Second phase of adventure park nears its completion

Due to open later this year, the second phase is aimed at children up to the age of eight, and is being built at a cost of 256,000.

Once open it will complement the 407,000 first phase, which opened last year, and with the footbridge opening up a connection between both sides of the river, later this year, it is envisaged that people on the Cityside will have greater access to the site, as it will no longer require a double bus journey to reach the facilities.

Using natural components, the 'junior' trail is a near exact replica of the second phase, except that it has been built in miniature, and is housed in a contained, secure area of the site. When complete there will be special fall surfaces and the wide slide is impossible to fall from as it runs down the surface of a banked up area on both sides - thereby making nasty falls impossible.

There will be around a dozen physical pieces of equipment, from a huge slide, rocking horses, a climbing tower, and the old favourite - a huge sand pit.

Eils Gill, play animator for the adventure play environment is excited about the approaching completion of the play area.

"Phase two is nearing completion. We haven't got a completion date, but you can already see that it is a lovely area for children aged eight and under eight. This phase is a replica of the ethos behind phase one, which is to encourage children to take risks, learn about their own self-risk management, and consider the value of outdoor play. Research contained in the play strategy developed by Derry City Council in conjunction with Derry Children's Commission and St Columb's Park House, which demonstrates that outdoor play is very good for health and wellbeing, as well as tackling things like obesity."

"The pieces are designed to be interactive pieces of play equipment and are made from natural products like wood. They are designed to form a circuit making it conducive to moving from one piece to the next, testing the children's co-ordination and various motor skills," she said, adding that the only real difference between both phases is the absence of zip lines in the second phase.

Play of this type has also proved to reduce disruptive behavour in the school environment.

"We have groups coming in here with children who have diverse learning needs, and when they are outdoors playing and are able to enjoy themselves and are able to have social interaction, they are able to go back to school and seem to be more focused.

"When I am speaking to the teachers who co-facilitate this, they report back that the childrne seem to be more able to concentrate and are better able to manage their lessons," she said.

Children using both phases of the adventure playpark will need adult supervision, while older users, like teenagers, are encouraged to share the space, making it a pleasant play and learning environment for all.