Inclusive Play Equipment and Sensory Garden at Park Gardens

This is a project to provide specialist play equipment, interpretation and planting at Park Gardens in Stroud. Stroud Town Council, in collaboration with local charity Allsorts, is co-designing an inclusive play space within Park Gardens specifically intended to support children with additional sensory needs. The design of the space has been informed by engagement sessions with children and their families, resulting in a plan that includes sensory elements, such as sense totems, habitat totems, and minibeast finger mazes. A sensory planting area will also be established, featuring native species that encourage wildlife presence while supporting play and nature-based learning. This new area will provide a quieter sensory environment, situated apart from the main play area, to allow children with additional sensory needs the opportunity to explore, connect with nature, and play within a safe and supportive setting.

The creation of an inclusive sensory play area adjacent to the existing play provision in Park Gardens will enhance the diversity of play opportunities available to all children. Importantly, it will also enable children with additional sensory needs to access play in a safe, inclusive manner. Sensory and nature-based facilities—such as those proposed—foster creativity, communication, and cognitive development, which are currently underrepresented in the park’s existing play provision. This initiative has been co-designed with Allsorts, who advised that offering a calm, nearby environment enables children with additional sensory needs to recover from overstimulation while still participating in joint play with their peers. Sensory components such as totems, finger mazes, and wildlife-friendly planting are designed to encourage imaginative, nature-based exploration and learning.