Inclusion on the playground does not have to start from scratch. Many existing play areas already offer a good foundation for targeted further development, allowing more people to use, experience and enjoy them.
This is exactly the approach taken in the Berghausen project. The existing playground was not completely replaced, but carefully supplemented, adapted and expanded. The result is a play space that offers improved access, clearer orientation, more movement opportunities and more possibilities for social interaction.
Before the Retrofit: Potential Within the Existing Playground
Before the retrofit, many areas and pieces of equipment were difficult to reach. Gravel impact protection, high entry points and a lack of orientation aids made the playground particularly challenging for people with limited mobility or visual impairments.
Playing together was also only possible to a limited extent. The existing equipment offered few opportunities for children with different physical or motor abilities. Places for social interaction were rare, as many play areas were not easily accessible.
The Approach: Using What Is There and Expanding Participation
Together with the client, HUCK developed a concept that built on the existing structures and took them a step further. The focus was not on one single inclusive piece of play equipment, but on the interaction between access, orientation, play value and social connection.
With the HUCK Inclusion Mat, adapted entry points, high-contrast orientation elements and additional play opportunities, the playground was made more inclusive step by step.
After the Retrofit: Better Access, Clearer Orientation and More Opportunities to Play Together
The HUCK Inclusion Mat now creates a low-barrier route across the playground and provides access right up to the individual play units. People with mobility impairments can move around the site more easily and get closer to the play activity.
Coloured guide posts, two-tone ropes and clearly visible guide ropes improve orientation. People with visual impairments in particular benefit from clearer structures and more visible guiding elements.
At the same time, the play opportunities were expanded. New entry points, seating options, movement elements and additional play areas create more opportunities to join in, watch, explore and interact with others.
Solutions in Detail
On the Black Beard Pirate Ship, several inclusive details improve access and orientation: a sensory shower, a rubber mat ascent, two-tone ropes and a transfer box with guide post and guide rope.
The new spiral carousel with Inclusion Mat adds another movement experience to the playground. Depending on their abilities, children can sit, lie down or hold on while experiencing a gentle rotating movement together.
The large climbing pyramid was also further developed. Seat openings in the lower ring and colour-coded ropes make different levels of difficulty easier to recognise and open up new ways to use the equipment.
The Original HUCK Vogelnest Sombrero® is now easier to reach via the Inclusion Mat. Its integrated support function provides additional stability and is especially helpful for children with limited mobility when swinging.
Inclusion Does Not Always Mean Starting from Scratch
The Berghausen project shows that existing playgrounds can become significantly more inclusive through targeted measures. Not every change has to be large — what matters is how the individual elements work together.
When access, orientation, movement and social interaction are considered as one concept, an existing playground can become a place where more people can participate.
Would You Like to Make an Existing Playground More Inclusive?
Together, we can explore the potential of your existing playground — from low-barrier routes and adapted play equipment to individual solutions that create more opportunities for participation.
Contact: seiltechnik@huck.net
