Site: Waverley Park Playground, Paul Street, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022
Client: Waverley Council
Age Range: 1+ years
Year: 2023
3, 2, 1… blastoff!
A brand new rocket ship has landed at the popular Waverley Park Playground and the community is thrilled.
The playground’s original 1960’s rocket ship needed replacing after many years of being well-loved. After consultation with the community and in close collaboration with Council’s team, Proludic designed a new and improved rocket ship complete with additional play features, keeping the space nostalgia alive and providing an upgraded playground at the same time.
To the moon and back
The bigger and better Rocket Ship, complete with Launch Tower and Mission Control Station is a bespoke design that invites space-themed imaginative play all day. Thanks to all the play features there is much more to discover than just walking on the moon. Little astronauts can awake their inner monkey and explore climbing activities at various levels of difficulty designed to challenge different age groups.
Young space explorers can prepare for blastoff at the Mission Control Station next to the Launch Tower. There are buttons to press and knobs to turn before swirling clouds of water vapour simulate blastoff.
Custom designed space-themed play panels invite manipulative play activities that help develop fine motor skills, and foster imaginative role play games. Anyone can be an astronaut and hover through space with our astronaut play panel!
The Rocket Ship Launch Tower comes with two different slides: a smaller slide for younger astronauts and a large spiral slide for the thrill seekers. Next to the spiral slide is a talk tube that leads to the first floor for easy communication with fellow astronauts, and sometimes just some heartfelt yelling. The most adventurous astronauts can climb up the three floors of the Launch Tower or Rocket Ship, and crawl through the suspended rope tunnel that connects the two. The Rocket Ship also features talk tubes that connect each floor to keep astronaut chats flowing, and a slide for a wee bit of thrill. This structure promotes imaginative play to the moon and back.
There’s more to explore in this (play) space
Landed the Rocket Ship and ready to see what else is at your destination? Waverley Park Playground also offers an inclusive Three Bay Swing set (custom J496-G) with a variety of seats. The unique “Duo” seat combines a wide flat seat for adults and a cradle seat for young children, which enables direct eye contact between the two while swinging together. A J2409 Inclusive Roundabout gets everyone’s heads spinning and is wheelchair accessible. The swings and carousel enable children to sit, enjoy the breeze on their face, and swing or spin at their own pace after the adrenaline rush of exploring the Rocket Ship and Launch Tower.
Children can also make a splash at the Water Course. Water play helps little ones with motor skills development, problem solving, and sensory development. Who says you have to walk on the moon? You can also run and roll in the giant wheel of the E-Rollrunner (J3511). Children can test their coordination and balancing skills, and pick a pace that suits their ability and courage. The interactive light and sound effects are created by kinetic energy and motivate the user to move. It’s also fun for onlookers as they await their turn – everyone gets involved in the excitement, wheeee!
Spacey History
The countdown to this rocket launch started in 2021, but this is not the only time a rocket ship has landed in a playground…
Space-inspired playgrounds originated as a “major propaganda exercise” during the Cold War. The Space Race between the United States and Soviet Union inspired fashion, cartoons, commercials, and playgrounds. According to heritage consultant Susan Jackson-Stepowski, the first rocket-inspired play structures were designed to encourage children in poorer areas to build muscle strength. The climbing frames were especially designed to increase physical ability in city children.
Reviving the nostalgia
With this historic background, it comes as no surprise that the rocket ship, which no longer complied with playground safety standards, needed a worthy replacement and Proludic delivered. Now the community can enjoy a shiny new Rocket Ship in their upgraded playground, and make new memories together while keeping the nostalgia of the original playspace alive.
Read what “Visit Bondi Beach” has to say about this Play Space.
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