Play Pod Chwarae Official Launch March 2026
Officially opened March 25th 2026 by the Mayor of Merthyr
The playpod developed as an idea as a way to tackle 3 problems
Decreasing availability to funds for play provision and outdoor education
Useful items being sent to landfill
Inequality to access of resources across play providers.
Through a collaboration between EggSeeds ' a community development and outdoor education company' and Merthyr council play and parks department the pilot grew by creating a secure a central location at Clwb Crown CiC where professionals in Play, youth and education could book out and borrow large array of play resources by holding a yearly membership with the Play Pod.
We stock the Pod through purchasing new or second hand items, donations, upcycling, repair and reuse, members sharing resources.
Now we are partnered with Community Focussed Schools who donated a large amount of sports equipment, working with Keep Wales Tidy to become a litter picking hub, Benthyg Cymru and Egin who provided mentoring on setting up and running the lending library. It is the first of its kind supporting organisations to access a resource library of play equipment and is about reducing landfill and increasing collaboration and partnership to improve play across the region and beyond.
Local organisations are starting to get involved and a few are motivated to put items into the pod such as Twyn Community hub.
Louise said by donating and being a member it:
1) Reduces storage demand in out little centre, giving us space back.
2) sharing provides better play access for the kids.
3) hopes that through joint bids organisations can get better quality larger items they all can use.
We hope the pilot demonstrates that this model can work and that other regions can take up the idea.
So far in the pod we have
Fire Play - pyrography, fire lighting, cooking equipment.
Water play - slip n slide, water jets, water wall, loose parts
Earth play - mud kitchen, swings, slack lines, den building, citizen science kits. Loose parts, obstacle course items
Wind play - spinning seats, throwing games, vertical hammocks, zip line, sports
We have included many things used in forest schools and for widening access for neurodivergent participants as well as many communal activities to encourage group play and collaboration.
In year two we hope to explore creating satellite or mobile pods to increase access and further promote park play.