Forward-thinking organisation Nubo has caught the eye recently by building a ‘holistic’ children’s playground in Australia. For the uninitiated, Nubo means cloud, and its purpose as an organisation is to design innovative spaces for children to feed their imaginations and nurture their creativity and curiosity.
The designers at Nubo say they apply a holistic approach to their creative spaces, enabling children to develop their interests through workshops, facilitated play and free play. The ‘holistic’ playground now open in Sydney is proving to be a great hit with children and their families. Unlike other indoor children’s play spaces that use bright colours and flashy designs, Nubo have created a white space and has chosen to concentrate on quality learning activities. The indoor playground is located in Alexandria, a suburb in the east of Sydney.
Enjoying 760 square metres of play space, which houses a variety of specialist spaces on different levels, the rooms offer children an exciting array of challenges. One example features giant building blocks to test their imaginations, while another is filled with books; a children’s library in a playground is an exciting blend for many children.
Private pods are available for little scholars, the focus point being a huge hot air balloon they can snuggle up in to read their favourite book. The theory behind the Nubo design for a holistic playground comes from best-practice in early-years education. Educationalists suggest that children need to have all of their senses stimulated to achieve peak learning.
Bright coloured objects may fascinate children, but theorists argue that relying on them all the time can actually limit a child’s imaginative development. This playground for children in Sydney provides an uncomplicated space with soft neutral colours on walls. There are traditional toys such as puzzles and robots, but each room also specialises in innovative learning. The music workshop encourages children to explore drama through games. A complete play kitchen occupies what is called the imagination room.
Local educators have describe the holistic playground as a “workshop heaven” but it’s also not an inexpensive one. An hour’s play costs $20, which is around £12, but parents are already full of praise for the facility’s ability to offer a space where children can simultaneously nourish their minds and encourage physical stimulation. The indoor playground is not just for children; parents are encouraged to interact with their children in a calm full-filled environment. The playground caters for children up to the age of 10. Some parents are of the opinion that it’s the younger children who seem to get the most out of it, but perhaps using this holistic approach early on will encourage children to be imaginative for longer as they grow older.
With giant pipes to scramble through and ceiling high climbing frames to dangle from, “Pure Play” is the signature phrase for this ‘holistic’ playground. The moment you walk into any of the spaces the state-of-the-art designs pull you in. With facilitated learning, free play and structured workshops all offered to accommodate varying styles of learning, the possibilities for creative play have suddenly become limitless.