Families rejoice! One of Gloucestershire's best-loved playgrounds, Welly Boot Land at Slimbridge Wetland Centre, is now open after an extensive development to introduce new play equipment and make it more accessible.
Encouraging learning through play and exploration, the playground is known for its wetland-themed water play area, which provides plenty of watery fun, whatever the weather.
Now, kids can boing on brand-new lily pad trampolines and crawl through a log tunnel, with climbing trees and a basket swing among the newly introduced play equipment, too.
The redevelopment also includes accessibility improvements, like new levelled surfacing, which means that even more visitors will be able to enjoy the popular playground; as well as moving the shaded areas to improve picnicking locations.
Children can still make a splash in the streams and dams, with the adventure playground retaining its water play elements, as well as its fountain water feature and roundabout.
With sustainability front of mind, the new play equipment is made from sustainable, PEFC-certified timber sources – with Slimbridge reusing most of the timber from the old play equipment in the project, as well as repurposing materials to enrich its animal exhibits and sending some to other WWT sites across the country. The new surfacing is also eco-friendly as well, including tiger mulch made from recycled forklift tyres and wetpour rubber.
Gary Haseley-Nejrup, general manager at Slimbridge, said: 'Welly Boot Land is a much loved attraction at Slimbridge and it’s been very exciting to see the new plans for the play area come to life. We know families have been eagerly awaiting for it to reopen and we hope they’ll agree it’s been worth the wait!
'With the resurfacing the play area will be more accessible and so we hope even more of our visitors will be able to enjoy Welly Boot Land.'
For more information to plan your visit, see Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
