Thomas Street accessible playground: A place for everyone to play
Welcome to the new Thomas Street accessible playground.
This all-inclusive playground located in Thomas Street South Reserve, Hampton is now open for play.
- Playground
- Seniors Exercise Area
- Circuit Walking Path
- Sculptures
- Picnic and BBQ shelters
- Toilets
- Changing Places
- By bus
- Train
- Car
- Accessible parking
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The making of Thomas Street accessible playground
Attractions
Playground
The playground is a place where kids of all different abilities can play together.
Not everyone will have the abilities to use all the equipment in the playground, but everyone will have a choice of a range of activities to ensure they have a chance to exercise their bodies and minds.
The centrepiece of the playground is a timber castle, which carries forward the tradition of the original timber fort built on the site by the local community over 30 years ago.
Designed as a village to be explored, the playground is complete with wheelchair trampolines, flying foxes, slides, a range of swings, a parkour course and a water play area.
The flying fox has a sling clip for transfer for a child from a wheelchair. To use it you will need to bring your own sling.
Seniors exercise area
The seniors exercise area features a range of outdoor equipment for gentle exercise, designed for older people to help improve balance, strength, functional movement, joint range of motion and mobility. Information boards explain the correct use and encourage safe exercising.
It is located at the eastern end of the park (to the left of the toilet block looking from Thomas Street). The area includes a picnic shelter to provide for all-weather meet-ups, along with shade sails and drinking taps.
Circuit walking path
A 500-metre asphalt walking path around Thomas Street Reserve South encourages walking for health. Two laps = 1 kilometre.
Sculptures
Within the playground are a series of playful creatures designed Art Day South, an inclusive arts studio run by Arts Access Victoria for Deaf and Disabled artists to make, experience and present art. They say of their creations:
Meet the creatures we made
They are good creatures
They are good hearted
Facilities
Picnic and BBQ shelters
There are 4 shelters in the park. The 3 shelters in the main playground area contain tables and BBQs. The shelter in the Seniors Exercise Area has tables and seats.
Toilets
The toilet block has two ambulant, accessible cubicles.
Changing Places
July 2022 update: This community facility has been temporarily closed for repairs due to vandalism. The damaged equipment will be replaced as soon as possible.
The toilet block also has a 'Changing Places' facility which is larger than standard accessible toilet cubicles, extra features and more space to meet the needs of people with complex disabilities.
This facility includes an adult-sized change table, tracking ceiling hoist, privacy screen, peninsular-shaped toilet, shower, and a wide access door. If you plan to use the hoist, you will need to bring your own sling.
To access the facility you will need a Master Locksmiths Access Key (MLAK), which people with a disability or their carers can apply for. The key allows people with a disability access to dedicated public facilities throughout Australia.
To apply for a key, download the form from the Master Locksmiths' website and have it signed by a doctor, a disability organisation or a community health centre.
Getting here
Address
Thomas Street Reserve, Thomas Street, Hampton
Bus
828 Hampton – Berwick Station via Southland and Dandenong (Edinburgh Street/Thomas Street stop).
708 Hampton Station to Carrum Station via Highett, Southland and Chelsea Heights (Bluff Road/Thomas Street stop).
Train
Alight at Hampton Station on the Sandringham line. The station is 1.6 kilometres from the park, about a 25 minute walk.
Car
Thomas Street Playground is most easily approached from Bluff Road.
Accessible parking
There is a designated accessible parking space in Thomas Street, near the main entry to the park. On weekdays, there is usually ample parking directly across the road at the netball centre. Minibuses can also park at the netball centre, which is linked to the playground by a pedestrian crossing.
The making of Thomas Street accessible playground
Watch the epic 9-month construction of Bayside's all-inclusive playground in this 1-minute time-lapse: