Happy Park is a wet and dry playground designed by Playpoint, which is located in Waterway Point at Punggol Central. Playpoint is a pioneer in integrating lights with a wet and dry playground to create a fun, playable sculpture that visitors of all ages can enjoy.
The main play area consists of the dry and wet play areas. The cosy area and the lily trees are two extra elements of the playground.
Dry play area
The dry play area is designed as a terraced landscape, accessible to everyone and for all ages. Younger children can crawl on and slide down from its soft rubber surface, while older children can run, jump and slide on the hills. Parents and caregivers can use the terraces as seating from where they are able to keep an eye on the children.
The terraced hills of the dry play area define its ‘inner’ world. The whole area is covered with ethylene propylene diene monomer (M-class) rubber (EPDM rubber)—a type of synthetic rubber. Two slides enter this zone, which are accessible from the two highest hills. Long lily-tree roots—in the form of orange metal tubes—add extra play elements to this zone. The roots connect the slides and can be used for climbing, sliding, swinging and tumbling.
The integrated spinners on the elevated platform in the dry play area and ground level entry points allow children to imagine that they are rabbits in the rabbit holes. The rabbit holes can be lined with LED lights, which makes them safe and visible at night.
Wet play area
The wet play area consists of four essential elements: a river loop with flowing water, a lake, an island and a bridge.
River Loop
The river loop flows around the island. It varies in width at some points. The river loop invites children to play with water in various ways—they can put their feet in or make a little paper boat and let it sail away. They can add obstacles and change the flow of the water, creating little ponds. The outer edge of the river loop is designed neatly, while its inner edge is rougher, so that the island really seems to sit in the water.
Lake
The second water element is a large, shallow lake. Children can easily play in this water, which is not deeper than 20 to 30 centimetres. Water lily stepping stones cover the surface. Children can hop from one side to the other without getting their feet wet. Some of the water lily stepping stones are jumping elements, creating a lot of fun as the water splashes to all sides. This area is intentionally designed to be kept ‘low’, enabling views of the waterfront panorama, which can be enjoyed from the restaurant.
Bridge
A distinctive orange bridge—in the same shade as the orange tubes of the lily-tree roots—is a visible connector on the balcony. It is a low (one-step) element, which crosses the narrow part of the lake and the river loop. The water flows underneath it. Children can play different fantasy games on the bridge, imagining that they are the Three Giant Lily Trees that form the highlight of the playground. These are brightly lit at night, with LEDs covering the tubes and illuminating the water that sprays out of their canopy.
The trees are clear tube structures with a core that can be entered. Children can climb safely to the top, which is designed as a calyx with a stigma. The calyx/canopy of the lily trees is covered with a transparent textile, which offers shade to the children.
The colour of the trees changes from green at the bottom to white on the top, mimicking a real lily flower. The structures subtly blend with their surroundings. The orange tubes of the lily-tree roots contain and connect different playing elements, acting as climbing tubes that are partly covered with netting. The orange tubes also add structure to the lily trees, reaching out from their top to keep the trees stable. From the netting and tubes, children can access the two giant slides that are connected to the trunk of the lily trees. Little ‘bird houses’ are the entry of the slides. Two of the top-to-bottom roots are giant spinners, marked with bright orange colour.
