Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo is a family attraction in Wales offering an engaging environment for children of all ages. We first built a pirate themed adventure play area which turned out to be so popular that they asked us to add some more creations to the site in the form of farm machinery themed play equipment. The three pieces were to be a play tractor, which is something we have made on several occasions, along with a teleporter and a tipping trailer.
Each of the three pieces was designed to be as engaging as possible, offering multiple pieces of play apparatus, whilst being clearly recognisable as the finished pieces that they would represent.
Below is a look at the digital plans we made for each piece, as well as several images and a video of the finished pieces. With lots of space and growing numbers of visitors, we hope to grow the fleet of play machines at Folly Farm in the future.
Video Walk-Around Of The Play Apparatus
The video below shows a brief walk-around of the play apparatus, giving a better perspective of what the finished pieces look like in real life.
The Teleporter
Based upon a real life teleporter, commonly used on farms for moving hay bales amongst other things, this piece of play apparatus is instantly recognisable, striking an imposing figure in the play area. We finished it in a vibrant yellow and used real tractor tyres for realism. Each tyre hides a crawl through tunnel allowing children to crawl from one side of the apparatus to the other. There are several different ways to access the piece of play apparatus and even a cab with a wheel for wannabe teleporter drivers playing at being a grown up!
Tipping Trailer Slide
A regular part of farm life, tipping trailers allow materials to be transported around the farm and deposited with great ease. We recreated the natural form of the trailer in its upright tipping position as a slide, so it now deposits children instead of grains and vegetables! With a wide slope and run off area, multiple children can engage in this piece of play apparatus simultaneously.
Play Tractor
We have made many play tractors over the years following varying themes and original designs. This particular design incorporates a safety rail over the engine housing, encouraging adventurous play by children whilst remaining safe. Children can also crawl inside, where the tractor engine would typically be housed, and through the rear wheels which are actually made from real tractor tyres. Take a look at some of our other play tractor creations here.
Building And Transporting The Play Apparatus
Each piece of play apparatus was designed and built at our workshop in Norfolk, then loaded onto a lorry for transport to Folly Farm. We then unloaded each play machine and installed it in its final position. Working in this way, rather than making everything on site, minimises the amount of time we spend away from our workshops and we are able to pass these savings onto our customers.
The Pirate Playground at Folly Farm
In addition to making a fleet of farm machinery, we also made a pirate playground at Folly Farm. This has been a huge success and highly engaging for children of all ages. See more pictures and videos of the pirate playground here.
Create Your Own Unique Piece Of Play Apparatus
If you are thinking of commissioning your own, unique piece of play apparatus or play area, please get in contact with us and we will be happy to discuss different options. We enjoy the challenge of bringing new creations to life and taking real life objects, then making them into engaging pieces of play apparatus.
