Jupiter Play and Leisure is the UK specialist for custom playground design and build for leisure attractions. For over 25 years, this independent family business has delivered award-winning play and sports areas by partnering with global brands to create unique, sustainable, and inclusive environments. This guide covers the core pillars of their approach: custom playground design, leisure attraction installations, and bespoke play environments.
Custom Playground Design
Custom playground design is the process of creating unique play spaces tailored to specific site conditions, community needs, and aesthetic goals. Jupiter Play and Leisure approaches every project with a landscape-led philosophy, ensuring that the equipment integrates seamlessly with the natural environment. Their team of landscape architects and bespoke product designers works collaboratively to avoid the "identikit" playgrounds often seen across the UK. Instead, they focus on creating a sense of wonder and discovery that engages users of all ages.
The Design Process
The journey from concept to reality begins with a deep understanding of the space and the community it serves. Jupiter Play’s design team utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach, bringing together experts in inclusion, active design, and contracts management. This ensures that the final design is not only visually striking but also fully compliant with safety standards and accessible to all abilities. By partnering with a range of international brands, they can select the best materials and products for each specific requirement, rather than being constrained by a single supplier’s catalog.
Inclusive and Sensory Design
Inclusive design is a cornerstone of Jupiter Play’s methodology. They utilize the "Six Senses of Inclusion" framework, a design practice developed by PiPA Play, to ensure that play spaces engage sight, sound, smell, touch, vestibular balance, and proprioception. This approach is critical because 1 in 20 children under the age of 16 live with a disability. By designing with these senses in mind, Jupiter Play creates enriched experiences that allow children and their families to share the same sense of wonder as everyone else. Their commitment to inclusion is further demonstrated through their partnership with the Inclusive Play brand, which focuses specifically on providing better play experiences for all.
Leisure Attraction Installations
Leisure attraction installations involve the strategic placement of play and sports equipment to maximize visitor engagement and dwell time. For leisure attractions, the goal is to create a destination that offers a "wow" factor while maintaining high levels of safety and durability. Jupiter Play has extensive experience in this sector, having delivered projects for major attractions such as Butlin’s SKYPARK in Minehead. This project, which opened in July 2024, featured a budget of £1.5 million and was designed to provide inspiration by day and illumination by night.
High-Profile Projects
Jupiter Play’s portfolio includes a diverse range of leisure and tourism projects that showcase their ability to deliver at scale. One notable example is the Stanway Lakelands Centre in Colchester, which opened in May 2023 with a budget of £244,000. This project won the SAPCA Awards 2025 for Small Project of the Year, highlighting the company’s commitment to quality and community impact. Another significant installation is the Dock Park in Dumfries & Galloway, which was part of a broader program to improve the economic position of Dumfries. The park, opened with a Royal seal of approval in May 2014, features a bespoke FHS ship that ties in with the riverside location.
Sustainability in Installations
Sustainability is viewed as an equal to quality in all Jupiter Play installations. The company is one of the few in the industry actively reducing plastics in its products, having achieved zero plastics in its main FHS brand line. Their supply chain continuously strives to reduce environmental impact, represented through ISO 14001 and other worldwide initiatives. Additionally, their "Sustainable Shoots" tree planting initiative supports the global focus on planting more trees to mitigate climate change. With every large-scale playground project, Jupiter Play offers a tree that can be planted as part of the scheme or donated to a local community group or school.
Bespoke Play Environments
Bespoke play environments are custom-built structures and features designed to create a unique identity for a play space. Jupiter Play is passionate about collaborative projects that enable clients to create an entirely unique experience tailored to their own brief. Their bespoke capability allows for the creation of character-driven play areas, such as the bee-themed unit at Beecraigs Country Park in West Lothian. This project involved the on-site construction of a bespoke Badger Hide crafted from FHS Robinia timber, along with a hand-carved badger provided by FHS to bring the area to life.
Material Innovation
The choice of materials is a critical component of bespoke design. Jupiter Play partners with FHS, their longest-serving collaborator established in 1984, to provide beautifully crafted Robinia timber products. These products have proven to withstand all environments and conditions, offering a natural look with long-term sustainability. The company also works with Galopin, established over 30 years ago, to offer an extensive collection of outdoor play equipment that provides a unique aesthetic for urban environments. From giant space nets to incredible bespoke designs, these partnerships allow Jupiter Play to offer clients a clean, modern aesthetic in design.
Interactive and Adaptive Play
Bespoke environments often incorporate interactive elements to future-proof the investment. Jupiter Play offers a range of Lappset Interactives, designed to encourage movement, cognitive development, and social interaction for users of all ages and abilities. These adaptive interactives feature a growing catalogue of games, allowing spaces to evolve over time. The company also provides data-driven solutions, offering realtime user statistics to measure ROI. This approach is particularly relevant for the KORE brand, which aims to reimagine public spaces as vibrant hubs of inclusivity, empowerment, and community engagement.
Comparison of Jupiter Play’s Core Brands
| Brand | Focus Area | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| FHS | Natural Timber Play | Robinia timber, zero plastics, high durability | Landscape-led, natural environments |
| Galopin | Urban Aesthetic | Steel structures, space nets, modern design | Urban parks, contemporary spaces |
| Inclusive Play | Accessibility | Sensory equipment, adaptive swings, music boxes | Inclusive play spaces, special needs |
| Lappset | Interactive & Sports | Adaptive interactives, data-driven stats, sports | Teenage provision, active communities |
| KORE | Multi-use Games | Connected modules, social spaces, gaming | Community hubs, teenage girls’ provision |
Key Takeaways
- Jupiter Play and Leisure is a family-owned business with over 25 years of experience in creating award-winning play and sports areas.
- The company specializes in custom playground design, avoiding identikit solutions by partnering with multiple global brands.
- Inclusive design is central to their approach, utilizing the Six Senses of Inclusion framework to engage all abilities.
- They have delivered high-profile leisure attraction installations, including Butlin’s SKYPARK and Stanway Lakelands Centre.
- Bespoke play environments allow for unique, character-driven designs using high-quality materials like FHS Robinia timber.
- Sustainability is a core value, with a commitment to zero plastics in FHS products and a tree planting initiative for large projects.
- Their KORE brand addresses the gap in teenage play provision, particularly for girls, by creating inclusive and empowering spaces.
- Jupiter Play offers free CPD sessions and webinars to help designers and developers expand their knowledge of playground design.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Jupiter Play’s design approach unique?
Jupiter Play’s approach is unique because they are not constrained to one supplier. They partner with a range of brands from all over the world that best represent innovation, quality, great design, sustainability, and play value. This allows every project to begin with a unique outlook, avoiding the delivery of identikit playgrounds seen across the UK.
How does Jupiter Play ensure inclusivity in play spaces?
Jupiter Play uses the Six Senses of Inclusion wheel, a design practice developed by PiPA Play, to inform their designs. By designing with sight, sound, smell, touch, vestibular balance, and proprioception in mind, they provide an enhanced sensory experience for all visitors, ensuring that children and their families, regardless of ability, can experience the same sense of wonder.
What materials does Jupiter Play use for bespoke projects?
For bespoke projects, Jupiter Play often utilizes FHS Robinia timber, which is known for its durability and natural aesthetic. They also work with Galopin for steel structures and modern designs. The company is committed to sustainability and has achieved zero plastics in its FHS brand line, using non-toxic materials that withstand all environments and conditions.
Can Jupiter Play help with teenage play provision?
Yes, Jupiter Play addresses the gaps in public space provision for teenage girls through their KORE brand. KORE aims to reimagine public spaces as vibrant hubs of inclusivity, empowerment, and community engagement. It offers a range of connected modules that provide endless combinations of active spaces, designed for everyone regardless of their abilities or interests.
What is the Sustainable Shoots initiative?
Sustainable Shoots is Jupiter Play’s tree planting initiative that supports the worldwide focus to plant more trees, mitigate climate change, and protect the environment for future generations. With every large-scale playground project delivered by Jupiter Play, they offer a tree that can be planted as part of the scheme or donated to a local community group or school.
How can I learn more about playground design best practices?
Jupiter Play hosts a series of free Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions and webinars. These sessions are hosted by their award-winning team and cover topics such as raising the bar for fundamental movement skills through play space design, creating playful communities in housing developments, and designing for climate resilience. You can browse their range of CPD sessions and webinars on their website.
Conclusion
Jupiter Play and Leisure stands out as the premier specialist for custom playground design and build for leisure attractions in the UK. With a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity, they deliver play spaces that create a lasting legacy. Whether you are a local authority, landscape architect, or leisure operator, their team of experts is ready to help you elevate your next play space. To discuss your project or learn more about their services, today.