Cantley Park in Wokingham caused much excitement when it was updated back in 2022 and it’s still looking fantastic. It’s a very different kind of park to the other play parks in Wokingham, with so many different interactive elements – some of which we hadn’t ever seen before and were great fun and parking is free.
The equipment is arranged over a brightly coloured ground which is great if it’s been raining as you don’t have the hassle of muddy grass.
There were the usual play park favourites with swings, from basket swing, toddler swings and a seated swing. A huge slide which the children could scramble through the spiders web net to reach, and various spinning equipment too.
The range of spinners was incredible, there was a giant satellite disk which Bella absolutely loved, she could lay out flat and I spun her extremely fast – she was literally holding on for dear life. They also had spring bouncers too, and spinning seats: I don’t know how Isabella actually enjoys these, as makes me feel giddy just watching her.
Now what made this playground stand out was all the different interactive equipment. (I must admit that even I was a little confused as to how we used some of it) There was a ball wall where you could play against the clock and see how many balls you could kick into the correct lit up section. I didn’t actually have a ball with me, but Bella had great fun watching others play this.
There were two other games which were very similar, there was a number clock on the floor and once pressed it would call out numbers to you, and then it was a race against the clock to quickly stand on the correct number. We soent ages playing this, and there are also other games you can play on this too. At times I did feel like I was arguing with the game as I was adamant I got to the correct number in the nick of time. It was great fun, and a really good way to help children learn too.
Something which I couldn’t work out was the interactive music / DJ station (maybe I had to bring headphones, as there was a socket for them) but we still had fun pretending to make music and turning the different dials as you would on a DJ deck. It was designed to replicate an actual music station which was very appealing to Isabella. I did promise on our next visit that I would bring along some headphones and see if we can get it to work.
The design of this playground is fantastic, and the soft flooring is also great for the children’s too, plus how fantastic is the colour of the flooring – Very appealing. It’s the perfect surface for children to run around and explore. Plus down in the football area this is great for kicking a ball around.
We loved all the different elements to this playground and it made it very unique compared to others which we have visited previously. I would say that this is a playground for the slightly older children, purely due to the size of the equipment and the interactive elements of it. However if you did have younger siblings then there is enough to occupy them too.
Also in the vicinity there were tennis courts, a great idea to go for a walk to stretch your legs – or perfect if you have a dog. Plus a nice looking cafe which served hot and cold refreshments.
You can grab coffee from the Cantley Park Café it’s only a short walk from the park and they also have everything from soft serve ice cream to kids sandwiches.
If you’re local with little ones, check out the Top 10 play parks in Wokingham and the guide to baby & toddler groups and classes in Wokingham.
