Playgrounds with wooden forts, cable cars, rocket slides and climbing ropes, etc. are always better than another boring park where there is only a grassy area and children have nothing to do, to be honest. However, it is very pleasant that there are very few such places in Birmingham, and if you try to find a playground that will suit both you and your children in terms of play potential, you will find that there are much more places where children can have fun and joyful time than boring and uninteresting ones. Read more about all this at ibirmingham.info.
Selection criteria
It’s especially nice when a playground not only has everything you need for children’s entertainment, but is also free of charge. Journalists from a Birmingham publication asked mums and dads in the city to advise their readers on places where they spend time with their children, and they enjoy it. Because these are the places with the best play equipment. We are talking about various ropes, rocket slides, climbing ropes, nesting swings, suspension bridges and wooden forts.
As you can see, parents focus on places that are associated with children’s movements. Some of the proposed playgrounds are ideal for thrill-seekers, while others are more suitable for quieter play. Another criterion for choosing playgrounds is whether there is a café nearby where you can have a coffee while your children play.
Telford City Park
Telford City Park covers a huge area of 170 hectares of land and is just over 30 minutes away from Birmingham. If you come here with your family, you can expect to spend the whole day here, because, firstly, there is something for both your children and you to enjoy. And secondly, this park, and therefore the playground, is free of charge.
But first things first. It should be noted right away that for small children, there is a sandbox where they can play with children’s excavators. There is also a rocket slide with two closed dark chutes, a swing on tyres, a log to walk on and a 12-metre spider web to climb up and down.
If you’re visiting in the summertime, there’s a water park to splash around in, boasting pressurised water jets, somewhat treacherous fountains, and musical fountains. There are also images of wildlife and individual and team games.
In addition, attentive parents will find free multifunctional playgrounds with footballs and basketballs that can be rented at the Visitor Centre. This centre is usually open from 10:00 to 17:00 and has toilets, which is very important.
Of course, there is also an all-inclusive playground, which surprises with a wheelchair accessible climbing wall, a Revolva carousel, a house swing and a nesting swing. While at this park, at this location, you may want to consider paying to enjoy the 12-hole adventure golf course, the Wonderland Fairy Tale Park, the Sky Reach ropes course and the Flip Out Telford amusement park, which has 10 thrilling rides including bumper cars, laser quest, climbing wall, roller rink, soft play area, electric go-kart, inflatable arena and more.
Dartmouth Park and Sandwell Valley Country Park
Sandwell Valley Country Park is another place to enjoy a full afternoon and keep your kids busy. The park itself is spread over 1,800 acres of open countryside. To give you an idea, that’s about 1,000 football pitches. No wonder this park is known as the jewel in the Midlands’ crown.
But the park itself is not enough to have fun with your kids. Sandwell Valley has taken care of this and arranged a fantastic playground for children’s adventures with climbing nets, a suspension bridge and a high-speed zip line.
For those who don’t know, this is an attraction where a person, or in our case a child, moves from a higher point to a lower one. For this purpose, a tensioned steel cable and a special roller mechanism are used. In the warm season, namely summer, you can visit a water park and a playground in Dartmouth Park.
You can visit the visitor centre, enjoy scenic walks, cycle along the trails and play tennis on the courts.
Moreover, while in Dartmouth Park, you can visit the Forge Mill farm for a small fee, or the 70-metre Closer to the Edge zipline, or test your BMX bike on a special track, or take a daring ride on the cable car. Don’t forget that there is a tea room here, so you can enjoy some goodies. There is also a car park in the park.
“Parks for play”
It is also worth noting that there are playgrounds that offer inclusive, accessible, age-appropriate and high quality play and recreational activities for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs. One of them is the charity organisation “Parks for Play. It was established more than 20 years ago by families with children with disabilities who brought in play experts.
Parks for Play will never stop helping a child or young person, regardless of their level of disability, background, emotional needs or challenging behaviour. At Parks for Play, groups operate on Saturdays during the school year. There is also a play programme during the holidays, as well as a special programme for Easter, summer and Christmas.
The organisation has its own youth service, which operates on alternate Sundays and offers immersive club activities that encourage independence and provide opportunities for children to spend quality time in a fun way. All sessions are available by appointment only. Subject to funding, Parks for Play offers a programme that includes inclusive trips and treats, as well as exciting games and fun adventures across the city.
Parks for Play invests in planning for each individual child who attends. Because the organisation is professional, they learn all about the children’s likes and dislikes, triggers, preferences, independence goals, medical needs, behavioural issues, etc. They also learn about communication and family support needs.
Our safeguarding statement
At the same time, Parks for Play recognises its responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people who use its services. One of the most important needs is to ensure 100% child safety. We work here in such a way as to protect children from harm to their health, while not forgetting to help them protect themselves if necessary. Parks for Play works by valuing, listening to and respecting every person, creating a welcoming atmosphere in which every visitor feels comfortable, an atmosphere where everyone thrives and develops.
All Parks for Play employees have received safeguarding training and are required to seek any additional advice from other safeguarding agencies if we are concerned about the welfare of a child or young person.
Sources: