDOOR play is an investment in guest satisfaction, repeat bookings and long-term park appeal.

Today’s designs are centred around creating immersive experiences that encourage imaginative play, physical development and inclusive participation. Themed equipment, natural materials and interactive features all help create destinations within destinations, encouraging children to return time and again throughout their stay.

For holiday parks, there is also a commercial benefit. Attractive play facilities help strengthen a park’s marketing, improve guest satisfaction and increase positive online reviews. They provide valuable opportunities for families to spend more time on-site, supporting secondary spend across cafés, restaurants and other leisure facilities while reinforcing the overall guest experience.

One manufacturer helping parks create these memorable spaces is Proludic, whose innovative playground designs are found in destinations around the world. A fantastic example is Dunningham Park Playground in Australia, where Proludic has transformed a community play space into a vibrant celebration of coastal life.

THE COASTAL-INSPIRED playground at Dunningham Park demonstrates the power of imaginative design.

One of the playground’s standout attractions is the Surf Van Springer (Product Reference J951®). Inspired by beach culture and surfing, the colourful play vehicle immediately captures children’s imagination, inviting them to jump aboard and create their own seaside adventures. Beyond its visual appeal, the Surf Van Springer has been carefully engineered to support children’s physical development.

Its gentle rocking movement helps improve balance, coordination and gross motor skills while providing an exciting yet safe play experience. Designed to accommodate up to ten children at once, it also promotes cooperation, communication and social interaction through shared imaginative play.

Suitable for children aged two years and above, the equipment demonstrates how themed play can deliver both entertainment and developmental value. Rather than simply providing somewhere to play, it creates memorable experiences that connect children with the character of their surroundings. This approach offers plenty of inspiration for UK holiday parks, particularly those located in coastal destinations.

CREATING DISTINCTIVE play environments helps holiday parks strengthen their family offering and brand identity.

Parks across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Wales, East Anglia and Scotland already benefit from their proximity to beaches and seaside attractions. Incorporating surf-inspired or coastal-themed play equipment can strengthen that identity, creating a stronger sense of place while giving families another reason to choose one destination over another.

Themed playgrounds also photograph exceptionally well, providing eye-catching content for websites and social media while encouraging guests to share their own holiday memories online. In an increasingly digital marketplace, these visual experiences can become valuable marketing assets in their own right.

As guest expectations continue to rise, investment in outdoor play should be viewed as a long-term enhancement rather than a simple facility upgrade. Durable, inclusive and imaginative equipment helps future-proof parks, supports family-focused tourism and reinforces a commitment to providing exceptional guest experiences.

INNOVATIVE PLAYGROUNDS don’t just entertain—they become memorable attractions that enhance the overall visitor experience.

Whether creating an entirely new playground or refreshing an existing space, choosing equipment that reflects the character of the destination can deliver lasting benefits for both visitors and operators alike.

For holiday parks looking to create unforgettable family experiences through innovative outdoor play, Proludic continues to demonstrate how imaginative design, quality manufacturing and inclusive thinking can transform ordinary playgrounds into standout attractions.

For more information visit:
Proludic
01159 823980
www.proludic.co.uk

A thoughtfully designed playground creates a focal point for families, gives children the freedom to explore and socialise...

THOUGHTFULLY designed play spaces encourage exploration, creativity and active play for children of all ages

EYE-CATCHING THEMES

Posted on August 3, 2023

EYE-CATCHING THEMES

FROM CASTLES TO EXPLORERS TO PIRATES, a Ledon Playground from OLP can give your holiday park the edge you are looking for.

If you are looking for an eye-catching themed playground to keep your smaller visitors entertained, then look no further than Online Playgrounds who are the main UK partner for Ledon Play Equipment. Designed in Denmark with children for children, no ideas are scrimped on.

This is not just tested or photographed with children, but they are involved from developing the first ideas through storytelling, through to trialling the final prototypes. Children are the experts at play, so it makes sense to ask them what makes the most fun play equipment.

With a huge number of imaginative play values, the play equipment is not only amazing fun, but it also helps children’s creative, emotional, social, physical and cognitive development – an all-round winner! The Ledon theme worlds create exciting universes which can spark the imagination and encourage role play.

This encourages emotional understanding and social interaction. From castles to explorers to pirates, a Ledon Playground from OLP can give your holiday park the edge it needs to attract more visitors. These worlds can be as large or small as your space or budget dictates.

From large multiplay units and associated matching springers, swings and see-saws through to much smaller single item areas we can work within your guidelines to create an enticing and accessible play area.

Online Playgrounds (OLP)
Tel. 01354 638359
www.onlineplaygrounds.co.uk

SPLASHDOWN!

Posted on April 27, 2022

SPLASHDOWN!

Convert under-used paddling pools into exciting splash pads…

SPLASHPADS ARE EXCITING crowd pleasers for all the family. Pic. The Splash

Splash pads can be an excellent social environment for all children but especially those with learning or physical disabilities. Specialist suppliers, The Splash, has recently been undertaking new projects to convert redundant paddling pools and convert them into splash pads to create more inclusive, accessible, creative play spaces.

The Splash team work with local authorities, as well as holiday parks, to create inclusive play areas where children can get together and play in a stimulating and immersive environment. Designed to be space and cost efficient, the splashpads are a vibrant oasis that will attract visitors to an area, having a huge positive impact on businesses and communities alike. Crucially, the team has designed its own system and features that provide huge water saving benefits to our customer’s.

By recirculating water, their tried and tested system, that conforms to industry standards, can save up to 50m3 of water per day; a huge water saving over the annual demands of a busy attraction. “The change away from single use systems has been driven not only by cost saving but also environmental impact,” explains Clare Jayson on behalf of The Splash. “With the concern of water shortages in the future and the potential of more prolonged droughts, we can see the possibility that single use systems might not be able to open,” Clare adds.

DESIGNS BY THE SPLASH are saving up to 50m3 of water per day.

The Splash has developed their system to comply with PWTAG (Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group) recommendations and to enhance the ease of maintenance. They have automated and simplified their system while maintaining high levels of safety and quality. A splashpad system will need a three-phase electric supply, a mains Sewer and a mains water supply. The closer these are to the preferred site, the less cost that will be spent on facilitating these. You probably need a minimum of 200m2 of space to allow a 150m splash pad with a 1.2m wide path.

The splashpad location should be where trees are not too close as leaves and debris cause drains to block and don’t forget about ample car parking if you are looking to attract day visitors. Themed play features can create more imaginative play and can be tied into local historical events. Castles, Dragons, Pirates, Nautical and Dinosaurs are all popular themes and can create great visuals for marketing. Clare adds: “Make sure that the design proposed is age relevant and covers the age groups that your park is catering for.

“A good design will create areas of free movement and high levels of activity for children in the 6-12 age range with areas of less activity and gentler features for toddlers and less confident children.” All The Splash bespoke features are made, in the UK which means you can benefit from considerable cost and time saving with almost endless design possibilities. Manufacturing processes and experience give you the advantage of a completely bespoke design project at an ‘off the shelf’ price.

The Splash
enquiries@thesplash.uk
www.thesplash.uk