Willows Shopping Centre delights families with new Reef Play area in food court

A Townsville shopping centre has just opened an exciting new play area in its food court for kids to have fun while their parents take a break. Check out its features.

An exciting new reef-themed play space has opened in Willows Shopping Centre, giving parents an opportunity to chill out while their children are entertained in an educational environment.

Located at the back of the centre’s food court, in the space previously occupied by Hungry Jacks, the custom-built play area Reef Play officially opened on Wednesday.

Costing around $450,000 to create, Reef Play includes a series of interactive, climbing, imaginative and sensory play elements including calming igloo pods that have sequential lights and marine sounds, cog box, magic talk tubes and sensory wall.

All smiles and giggles, Kayla, 10, and Rory Downes, 6, were the first kids to get in and test out the space’s activity-based equipment.

Their mother Simone was delighted by the new addition to the centre, saying she missed the old play space and had been looking forward to the new one after reading about it on social media.

Rory, 6, and Kayla Downes, 10, and try out the interactive activity based equipment in Reef Play, the new play space in Willows Shopping Centre. Picture: Leighton Smith.

“I think it’s absolutely amazing. Nice to be able to sit down and have a coffee and let the kids have a little play and know that they’re not going to sit there and be bored,” Ms Downes said.

“I think the kids are going to be very well occupied in here.”

Kayla, 10, and Rory Downes, 6, try out the magic talk tubes in Reef Play, the new play space in Willows Shopping Centre. Picture: Leighton Smith.

Willows’ marketing manager Donna Schifilliti said the new play area had been in development for five years before it kicked up a gear in mid-2023, and opened just in time for the school holidays.

She was proud of the way Australian company Blanc Space had designed and constructed the play equipment using 58 per cent recycled materials and diverted 771kg of post-consumer waste to help mitigate the impact of plastics in the ocean.

Willows' marketing coordinator Fabiana Gedoun and marketing manager Donna Schifilliti at Reef Play. Picture: Leighton Smith.

The new play space in Willows Shopping Centre. Picture: Leighton Smith.

“We are pleased to open our new play space, a project that we have been working on for some time now, motivated and inspired by ongoing shopper feedback,” Ms Schifilliti said.

“We have a couple more enhancements including jellyfish ceiling lamps and an illuminated sign to install in the coming weeks.

Rory Downes, 6, tests out the features of the igloo pods in Reef Play, the Willows Shopping Centre's new play area. Picture: Leighton Smith.

the new play space in Willows Shopping Centre. Picture: Leighton Smith.

“Reef Play not only enhances the centre’s amenity for our community at Willows Shopping Centre, but it also supports our Sustainability Strategy.”

In a few weeks, she said they would begin working with Queensland Museum to begin hosting monthly little learners workshops.

The centre also planned to partner with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority on some educational pieces and was aspiring to become a Reef Guardian shopping centre.

Kayla, 10, and Rory Downes, 6, try out the interactive activity based equipment in Reef Play, the new play space in Willows Shopping Centre. Picture: Leighton Smith.

The new Reef Play space in Willows Shopping Centre. Picture: Leighton Smith.

The Great Barrier Reef is front and centre at the new play space in Willows Shopping Centre. Picture: Leighton Smith.

Originally published as Willows Shopping Centre delights families with new Reef Play area in food court