The Flamingogo Playground came about after we were commissioned by Finest Resorts to create an attractive, playful feature for their younger patrons at their new hotel in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
BRIEF
The brief was to create an iconic playground with great play value for children and their families in keeping with the brand’s values and mission for the resort. Finest Resorts seek to create resorts that “connect people with what they love”, providing an experience that is: joyful, modern, inclusive, playful, lively, and luxurious.
The hotel layout was planned with a separate area dedicated to families and this was where the playground was to be located. The playground was to integrate well into the surrounding landscape and be eye-catching and attract kids and adults alike to take a closer look. As the resort is located on the beachfront, it was implicit that a water theme would be fitting.
CHALLENGES
Needless to say, the COVID pandemic threw up several unforeseen challenges during this project, which was originally scheduled to open in the summer of 2020. The actual opening date ended up being postponed over a year to October 2021, which meant some challenges with production times and logistics. Our production team coordinated with the resort and found solutions to these unforeseen issues.
RESULTS
The collaboration with Finest Resorts resulted in the creation of the iconic new playground, which has been named “The Flamingogo Playground”. Feedback from Finest Resorts indicates that the playground has been received with enthusiasm and excitement from hotel guests, who love the energetic and beautiful play area. It integrates seamlessly into the elegant surroundings and the stunning landscape architecture of the grounds. Kids spend hours playing here, blowing off steam, while also learning and stimulating their senses and problem-solving abilities.
The playground is more than just equipment for entertainment – it’s a learning arena, we believe. Children learn by doing, thus inviting them to a hands-on experience is a prime opportunity for learning opportunities. At a great playground, children learn social skills as they interact with others using the playground – practicing waiting for their turn to go down the slide, playing roleplay games, facing and tackling disputes about sharing, etc. They also gain spatial awareness and motor skills as they navigate the play structures, testing their own limits in climbing, jumping, facing heights, and more. The playground also awakens a sense of curiosity in the children and provokes conversations about the local birdlife and plants.We set the scene for curious adventures to unfold and the kids are given the pen to write the story.
