By Johnny Lyle, CAP.Co
At Creating Adventurous Places (CAP.Co), we’re huge advocates of the benefits that adventure play brings for children, families and all of our own health and well-being. In this article, we will look in more detail at those benefits and what they mean for you. We’ll also look at what additional benefits they bring to visitor attractions that invest in bespoke adventure play to add to their existing offer.
Financial benefits of adventure play
Firstly, let’s look at the financial benefits we can deliver with good quality bespoke play added as an addition or replacement for existing play inside a visitor attraction.
Increased visitor numbers
Adventure play areas can very often attract a broader audience, especially families with children, or families with a wider age range of older or younger children. An expansion of the target demographic will often lead to increased visitor numbers. This results in higher ticket sales and overall revenue. We have numerous case studies where the addition of new play added a significant income lift that delivered a fast ROI as well as happy, often returning, customers.
Extended visitor duration
Play areas encourage visitors to spend more time at the attraction. This increased dwell time can translate into additional spending on food, beverages, merchandise, and other on-site services, contributing to higher per-visitor secondary spend. With a carefully planned site that includes a coffee and snack stop adjacent to a play area, the take-up can be significant. Parents use it as a time for a break, whilst the children continue to play together and have fun.
Diversification of revenue streams
If operators treat it as a ‘second gate’ attraction, the addition of adventure play areas diversifies the attraction’s revenue streams. In addition to ticket sales, income can be generated through the sale of more memberships, special events, and other related services.
Repeat visits
A well-designed adventure play area can create a compelling reason for visitors to return. Families, in particular, may be more inclined to visit regularly, leading to repeat business and a more consistent revenue stream.
When there is a challenge involved in the play – as we normally aim to design – children often want to revisit to allow them to conquer the element of the play that may have defeated them on a previous visit. This is where children learn to assess their own appetite for risk and develop through play.
Seasonal resilience
We have seen a huge growth in both indoor and combination indoor/outdoor play at attractions. These provide a more weather-resilient option. The attraction can generate revenue even during adverse weather conditions and in the colder months, when poor weather may discourage visits.
This helps mitigate the impact of seasonal fluctuations. It also gives operators a ready-made destination for two of the biggest seasonal events, Halloween and Christmas, which can be ravaged by bad weather.
Reputational benefits of adventure play
In addition to improvements in the financial position, we also see improvements to the organisation’s reputation and feedback by creating high-quality adventure play. A summary of these are as follows:
Enhanced visitor experience
The addition of a bespoke adventure play experience that is unique to the attraction contributes to an overall greatly enhanced visitor experience. Positive experiences lead to satisfied visitors, positive TripAdvisor and Google reviews, and increased word-of-mouth recommendations, strengthening the attraction’s reputation.
Family-friendly image
By catering to families with younger children, an attraction can improve their family-friendly image. This reputation can attract a loyal customer base. It positions the attraction as a preferred destination for families trying to deal with bored kids or ones who have gone feral from being indoors or on computer games too much.
Competitive advantage
Attractions with an exceptional adventure play area, gain a competitive edge. We believe, and of course have real evidence, that our bespoke adventure play and its uniqueness will help set the attraction apart from competitors, attracting more visitors and increasing market share.
Positive public relations
Adding an excellent play area with a real understanding of inclusivity designed in from the outset demonstrates a true commitment to meeting the needs of diverse visitor groups. This inclusive approach can lead to more favourable media coverage and contribute to positive public relations for the attraction. Inclusivity also makes play more fun for all and creates a fabulous play experience for everyone, whatever their ability.
Social media buzz
We often talk about creating the ‘money shot’. This can be used as the lead image, showing the new play in its best light, with families playing together. When used in social media and advertising, it allows families to visualise themselves at the attraction, having fun, enjoying time together and creating great portraits, with the attraction as a backdrop, for their own social media.
Visitors also share their positive experiences on social media platforms, generating additional organic promotion for the attraction. This user-generated content can reach a wider audience and contribute to a positive online reputation.
In summary, the financial and reputational benefits of adding new indoor and outdoor adventure play areas are interconnected. This creates a positive cycle of increased revenue, visitor satisfaction, and greatly enhanced public perception.
Benefits for families
The previous points cover what the attraction itself can gain by adding adventure play. Every bit as important is what the families who visit can gain by visiting and enjoying adventure play themselves. The list is long. But for us, these are the top ten additional benefits for families, when you add great adventure play.
1. Physical development
Adventure play encourages physical activity, helping children develop motor skills, coordination, balance, and strength. Climbing, swinging, and other activities contribute to overall physical fitness. With the advent of PlayStation and other computer games, this has been greatly impaired for many. We talked about this in our piece about the value of play.
2. Social skills
When we create a new play area, we create an environment to provide opportunities for social interaction, communication, and cooperation. Children learn to share, take turns, negotiate, and work together, fostering the development of important social skills. Play is always more fun together than in isolation. And, with the exception of team sports, for us, it’s the single best way to develop social skills.
3. Cognitive development
Adventure play stimulates cognitive abilities, including problem-solving, creativity, and decision-making. Children often encounter challenges in play areas that require them to think critically and find solutions. This is where the play value really matters. Creating something that can’t easily be conquered on the first attempt is a great way for children to develop cognitively and at a pace they are comfortable with.
4. Risk management
Controlled risk in adventure play helps children learn to assess and manage risks, developing a sense of responsibility and resilience. This experience is crucial for building confidence and coping with challenges.
5. Increased independence
Adventure play encourages independence as children navigate and explore the play environment. This sense of autonomy contributes to the development of self-confidence and a willingness to try new things.
6. Connection to nature
All of our play is built using predominantly natural materials. This means that both our indoor and outdoor adventure play involves interaction with natural elements, building their connection to nature. This connection is directly linked to improved mental well-being and a greater appreciation for the environment. This can be seen in the fact that very, very few of our attractions suffer from litter or vandalism.
People connect to natural materials and treat them like they are natural objects that require care.
7. Sensory stimulation
Our adventure play areas deliver a whole range of sensory experiences, including tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. We design this in from the outset. This diverse sensory stimulation supports sensory integration and enhances sensory processing abilities.
8. Encourage imagination and creativity
Well-designed adventure play encourages imaginative and creative play scenarios. Children will work together to role-play, create stories, and use the play environment as a canvas for their creativity. This then fosters cognitive and emotional development.
9. Inclusive play is better
Our adventure play areas always include as many inclusive elements as possible, to accommodate children of wildly different abilities and needs. This promotes a sense of belonging and ensures that all children can participate in play. The accessibility award we won for the adventure play at the National Maritime Museum and the reviews it’s gaining, prove that adventure play is better when it encourages everyone to enjoy it together.
10. Education through play
Whilst we generally design for fun and play, we can also incorporate educational elements. When it’s done right it can help support teaching children about nature, history, science, and more. This aligns play with learning objectives, making it a valuable tool for educational institutions.
And then in our list of ten benefits, there’s also a bonus benefit. This is the massive win of amazing parent-child bonding.
Our play is designed for children and their parents to enjoy together. It creates and encourages opportunities for parents and caregivers to engage with their children in a fun and meaningful way. Shared play experiences strengthen the parent-child bond and have long-term benefits that elevate it way over and above the fun of the play itself.
In summary, adventure play contributes to the holistic development of children, fostering physical, social, emotional, and cognitive well-being in individuals. In addition, it has positive effects on families by creating inclusive and vibrant spaces for fun, recreation and social interaction.
Top image: Walby Farm Park Adventure Play
