Exciting world travel
Travelling through the universe is an excellent idea for thematic playground creation. The children move from one theme world in the next, while playing. From town, through mountains, the sea and around the earth, until they reach the space. Playing together helps the children to learn more effective. The complex connection of nature, society und environment are better experienced by playing. The new indoor-hall of Ketteler Hof is a terrific example.
About one year ago the owners of the adventure park invited the most creative designers and manufacturers of playgrounds, to create a new attraction with their spectacular ideas and skilled craftsmanship for entertaining the little conquerors, discoverers and environmentalists. The different planning teams worked out one or several scenes each. The owner family and the planning teams managed it very good to fulfill the design approaches and connected everything to a huge playable journey around the world.
All embracing the company SIK-Holzgestaltungs GmbH had the task to bring a piece of the space to Ketteler Hof. To fullfill this task we had a room with about 1,350 m³. Playing through a room with dimensions like this, is a magnificent experience for children. There is no up or down in space. Everything is always moving. We brought an UFO in position, which is flying towards our planetary system. Five Planets hover as spherical capsules, connected through bridge-systems through the room. Whenever the children step out of the UFO in 5 meters height, they will soon discover what keeps the world together. They get to learn the infinite distances of the universe.
Child’s play is not planable. The fantasy and idea diversity of children is simply endless. We, the playground-designer, can only give them a frame to ensure a development-promoting play. Even Goethe let the director on stage speak 250 years ago: «On the German stage, you see, Everyone tries out what he can: Don’t fail to show me, I’m your man, Your trap-doors, and your scenery. Use heavenly lights, the big and small, 235 Squander stars in any number, Rocky cliffs, and fire, and water, Birds and creatures, use them all. So in our narrow playhouse waken The whole wide circle of creation, 240 And stride, deliberately, as well, From Heaven, through the world, to Hell.»