Drawing inspiration from the Geological Court and the remarkable historic Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, the new playground invites children to discover, explore, play, and create their own prehistoric adventures. It was great to see it open just in time for the sunshine, with local kids already making the space their own and turning it into a hive of activity.
The bespoke play space utilises large-scale structures that emerge organically from the earth to spark curiosity and imaginative discovery. We co-designed the play space with local families and translated the children’s favourite prehistoric creatures into dramatic play features, including climbing structures inspired by the Megalosaurus and a striking Hylaeosaurus skull as the centrepiece. Slides are carved into the embankment mimicing dinosaur claw marks. A winding dinosaur tail forms a playful route across an undulating mound, and leads to a sandpit shaped like a colossal fossilised footprint.
A wall of layered rocks and climbable boulders is inspired by the park’s Victorian geological illustrations. ‘Paleo-planting’ draws on prehistoric plant species and offers opportunities to learn about plant evolution and environmental change through time.
Over the weekend the playground was put to the test by local children, and it was great to see them enjoying the new space and exploring the dinosaur features.
The play area was co-delivered by London Borough of Bromley and Crystal Palace Park Trust, with support of partnersi ncluding the The National Lottery Heritage Fund & London Marathon Foundation.
