Fishermen’s Tales - Children Educational Playground

For the last 4 years, „Chengene skele“ complex has been actively developing as an out-of-town place for recreation, sports and cultural events. The children's playground is an addition to its entertainment functions and establishes it as an attractive vacation family spot. It includes: common space with seating and educational materials, sensory area with water play and sensory path, children's playground 0-3 years, playground areas 3-7 years and 3-12 years. The equipment is made of acacia (robinia) wood, designed especially for the site, inspired by the place and the themes of the playground.

A main challenge was to not only offer play but also knowledge. There are several approaches to presenting the information in the project. The first is through diagrams, drawings, info boards, playful panels and text on the wooden fence in the northern part of the area. The second is interactive – through the sensory entertainment panels for the youngest, accessible to children 1+ and for people in wheelchairs. A special accent are the info boards at the facilities, inspired by typical Black Sea inhabitants. They are surrounded by life belts to focus on their vulnerability. One of the main aims was to offer inclusion and diversity - a choice of many play options, with different difficulty (including for people with limited mobility) and tailored to the different interests of children according to age and development. And, of course, opportunity for a shared experience with the parents. We aimed at learning through experience and stimulating the imagination of young and grown-up.

Before the playground took shape, the site had been a sunken, damp area, later filled mostly with construction debris. Its transformation was part of a wider effort to revitalize an area once marked by illegal construction. The first step was the cultural and tourist complex, followed by this playground built from natural materials. The design of the facilities and the environment is tied to the ethnographic houses of the complex, with which they have a visual connection. Environmental friendly design was a priority: through the information provided but also through the use of materials. The use of acacia wood was due to its high durance and low need for maintenance and also because of its beautiful natural look. It is covered by natural oil with light nuance and brown accents of water-based paint as a link to the houses nearby. The ground is mainly covered by sand and greenery. The use of shock-absorbing surfaces and pavement is reduced to some of the accessible areas only.