New Giant Lion-Shaped Playground Opens in Ashkelon

A massive lion-shaped playground, now the largest of its kind in Israel and the world, has just opened its doors at Ashkelon’s Eco Park.

Spread across about 1.5 dunams (around 0.4 acres), the structure towers at around 13 meters high. Crafted by the Israeli firm Elu Et Nitzan, this playground features a central climbing tower connected to seven climbing tunnels that resemble the lion’s mane, along with various slides, swings, and play equipment catering to all ages and abilities.

The playground emphasizes accessibility, including sensory components and wheelchair-friendly equipment. Additionally, it boasts an audio-visual system with synchronized lighting and sound throughout the installation.

Key Features

The tower showcases tiered climbing platforms at different heights, long tube slides that lead down to the lower park area, and a lookout point at the top offering views of the lake and nearby neighborhoods. Kids can access the tower from various directions and even slide down through the lion’s mouth. Suspended climbing nets add an extra level of challenge for adventurous little ones.

Seven climbing tunnels of different lengths come filled with features like rope passages, climbing stones, and angled nets. These tunnels connect to varying levels of the central tower and can be entered from multiple points around the structure.

Two front paw structures are tailored for toddlers and younger children. They include accessible slides, climbing stones, crawl tunnels enhanced with sensory panels, and low climbing features that help develop balance and early motor skills.

The swing arch offers a variety of seating options, including toddler swings, an accessible chair swing, a shared “bird’s nest” swing, and face-to-face seats. Interestingly, this arch also serves as a climbing route.

Additional Accessible Equipment

This playground complex includes a wheelchair-friendly carousel, an accessible glider carousel, sensory music stations, a 360-degree swing, a wheelchair-accessible slide, a climbing feature designed for wheelchair users, a musical sphere, and an accessible selfie carousel. There’s even an interactive light-and-sound game, a circular zip line, and a spinning carousel aimed at older children.

The shading system is integrated into the structure itself, providing shade for all play areas, including complete coverage for the climbing tunnels. The lighting is also part of the design, illuminating both the outside and inside features, including the tunnels that lead to the lion’s head. Color-changing lights ensure the playground is noticeable from afar day or night.

Every hour, a light-and-sound show brings the area to life with coordinated lighting effects and music. Plenty of seating areas shaped like colorful triangles are scattered throughout the playground, offering spots to rest or enjoy the fun.

Mayor Tomer Glam expressed pride in the launch, stating, “We are proud to launch this large and impressive playground. This is an innovative project that combines an advanced play experience with a connection to nature.”

In the words of Helen Roet-Nitzan, founder and CEO of Elu Et Nitzan, “The installation is striking in its artistic beauty and innovation. Our goal was to create an advanced, enriching, and unforgettable play experience for all children.”