Including playground opened in Laineck: A place for all children!

Including playground opened in Laineck: A place for all children!

On June 25, 2025, a new inclusive children's playground on Prellweg will be ceremoniously inaugurated in Laineck. The facility extends over an impressive 950 square meters and is being realized with a budget of 140,000 euros. Mayor Thomas Ebersberger was already satisfied with the design of this playground, which was completed in the first half of 2025 and offers a variety of play elements that promote children's motor and social skills.

What awaits the little visitors? In the new playground you will find a small play area with a slide, a rotating game, a seesaw, a balancing course as well as a sandpit and a double swing with a toddler seat. During planning, particular attention was paid to accessibility. For example, a barrier-free staircase to the play equipment and the use of fall protection grass panels made of rubber granules under the equipment enable safe play for all children.

Inclusion through play

Inclusion is not just a buzzword, but an important concern that is becoming a reality with this new playground in Laineck. Playgrounds that are accessible to children with and without disabilities are crucial for playing together and early acceptance of differences, as Aktion Mensch explains. According to Dr. For Volker Anneken from the Research Institute for Inclusion through Exercise and Sport, it is important that children with disabilities are not excluded. These new playgrounds are intended to be a place for all children where they can develop freely and learn from each other.

However, the gaming situation in Germany is often still inadequate. Many cities lack barrier-free playgrounds. Often people simply try to replace old devices one-for-one instead of creating real inclusion. Uwe Lersch, an expert on inclusive playgrounds, criticizes the fact that many municipalities underestimate the complexity of such projects. True inclusion is much more than just setting up some suitable equipment. The floor covering plays a central role; Materials such as elastic rubber flooring are particularly suitable for ensuring safe play.

A place for everyone

The new facility in Laineck not only provides more opportunities to play, but also offers numerous tactile elements, such as large-format paving stones, which help the visually impaired to find their way around better. In addition, dark path ceilings were combined with light borders to improve orientation. The sandpit is equipped with a sandstone surround that allows wheelchair users to gain easier access. Sustainability is also a priority: the playground design uses existing materials, such as limestone paving from other construction sites.

Finally, it is to be hoped that this inclusive playground in Laineck will become a model for other projects in Germany. Because the initiative to play and learn together seems to come first. Inclusive playgrounds are a fundamental right for all children who want to play, laugh and learn. The example in Laineck could pave the way for many other barrier-free facilities that benefit all children.