Inspired by the origins of Toa Payoh’s name, the Toa Payoh Crest Playground offers a chance for kids to have fun on slopes and imagine themselves hopping and climbing about a “big swamp”. First opened in 2020, the “swamp playground” has been providing kids with plenty of fun in the Toa Payoh neighbourhood.
Toa Payoh Crest Playground: Inspired by a Swampy Past
Found in the midst of the towering blocks of flats along Toa Payoh Lorong 1, the Toa Payoh Crest playground is designed for five to 12 year olds. The padded floor HDB playground was inspired by Toa Payoh’s past topography as a swampland.
Coloured in brown, grey and purple hues, the Toa Payoh Crest playground is built along a slope. This allows kids to have fun at an angle.
The various play elements make use of the slope to create an interesting play experience for kids.
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At one end of the playground, there are rubber mounds. They come with climbing ropes fitted with hand grips for kids to scale up the playground slope.
Two tube slides, one yellow and one purple, allow kids to head back down to the lower tier of the playground with the aid of gravity.
Stepping Stones & Climbing Frames
There are round stepping stones, inspired by the need to skip and hop across swampy ground, clustered at one end of the playground.
These padded stepping stones extend up and down the slope of the playground. Set at different levels, the stepping stones provide a fun challenge for kids. Younger ones will need to pick up their courage or even require the helping hand of a mum or dad as they go up and down the slope.
At the higher tier of the playground, there are also climbing structures for kids to play on and challenge themselves. The varied obstacles here include a metal bridge formed by poles that have been strung together to present and interesting obstacle for kids. Some may need to get on all fours to cross the metal bar bridge while others may be intrepid enough to stand up and step their way across.
On the other end, standing between the metal bar bridge and the slides, there is a cargo net hammock. This presents itself as another obstacle that kids will have to traverse. It is a test of balance as they need to navigate over the swinging hammock.
These include a bouncy climbing net. The yellow cargo net is strung out on the slope, providing a way for kids to challenge themselves as they not only have to navigate the nets but also be mindful of the slanted terrain underneath them.
Toa Payoh Crest Playground
Toa Payoh Crest playground is a unique spot which draws on the past for inspiration to create a fun play experience on the slopes for kids. It is no wonder that it is on our list of the best outdoor playgrounds in Singapore.
It is also not that far away from the Play @ Heights Park, which is know for its water play area along with bouncy trampolines, “walking rollercoaster” and sand play area.
It is an interesting modern addition to other heritage-style playgrounds around Toa Payoh like the dragon playground at Lorong 6, the old-school animal playground at Lorong 7, Dinosaurs at Kim Keat and the Sensory Park.
The Toa Payoh Crest playground is located next to Block 131 Toa Payoh Lorong 1, where the Creamier ice cream store is located.
This story was first published on 1 October 2020. It was updated in September 2024.
