New framework to guide HDB playground designs from 2026
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A fruit-themed playground in Tengah that is a nod to the area’s former plantations, villages and farms.
PHOTO: HDB
Follow topic:
- HDB's Play Values Framework, starting in 2026, will guide playground designs in new BTO projects and parks, focusing on physical, social, and creative play aspects.
- Playgrounds will offer diverse equipment like varied swings and climbing nets to nurture motor skills and encourage exploration, problem-solving, and sensory development.
- Mount Pleasant Crest features playgrounds with police car themes for younger children and structures with net bridges for older children, incorporating heritage and balance elements.
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SINGAPORE – Come 2026, HDB playgrounds will provide children with more diverse and engaging play experiences under a new framework that will guide their design.
The Play Values Framework, which will be introduced in January 2026 in newly tendered Build-To-Order (BTO) projects and new HDB parks, aims to enhance the play experience for children while addressing their developmental needs, the Housing Board said on Dec 3.
Drawn up following input from parents, early childhood and health professionals, and playground specialists, the framework highlights three key aspects of play: physical, social and creative.
Elements of all three aspects can be incorporated to create fun and engaging playgrounds.
For example, swinging, sliding and climbing were identified as activities that help to improve children’s motor skills like coordination, dexterity and strength.
The framework also recommends providing different opportunities for both solitary and social play, such as a trampoline for solo play, a see-saw for buddy play, and climbing nets for group play.
In terms of creative play, tactile, imaginative and cognitive elements, such as play panels, could encourage exploration, strengthen problem-solving abilities and enhance children’s sensory development.
Guided by the framework, playground equipment can go beyond conventional designs to offer varied experiences and challenges, HDB said.
Swings can range from traditional ones to log or bird nest styles, while spinning play can include merry-go-rounds, spinners or spinner bowls.
This framework was used in Mount Pleasant Crest, the first BTO project in the new Mount Pleasant housing estate that was launched in October
HDB said it worked with consultants to create playgrounds that encourage imaginative play and exploration, while weaving in the area’s heritage as the site of Singapore’s first police academy.
For example, the main structure at the playground for younger children will be shaped like a police car and have other traffic-themed components such as road marking patterns. It will also have a climbing structure, slide, spinner bowl and trampoline where children can develop motor skills.
An artist’s impression of a playground for younger children at Mount Pleasant Crest. It wove in the area’s heritage as the site of Singapore’s first police academy.
PHOTO: HDB
A separate playground for older children will have two large structures – connected by a raised net bridge – with a curved tube slide.
A trampoline and hammock swing will help children develop balance and coordination, and hanging equipment can build arm strength, HDB noted. Balancing beams and small mounds on the ground can also help to improve spatial orientation.
An artist’s impression of a playground for older children at Mount Pleasant Crest. All playgrounds will incorporate elements such as climbing and balancing, which help to develop movement skills.
PHOTO: HDB
HDB said playgrounds for younger children aged two to five will prioritise creative and imaginative play, which is crucial for their development. This could include themed designs with features such as nature-inspired shapes, mounds and bright floor patterns.
For older children aged five to 12, playgrounds created under the new framework will focus on physical and group play, it added. All playgrounds will incorporate elements such as climbing and balancing, which help to develop movement skills.
The framework will also be extended to town councils, which maintain and carry out playground upgrades in HDB estates.
HDB playgrounds have evolved in design, form and function over the years
In the 1960s, playground elements were simple slides, swings and see-saws.
This evolved into creative designs during the 1970s and 1980s, with playgrounds shaped like dragons, animals and fruits. The iconic Toa Payoh dragon playground, which was built in 1979, is one such example.
Since 2015, new housing projects have featured themed playgrounds that incorporate elements of the area’s heritage and history.
HDB also launched the Build-A-Playground initiative, inviting residents in Canberra, Toa Payoh, Woodlands and Pasir Ris to design and build their play spaces.
Mr Leonard Cai, HDB’s director of landscape, said the new framework will help to ensure playgrounds meet changing needs and play patterns.
“This framework will ensure that our playgrounds offer a wider range of play features to support children’s holistic development, enhancing play experiences to spark children’s imagination and create joyful childhood memories.”
