Families braved wind, rain and plenty of mud at the weekend to celebrate the official opening of a new natural play area at Ballagarraghyn, Jurby.

Umbrellas were up and waterproofs zipped tight, but that didn’t dampen the excitement as children rushed to explore their brand-new outdoor space.

Parents also had the chance to ask questions and gain a better understanding of the work Hartford Homes has done.

The play area has been designed in collaboration with Isle of Play, the Manx charity known for championing adventurous, child-led play.

But this is no ordinary playground, you won’t find a single swing or slide.

Instead, the site has been created almost entirely from natural and reused materials such as wood, sand and stone, encouraging imagination, creativity and exploration.

Children can crawl through tunnels that double as dens, balance along beams over ‘hot lava’, leap between boulders, dig in sand pits, or plant and tend greenery in raised planters.

The idea is to offer unstructured, open-ended play that helps young people develop confidence, resilience, problem-solving skills and social connections.

Isle of Play chief executive Chris Gregory described the new facility on the day as: ‘A space that is going to be their own.’

The ribbon was cut by Frank and Beryl shortly after 1pm on Saturday, with Chief Minister Alf Cannan MHK and Tim Johnston MHK among the special guests at the opening.

The play area forms part of Hartford Homes’ multi-generational Ballagarraghyn development, which the real estate developer says has seen strong interest from buyers.

The company says it hopes the space will become a central hub for families living in the growing community.

To find out more about our Hartford Homes’ development of new homes, visit: https://hartford.im/development/ballagarraghyn-jurby/.