Playground Centre’s innovative design has transformed our students’ playtime, creating a space that fosters challenge, creativity, personal growth. The quality of the finished product is truly exceptional, and we have a playground that is unique for international schools in Bangkok.”
Dr Peter J. Church | Bursar | Wellington College International School Bangkok
Transforming the play experience
Wellington College International School in Bangkok set out to create a world-class play space for its Junior School that reflected the school’s commitment to students’ holistic development – inside and outside the classroom. Their goal was to create a dynamic and engaging environment where children could explore, take risks, and build skills that supported their academic and personal growth.
Playground Centre delivered this vision, transforming the school’s outdoor area into a vibrant hub of activity and connection that has redefined playtime for students. The playground has sparked creativity, confidence, and collaboration, with children embracing opportunities for imaginative and cooperative play, skill-building, and self-discovery.
As the Head of Junior School Hannah Jeffs noted: “Playground Centre’s expertise in design has ensured we have a play space that will continue to support our student interests, engagement, and skills as they grow through the primary years”.
Collaboration across time zones
Playground Centre worked closely with Wellington College to deliver a seamless project outcome. From managing tight deadlines and meeting Thailand’s strict import standards to collaborating across international time zones, Playground Centre’s approach was one of partnership and precision.
The design services the team provided were instrumental in ensuring the play space’s design aligned with the school leadership team’s vision, through the provision of detailed concepts and 3D drawings that allowed decision makers to visualise how the final playground would look. Backed by clear and transparent project costings, and the flexibility to refine designs and identify options to optimise the play experience while remaining within the school’s budget.
Throughout the process, Playground Centre maintained close communication with both the school and the local installation team in Thailand. All equipment was pre-assembled and labelled in New Zealand to ensure a seamless installation. This attention to detail and collaborative approach resulted in a playground that is not only functional and safe but also reflects the school’s commitment to excellence and innovation.
A playground built for growth and exploration
The design process centred around the school’s wish for a pedagogically-rich outdoor space that housed beautiful equipment constructed in natural materials to mirror the environment of campus.
The playground design also captures the school’s desire to create zones in which students could push their boundaries, burn-off surplus energy, but also find calm and peaceful spaces to relax with their friends. Ensuring a balanced environment where every child can thrive.
Pieces from Playground Centre’s Nature Play range were chosen to deliver both a natural aesthetic and the durability required to withstand Bangkok’s tropical climate. In combination with fitness stations and other innovative play pieces, and seating, the Junior School play space is a masterclass in contemporary school playground design.
Key features of the playground include:
- Wobbly Wood Activity Trail 2125 and in-ground Trampoline Pi designed to encourage physical fitness and challenge coordination.
- Twig Stack 355 , Double Scaling Wall, Turbo Challenge and Monkey Bar fitness stations offering opportunities for climbing and problem-solving, promoting teamwork and creativity.
- Wobbly Wood Lazy Daisy Hammock and Teepees and a Legend Curved Bench Double to provide calm places for students to unwind and connect.
- Plus, an over-sized outdoor Chess Board & Pieces, blending play and strategic thinking to enhance cognitive development and social interaction.
The power of play
The impact of the new playground has been profound. Since the completion of the playground, Wellington College’s educators has witnessed a transformation in how their Junior School students engage with play.
According to the Head of Junior School, Hannah Jeffs:
“Our new playground has transformed the children’s experience of playtimes in the school. The equipment has been perfectly well designed to stretch and challenge our students, many who have not played on equipment of this nature before. The children grow in confidence and skill level every week, continuing to develop their creativity and problem-solving skills as they find new games to play.”
Delivering excellence
Playground Centre’s experience in delivering playgrounds worldwide was pivotal to the project’s success.
Given the need for precision timing to construct the playground during the school holidays in August 2024, the team’s project management and logistics expertise came to the fore. This included navigating Thailand’s stringent import regulations and product certification requirements to ensure that all equipment met local standards – paving the way for on-time delivery and installation of the equipment.
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