By Toni, 22nd Aug 2022
Finding suitable spots for the kids to play freely can be a challenge, particularly if your child is living with a disability. Bryngarw Country Park has been a favourite place for families to visit for generations, and providing fun spaces for children to play together has always been very high on our list of priorities. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into creating imaginative and, most importantly, inclusive playground facilities that are open all year round to younger visitors of all ages and abilities.
Our inclusive outdoor playground
When we’re out and about, it’s always lovely to hear the sound of children enjoying the park and our accessible outdoor play area is often full of very happy customers, particularly at this time of year. It’s got all the usual facilities you’d expect in a good old-fashioned playground – the classic swings, climbing frames and roundabouts, not to mention our famously awesome 50ft slide – but we’ve also carefully integrated a few extra features to enable our young disabled visitors to take part all the fun of the play park too.
Ramps have been installed to make the space easily accessible and our swing set includes toddler-safe seats as well as a larger swing for wheelchair users. We made sure this swing was incorporated into the main set, rather than being installed as a separate unit, so that children with wheelchairs are able to enjoy playing directly alongside their friends and siblings.
If your kids love the thrill of spinning or bouncing (let’s face it, who doesn’t?) we also have a specially made wheelchair friendly roundabout and trampoline to try out. Not surprisingly, they’ve already proved to be a bit hit with our younger visitors and their families.
Indoor play facilities
Of course, having a local indoor play area is always handy, especially with the changeable Welsh climate. When playing outside isn’t an option for the children, you can head into our spacious visitor centre where you’ll find interactive digital learning resources, nature displays, a calming mindfulness corner and hands-on activities for all the family to enjoy. We’ve even got a cosy indoor ‘campfire’ where you can ‘toast’ marshmallows, as well as a willow den where children can get comfy and listen to a story.
Our visitor centre and café are fully accessible to wheelchair users, and we have disabled toilet facilities equipped with a bed and hoist (no RADAR key required). The centre is open daily, and entry is free of charge.
Enjoy a play day at Bryngarw Country Park
Whatever the weather, there are plenty of inclusive, family-friendly activities to enjoy here at Bryngarw Country Park. And don’t forget, that as well as our natural play areas, we also have acres of open meadows, wetlands and miles of trails to discover.
If you’d like to know more about disabled access to various areas of the park, please give us a call on 01656 725155 or email bryngarw.park@awen-wales.com.
The park is open from 10 am to 5.30 pm April to September, and from 10 am to 4.30 pm during the autumn and winter months.