The vision for this part of the new Children’s Garden at Kew was to create a rich and complex natural environment for exploration. The sand play area was designed as if the sand was the sea, drawing on the imagery of a coastal village of huts and jetties. The spacious sand area and sand play features such as buckets and hoists allow children to experiment and learn in a hands-on way.

The wilderness area with its tunnels, tower and log tangles offers challenges for different age groups. The precariously leaning tower was designed to add an element of risk and adventure with a myriad of ways to climb up and around it. All structures and materials are woven into the landscape of trees, creating a visual harmony that makes the play area appear to have grown out of the existing environment.

Implementation: Ground Control/Duncan and Grove