Walkers invests in 21st century playgrounds with Playdale

The intelligent play system (i.play) a revolutionary new electronic playground system designed to get the Playstation generation off the couch is playing a prominent role in two new £100,000 playgrounds provided to Leicester and Reading councils by Walkers,part of PepsiCo who also owns Tropicana and Quaker

Gary Lineker and Barry Leahey Playdale Playgrounds

Opening events for the ‘Parks For Life’ took place in September, attended by Walkers special guests Gary Lineker and local dignitaries

Walkers and Playdale have worked with both councils to develop these innovative new playgrounds which have been designed to help children engage in physical activity as well as being a sociable area for the entire family by mixing traditional play equipment with the i.play electronic playground system.  Blending physical activity with technology, the i.play system has been designed to make exercise fun for children who might normally find playing with a games console more fun than sport.

As an employer in the Reading and Leicester areas, PepsiCo is keen to support the local community in which it operates. 

The i.play system is based on research commissioned by playground products specialist, Playdale, from Loughborough University spin-out company, Progressive Sports Technologies (PST).  This showed that introducing exercise via ‘stealth fitness’ measures (ie making it so much fun that it doesn’t feel like any effort) can help tackle the growing problem of child obesity.

i-play system in operation

Designed to withstand the rough and tumble of playground life, i.play is vandal-resistant and, while designed for a core 8-14 age group, can also be enjoyed by adults and people with disabilities.  It works by issuing the player with a sequence of visual and aural commands via an embedded LED screen commands which must then be completed by physical activities.  The tasks involve single or multiple players running, jumping and twisting to interact with the ‘activity switches’ located on the i.play system, resulting in a whole body, high energy workout which is also lots of fun.

i.play gamers can even compare their scores with other players around the country by uploading it to the i.play website (www.intelligentplay.co.uk) where national and regional league tables rank the best players.

Andy Connelly, Councillor for Culture and Leisure in Leicester comments: “The new playground is fantastic news for Leicester. We have worked closely with all the project partners and it is great to be able to offer local families a safe place where they can spend quality time and enjoy outdoor activities.”
 
Neil Campbell, general manager, Walkers, adds: “I’m really excited about the official start of this project. We’ve spent months planning the design which we hope will encourage children to have fun whilst exercising. I’m looking forward to seeing it when it is finished in July and hope it will prove really popular with local Leicester families.”

Playdale Managing Director John Croasdale concludes: “Here at Playdale we believe that physical activity should be fun for all the family and are delighted to be associated with these projects.  We look forward to them playing a part in a fun, healthy culture in both communities.”

For more information relating to Playdale Playgrounds visit www.playdale.co.uk

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