There are twelve Adventure playgrounds in Islington and, although they are all different, each will typically have a play hut or building and an outdoor play area with rope swings, timber climbing frames and climbing nets. Some have sand pits and special areas for younger children. Children can simply play with their friends or take part in activities initiated by the play workers (like arts and crafts, music, sports and games). Some adventure playgrounds will have animals and gardens. A sign of a well-run adventure playground is access to activities that challenge children and feed their imagination with lots of opportunities for the children to use real tools and regularly change their own play environment.

Adventure playgrounds do not charge - they are free for any child to use. However some playgrounds run extra services that are charged for. For example, some playgrounds have care services for younger children - collecting children from school and looking after then until collected by parents. Some run care services during the school holidays, with breakfast and lunch clubs. All the playgrounds will run occasional residential holidays and these are normally charged for too.



What age range do adventure playgrounds cater for?

This varies but most aim to attract 5 to 14 year olds. Some have play areas for younger children, but under fives will normally need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. Many of the adventure playgrounds cater for young people over 14 with specialist youth activities. For example one playground has a scrambling (motorcycle) project while another has a well-deserved reputation for music projects.

Are adventure playgrounds safe?

Adventure playgrounds in Islington have an excellent safety record and playing on them is much safer than most contact sports like rugby, football or hockey. Sites are subject to safety checks and are regularly inspected. Learning how to deal with risk is an important part of growing up and an adventure playground is a good place for children to test out their jumping, balancing and climbing abilities. Playground barbecues are a good way for children to learn to respect fire and, in general, adventure playgrounds offer an opportunity for children to test themselves and build confidence and self-esteem. Adventure playgrounds are certainly places where children can enjoy messy play, so dress your children in old ‘play clothes'!

Adventure playgrounds have trained and qualified staff who are helped by well-supervised, trained volunteers. The training includes ‘child-protection' training and all adults working on the sites are ‘police checked'. A team approach ensures the very highest standards in staff conduct and care.

Who runs the adventure playgrounds in Islington?

Five of Islington's adventure playgrounds are locally managed by their own parent-led community groups and are registered charities. Disabled children are welcome on all adventure playgrounds, but some children need and benefit from a specialist provision and one of the playgrounds, run by a national charity, is for disabled children and their siblings. The remaining six are directly run by Islington council.