Play areas transformed via kids' input

From the dunes, then into the jungle, and suddenly, an oasis comes into view. Strolling leisurely, the surroundings shift and transform before your eyes while the cheerful laughter of children playing echoes around. This is not a dream, it is a real life outdoor playground at Sham Shui Po Park, managed by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department.

Inclusive play: The Spouting Whale and Octopus Fountain at Sham Shui Po Park have water play basins and tables at different heights to allow children of all ages and those in wheelchairs to play together.

Sham Shui Po Park, which has served the community for over 40 years, was recently revitalised as part of the Transformation of Public Play Spaces.

Prioritising inclusivity

Inspired by nature, the redesign features themes of water, sand, and plants, creating three zones: Sandy Bunker, Jungle Meadow and Oasis Spring. After consultation and design, which includes input from youngsters, the upgraded park has reopened, drawing many families and children to enjoy the new facilities.

The Sandy Bunker playground features a popular sand pit and a variety of slides. In addition to roller, group, and curved slides, visitors will also discover the longest spiral tube slide that exists at public playgrounds in Hong Kong. At over 6m high and 13m long, it offers a fun and interactive experience for visitors of all ages.

Nature-inspired themes: The Jungle Meadow area is a natural playground featuring various swings for both adults and children to enjoy as one.

Nearby Jungle Meadow provides a natural play space with a face-to-face swing, rope swing, wheelchair-friendly carousel, percussion walls, and a play tunnel for hide-and-seek, fostering family fun and group play.

The Oasis Spring area offers climbing rope nets, trampolines, water play features, and sensory walls, creating a diverse adventure zone for children to explore.

Amazingly-long slide: The park’s climbing tower is connected to the longest spiral tube slide - over 6m high and more than 13m long - among Hong Kong’s public playgrounds.

Community-engaging playground

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department oversees over 680 outdoor playgrounds and by way of its Transformation of Public Play Spaces plan, the department aims to revitalise more than 170 play spaces across the city. So far, 11 projects have been completed and opened to the public.

Leisure & Cultural Services Department Senior Project Manager Vivian Ho said the department provides non-prescriptive and flexible playscapes according to the site topography, introducing natural or environmentally friendly elements, such as small climbing hills for toddlers, sand pits, water play facilities or small labyrinths that captivate children and enable them to unleash their creativity.

Architectural Services Department Senior Landscape Architect Grant Liu added that the design concept for the play space redevelopment project began with community engagement, embodying a "people-centred" design philosophy. He highlighted that the goal is to promote the idea of inclusive play in more playgrounds.

“The Spouting Whale and Octopus Fountain have water play basins and tables at different heights to allow children of all ages and those in wheelchairs to play together. As an added bonus, the tube slide is made of stainless steel, which is safe for children with hearing implants, and does not create static electricity like plastics or fiberglass slides do.”

Key collaboration: The Leisure & Cultural Services Department and the Architectural Services Department work together to design and renovate children’s playgrounds, providing fun and safe play areas for children.

Kid-friendly design

Tong Mei Road Children's Playground, which was recently renovated, serves as a prime example of how children were treated as the protagonists of the playgrounds because their opinions are indispensable. The playground’s design consultant initiated a participatory design programme for the renovation. It included setting up street booths, questionnaires, parent-child workshops, and design workshops specifically for children, giving the consultant a lot of inspiration.

A workshop led by the playground’s design consultant Kevin Siu provided children with a unique opportunity to create their own playground. During the event, the young participants crafted models of imaginative play areas based on their ideas.

He explained that when sharing their designs for the playground, it was evident that different groups of children, despite being unfamiliar with each other, shared common features.

“Many expressed a desire for a high platform where they could escape from a pretend shark, which included hide-and-seek zones where they could feel temporarily protected.”

Imaginative ideas: Tong Mei Road Children’s Playground design consultant Kevin Siu says the playground is a direct reflection of how a public play space is a very important platform for children to engage and shape their collective memory.

The organisers were surprised by the enthusiasm and creativity displayed. In a group of over 20 children who did not know each other beforehand, more than half raised their hands when asked if they knew certain games. The response highlighted how children naturally connect through play.

The workshop served as a compelling example of how children socialise and why public play spaces are vital platforms for engaging young minds. Such environments not only stimulate creativity but also help shape their collective memories and social interactions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was only a matter of time before Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood hit a grand slam.

But an inside-the-park shot, like the one Wood smashed in Tuesday’s 9-6 victory over the New York Mets?

“I didn’t think it would be like this,” Wood said. “That was a fun way to get it.”

Down 5-0, the Nationals loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning against Mets starter Nolan McLean. Wood hit a first-pitch sweeper to the opposite field, where it glanced off the leaping Nick Morabito’s arm and bounded into center.

“When I saw that, I kind of just knew it was a full-on sprint home,” the 23-year-old Wood said of his 53rd career home run. “That’s probably why my eyes got big.”

Center fielder Tyrone Taylor braced himself before running into the wall before looking at Morabito, who pointed to the carom before giving chase himself.

“He lost track of the baseball,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He went after and then he didn’t know where the ball was. That’s a tough break there.”

Wood scampered around the bases in 15.15 seconds and slid headfirst across the plate well ahead of the throw for his first career grand slam and 13th homer of the season.

It was the ninth inside-the-park grand slam in the majors since 1994. The previous one was hit by Toronto’s Raimel Tapia on July 22, 2022.

“When they get over the fence, obviously I think James enjoys that more so he doesn’t have to run as hard or as far,” first-year Nationals manager Blake Butera said. “But that was pretty cool. I think everyone was pretty fired up, talking some smack that he can’t hit it over the fence.”

The Nationals have two inside-the-park grand slams since the franchise moved to Washington in 2005. Michael A. Taylor hit the other Sept. 8, 2017, at home against Philadelphia.

Three of the four inside-the-park grand slams this century were hit at Nationals Park. Philadelphia’s Aaron Altherr connected for one at Washington on Sept. 25, 2015.

Now, Wood has joined that small club.

“It’s probably the biggest smile I’ve seen on his face since I’ve gotten to know him,” Butera said.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Washington Nationals' Drew Millas, right, celebrates as the Nationals' James Wood slides into home on a inside the park grand slam home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) watches Washington Nationals' James Wood head home on a inside-the-park grand slam during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Washington Nationals' Drew Millas, right, celebrates as the Nationals' James Wood slides into home on a inside the park grand slam home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Washington Nationals' James Wood hits an inside the park grand slam home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Washington Nationals' James Wood slides into home as New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens waits for the throw on an inside the park gland slam home run during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)