Kingsway College School spearheaded the redevelopment of the playground at Humbertown Park in Toronto. Their goal was to create a high-challenge, ninja-course-inspired playground. The new playscape, designed by Earthscape with Seferian Design, encourages unstructured and non-prescriptive play for their students, as well as the families who live in the neighbourhood.
The playground’s focal point is the connected towers that, from some vantage points, appear as mirror images of each other. The towers are jam-packed with interior play opportunities and options for entry and exit. Children can climb from one tower to the other at different heights and on different materials via angled ropes and stainless steel bars. Accordingly, the towers have climbing holds around their exteriors and nets, flex form webs and suspended platforms on the inside. The “play guts” of the tower create tons of space for active play. Additionally, the towers provide opportunities for passive play where children can hang out and catch their breath.
The playscape also includes a large log jam™ which is functionally linked to the towers and features climbing nets and sliding rails. The site includes a hill slide accompanied by a large log jumble of overlapping fallen log timbers to challenge balance skills. Likewise, undulations in the poured-in-place rubber surface add interest and extra challenge. The robinia play posts bear abstract carvings to create a sensory tactile experience. Moreover, the carvings add visual interest and artistic expression.
The Humbertown Park playground offers enormous opportunity for play at many levels of difficulty. Consequently, the design creates an inclusive environment for children and adults with different abilities and interests.