Today's little Londoners still have plenty of outdoor playgrounds and spaces in which to stretch their legs.
The London Adventure Play Awards celebrate this, by recognising outstanding playgrounds across the capital. This year's winners were announced today, with Hackney Marsh Adventure Playground winning the title of 2015 London Adventure Playground of the Year.
The playground, located next to Daubeney Fields, has plenty of ways for kids to get active, including wooden structures, tree houses, rope and tyre swings, a large sandpit and water feature, climbing beams and nets.
Life's about to get even better for little Hackney residents — the prize is a new structure, designed and built by APEs Adventure Playground Engineers with the help of the children, and £500 worth of free materials.
In addition to the overall title, five other category prizes were awarded, with winners chosen by children from the 2014 winning playground at White City.
Lambeth’s Lollard Street Adventure Playground was named Coolest Place to Play, while Lumpy Hill Adventure Playground in Islington won the category for Inventiveness.
The Play Street of the Year title was jointly claimed by Hackney’s Winston Road and Islington’s Fairbridge Road, which each win £250 for an on street community celebration.
Christ Church Primary in Tower Hamlets took the Best Adventure Play in a School award, and wins a set of straw play huts.
Award entries were submitted in the form of short films made by the children themselves, and Islington Council’s adventure playgrounds jointly scooped the Best Film award.
“This annual event plays an increasingly important role in recognising and celebrating the life-affirming and even life-transforming role that these places play in the lives of children and young people,” said London Play chair Melian Mansfield.
