The City of Guelph selected Earthscape to design and build a custom timber playground in Exhibition Park, one of the city’s oldest and beloved green spaces. With its mature trees and rolling topography, Exhibition Park is a beautiful backdrop for this adventurous community play space. A local neighbourhood association advocated for the playground, thus contributing greatly to the collaborative design of the site. Because of a large available footprint, the playground includes multiple play zones for different ages and abilities.
A large log jam® challenges older and more adventurous children and adults. In contrast, a smaller log jam® and angled platforms are perfect starting points for younger or less confident climbers. A constructed berm supports a hill slide along with climbing timbers. Toddlers love the water pump and sand play area because of the sensory play and junior climbing opportunities. Boulders provide places to sit and observe while additional trees will provide future shade.
The local community has truly embraced the playground. Further, it has become a destination for the whole city. To summarize, in the words of a neighbour: “Kids playing, teenagers climbing alongside them, families congregating with other neighbours to socialize. You have ‘created’ our community. We thought we had a strong neighbourhood before, but now it feels so much more united. Thank you for that.”