Stunning adventurous playground opens in Vicarage Road!

A family fun day marked the opening of the stunning Harwoods Adventurous Playground in Watford on Sunday.

The playground, which features some of the most exciting, state-of-the-art outdoor play equipment for 5 to 15-year-olds in the country, was given a big thumbs up by the local community as young people had their chance to try it out for the first time.

The opening of the new Harwoods Adventurous Playground in Vicarage Road marks the completion of Watford Borough Council’s £1.4million investment in adventurous play, which offers year-round play opportunities for young people and their families to enjoy.

Cllr Karen Collett, Portfolio Holder for Community, who officially opened the playground on Sunday, said: “We are so excited that we can bring this adventurous playground to you. It is the new creative play we wanted for Watford – please come along: You won’t be disappointed. It is clearly loved by the children and it is great to see so many happy faces here as they play. I am particularly proud that this playground has something to offer young people of all abilities. With our other adventurous playground at Harebreaks and our great free Easter and summer play programme, I believe Watford must be one of the best places in the country for play.”

Cllr Karen Collett, Portfolio Holder for Community, Paul Rabbitts, Head of Parks and Open Spaces for Watford Borough Council,

and the teams from Southern Landscape & Construction, which built the playground, and architects Southern Green, which designed it.

One of the first young people to give the playground a go, Harry Young, aged eight, said: “There are loads of rides. I like the big slide best because it’s really long. But I don’t feel scared – just a bit nervous as I come out of the end into all the sand. I got a bit messy, but I am OK now.”

Key features of the playground include a new double zip wire, play tower with mid-air tunnel, slide and climbing wall as well as an iconic tower, accessed via a wibbly wobbly bridge, which has special panels to reflect light in different colours. Other equipment generates music and sounds to create a sensory experience that all young people can enjoy. The playground has been fully assessed by Plan Inclusive Play (PiPA) to ensure it can be enjoyed by children of all abilities.

More details about the playgrounds - Harebreaks and Harwoods - are available at watford.gov.uk/play

(Source: Watford Borough Council)