Planet Play is a multiple-story, fully immersive play experience for kids that was launched at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Jan. 1, 2021.
Designed for space adventurers ages 2 – 12, Planet Play is an indoor experiential play space where children play on the planets. As children explore the extraordinary adventure of space, parents can enjoy a wine, beer and coffee bar while watching their little ones learn about the cosmos.
With a theme and design from B Morrow Productions, Soft Play® set out to transform an IMAX theater into an interactive space experience for kids. With an in-house team of talented artists and playground designers, we were able to turn a 6,000-square-foot room into an immersive space exploration play experience. Here’s how we did it.
After talking to the chief operating officer at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Therrin Protze, the teams at B Morrow Productions and Soft Play realized we had an opportunity to educate kids about space exploration technologies in a playful, stimulating environment. The vision for this project was to turn the adventure of space into a playground.
The Kennedy Space Center play area needed to spark a younger generation’s interest in interplanetary travel and space exploration. The goal was to enable young explorers — as well as their parents — to play among the replicas of planets in our solar system and learn fun facts about space. After all, one of the best ways to learn is to immerse yourself in the topic and see how things work firsthand.
How can a true-to-life play experience excite young minds about space in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and functional?
There needed to be as many aspects of space travel as possible to give kids the complete experience. From the space-time continuum and blast-off to satellites and moon rovers, B Morrow Productions and our Soft Play team wanted the Kennedy Space Center project to have it all.
Soft Play thoughtfully crafted many custom components of this play area to provide a truly unique experience for the Kennedy Space Center. Soft Play was able to deliver a play area featuring:
Our results were sensational, and we were pleased about the project upon completion.
Numerous artistic components and interactive gaming opportunities were designed to create an unforgettable learning experience for kids. This play area allows kids to explore space in a fun, new way. Kids have the opportunity to:
If you’re looking for a unique alternative to traditional outdoor play spaces, Soft Play specializes in custom indoor play spaces. Transform your basic playground into one that is uniquely made for you. Contact a Soft Play representative for more information or explore more of our completed projects.