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Of interest for: municipalities
In the Schollebos park of the municipality of Capelle aan den IJssel (the Netherlands), Watergames & More has realized a public Spray Park called De Watervallei. This interactive water playground offers fun for children of all ages. Therefore the children’s jury of the Circular Play Award 2020 voted massively for this water playground. On Wednesday 1 July 2020, councilor Ans Harthagel and children’s mayor Naomi Vermeulen of the municipality of Capelle aan den IJssel received the prize.
Circular Play Award 2020
Magazine Stad en Groen organized the Circular Games Award this year for the second time. The prize for the best realized playground in the Netherlands with circular values, is intended to encourage playing in public space. The professional jury consisted of nine children. The entries were judged through the eyes of the children, and De Watervallei was chosen as the winner. View the (Dutch) press release here.
Realization of the project
The City Management Department wanted to achieve more than a traditional playground. A modern, innovative playground with water would give the outdoor space a quality boost, and children a lot of (water) fun. The children’s college of the municipality thought about the name of the Spray Park -De Watervallei (Dutch for water valley)- and opened it in July 2019. Children’s minister Mariam Yousf said during her opening speech: “In Capelle you have nice playgrounds, but one with water was still missing. Especially in the summer it is super fun to play with water. You only come across water playgrounds on vacation. Unfortunately, some children in Capelle cannot go on holiday, so a playground with water nearby is great fun. ” Children’s mayor Naomi Vermeulen was also present at the event on July 1, 2020 and announced that he was very pleased with the Award:
“The playground is very big and I am very happy with it.”
– Children’s mayor Naomi Vermeulen –
The design
In consultation with the municipality of Capelle aan den IJssel, the Spray Park has been optimized in terms of use and form for public space. In addition, the development levels and playing preferences of various age groups have been taken into account. For example, quiet, low play features from our partner Waterplay Solutions Corp. have been placed for younger children, and larger, more active play units for older children. There is a non-slip, flat floor and the water is immediately drained. This makes the park also suitable for the very youngest and children in a wheelchair.
Moreover, it is circular and sustainable: Basically all water is collected, purified & reused. In addition, the features switch themselves off when no children are playing, which keeps the water and energy consumption low.
Great success
Spray Park De Watervallei has been a great success since it opened. Councilor Ans Hartnagel recommends it to every municipality:
“To be honest, it has been quite an investment, but fortunately within Capelle we have been able to convince everyone of the added value of this playground. In the meantime, several other large municipalities have already taken a look, such as Utrecht and Rotterdam. I am very enthusiastic about De Watervallei and this prize is a great recognition of this”
– Councilor Ans Hartnagel –
A Spray Park in your municipality
Do you also want a splashing Spray Park in your municipality to contribute to the enrichment of public space? View our product page or feel free to contact us. If you want to stay informed about developments of Watergames & More, follow us on LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletter.
