Messy Sensory Stimulation & Colourful Adventure Play For All Ages | St Mary’s Catholic Primary School
Russell Road, London, SW19 1QL
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in South Wimbledon transformed a compact, mostly grey yard into an inclusive playground supporting children of all ages and SEND needs. Key goals included clear age zoning, tactile sensory play, and maximising space within budget. Creative Play delivered smart design and bespoke equipment, creating an engaging, accessible environment ready for the new term.
Naturally zoned play areas separating age groups
Sensory play with tactile, messy, sand, and water elements
Bespoke adventure tower featuring an innovative hexagonal platform
Cost-effective coloured wetpour surfacing blended with black fleck
Completed in five weeks, ready for start of term
ST MARY’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Nestled in the parish of St Winefride’s, South Wimbledon, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School is an education environment committed to promoting the “academic, physical, spiritual and social development of each child”, regardless of age, sex or ability. The school is particularly keen on inclusion, with a strong focus on diversity and equality, SEND, and EAL (English as an additional language).
Two distinct areas were specified, allowing age groups to be separated when required. The school also requested sensory play equipment with a strong emphasis on physical, tactile elements, enabling children to explore textures and form tangible connections with their play. In addition, there was a clear requirement for colourful surfacing to bring visual interest to the space.
Consultation
Creative Play’s Outdoor Play Expert met with the school to understand their priorities and how the space needed to function. Following the consultation and site assessment, water and sand play elements were identified as the most effective way to deliver sensory engagement within the available budget. Interactive play panels were added to support this provision, while a bespoke Jigsaw Play Tower provided a clear focus for adventure play.
WATCH: Drone video of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS: USING SMART DESIGN TO ZONE A COMPACT SPACE
State Of Area Before Installation
Old play equipment requiring removal
Mostly grey yard space in need of colour
Minimal effort at zoning
Potential Work Restrictions
The poor condition of the existing yard proved advantageous, as there was no existing surfacing to protect. This allowed our work van to be driven directly onto the playground, avoiding issues associated with narrow roads or restricted access.
Playground Surfacing
We made open areas definable through subtle visual cues, using changes in surface colour and play provision rather than physical barriers. Sensory play elements were grouped within a red-toned zone beyond a black ‘road’ layout, while other play features were positioned on green wetpour and artificial grass to reflect the look and feel of a natural landscape.
To manage costs effectively, all coloured wetpour safety surfacing (red, green and blue) was blended with a more economical black fleck, for maintaining visual impact while reducing overall expenditure. The result is a compact play area that feels structured, purposeful and considerably more inviting.
Choosing The Right Equipment
On paper, the extensive list of outdoor play equipment now installed at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School could suggest a crowded space. In practice, careful planning by our design team ensured each element sits comfortably within a natural, free-flowing layout, with clear movement routes and breathing space throughout.
Mud Kitchen, Sandbox and Waterplay
Messy play has an important role in child development, encouraging creativity, sensory exploration and independent problem-solving. Including a mud kitchen gives pupils a safe, purposeful space to explore textures and materials while supporting imaginative play and social interaction.
Sand play provides rich tactile feedback, allowing children to experience pressure, resistance and movement through their hands, which supports sensory processing and fine motor development. Digging, pouring and shaping sand also strengthens hand muscles, improves coordination and gives children greater control and confidence in their physical interactions with the world around them.
Water play introduces a dynamic sensory experience, giving children the opportunity to explore temperature, flow and cause-and-effect in a controlled, engaging way. Pouring, splashing and directing water supports fine motor control, coordination and problem-solving, while also offering a calming, regulating activity for children who benefit from predictable, repetitive movement.
Tower System
The centrepiece of the adventure zone is a bespoke two-tower structure connected by a hexagonal platform. This design is a customised version of the Krakatoa Play Tower, with the school selecting elements tailored to their specific needs, possible only because of our modular Jigsaw system.
The hexagonal platform showcases Creative Play’s unique technological advancement, which allows us to produce large hexagon-shaped outdoor play equipment more efficiently and cost-effectively than others. This shape offers more usable space than traditional square platforms, making it a favourite feature in SEN playgrounds.
Mound Tunnel with Slide
The mound tunnel with integrated slide provides a clear, purposeful route for movement, supporting gross motor development through climbing, crawling and sliding. Navigating changes in height and enclosed spaces builds spatial awareness and confidence, while the slide offers a rewarding outcome that encourages repeated, self-directed play.
IMPLEMENTATION: SMART PLAYGROUND DESIGN INSTALLED IN TIME FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
Space Design
Although compact, the existing, mostly grey, space offered clear potential for zoning. Through careful planning, our designers introduced a considered, nature-led layout that divided the area into distinct sections without compromising flow or usability.
As Creative Play’s Design Manager explains: “Positioning a row of planters alongside an outdoor classroom and a storage facilityprovided a practical, natural way to define age zones, separating the space while also responding to the school’s wish to introduce natural elements.”
Installation
The installation was overseen by a Creative Play Project Manager, who liaised with the school and a team of experienced, DBS-checked installers. After 5 weeks of work from the end July through August, it was signed off for use by an RPII-qualified inspector, just in time for the new term on the 4th September. Most of the time was used for installation (4 weeks), with the final week taken up by surfacing.
RESULTS: A COMPACT SPACE TRANSFORMED INTO A COLOURFUL ZONED SENSORY PLAY AREA
The completed playground delivers clearly defined zones that allow the school to manage different age groups while maintaining an open, natural flow across most of the space. A wide range of tactile, sensory and physical play opportunities now support inclusive engagement, particularly for pupils with SEND needs.
“Everyone loves the new playground” – Feedback from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School
Overall, the previously grey yard has been transformed into a purposeful, visually engaging environment that encourages active, confident play across the school day.
Maintenance & Future Opportunities
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School’s playground is crafted to our exacting ISO9001 quality standards. The school is also supported by a variety of aftercare packages designed to preserve its BSEN 1176 and 1177 safety standards performance over time.
The site features extensive EPDM wetpour surfacing, so Creative Play’s exclusive DIY Surfacing Repair Kits can help reduce the frequency and cost of future surfacing maintenance.
Thanks to its modular design, the playground can be easily expanded or adapted in the future, allowing the school to evolve the space as their needs change.
INSPIRED BY THIS COLOURFUL AND STIMULATING PRIMARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND?
Create a similar play space for your primary school. Explore more case studies to see what can work for you – or get in touch with Creative Play today for a free consultation! Visit the Contact Page or get in touch via email or telephone: [email protected] | 01244 375 627
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