30 Years of Play: Celebrating Three Decades of Playground People

In 1996, Playground People manufactured and installed its first playground at Puni School.

Thirty years later, that playground is still standing and, more importantly, still being played on.

It is a fitting place to start as we celebrate 30 years of Playground People. That first playground represents much of what has remained important to us over the past three decades: creating quality play spaces that are built to last and continue to bring value to the communities they are part of.

From one playground to thousands

A lot has changed since that first installation in 1996.

Since then, Playground People has designed, manufactured and installed thousands of playgrounds across New Zealand, from school playgrounds and small community spaces to large-scale destination playgrounds and outdoor fitness areas.

But while the scale and scope of what we do has grown, there is also a lot that hasn't changed.

We are still based in Drury, South Auckland, where we have been throughout our 30-year history. Playground People remains under the same family ownership and is now led by the second generation of the McFadden family.

That continuity is an important part of who we are. The Playground People operating today is genuinely the same business that built that first playground at Puni School in 1996. The knowledge, relationships and responsibility for what we put into the ground have been carried forward from one generation to the next.

Built to still be playing decades later

Few things demonstrate the durability of playground equipment better than being able to return decades later and see it still being used.

The playground at Puni School is one example, but there are many others throughout New Zealand that we have been able to revisit 10, 20 and even 25 years after they were installed.

For us, those playgrounds are real-world evidence of the quality and durability we have worked to build into our equipment over the past 30 years, and of the confidence behind the 25-year warranty we now offer on our locally manufactured playground equipment.

But longevity is about more than simply making something strong enough to stand for decades.

A playground really succeeds when it remains inviting, engaging and valued by its community long after the opening-day photographs have been taken.

There is something particularly special about visiting an older school playground and knowing that the children who first played there may now have children of their own climbing, swinging and playing on that same equipment.

Long product life also delivers practical benefits. For schools, councils and communities, equipment that continues performing for decades provides better long-term value and means less material needs to be replaced and discarded unnecessarily.

Three decades of changing play

The way we think about playgrounds has evolved considerably since 1996.

Play spaces have become more inclusive, imaginative and challenging. Expectations around accessibility and play value have grown, while playground standards, materials, manufacturing techniques and design possibilities have continued to develop.

Playground People has evolved alongside those changes.

For more than 25 years, we have also been the exclusive New Zealand partner of KOMPAN, allowing us to combine our locally designed and manufactured playground equipment with internationally recognised playground and outdoor fitness solutions.

Together, these capabilities have taken us from traditional school playgrounds through to some of New Zealand's largest and most innovative play spaces.

Along the way, we have been fortunate to contribute to numerous award-winning projects, including Barry Curtis Park in Auckland, named the 2026 Recreation Aotearoa Play Space of the Year in the over-$500,000 category.

Awards like these are something we are incredibly proud of. But equally rewarding is seeing an ordinary school or community playground continuing to do exactly what it was designed to do decades after we installed it.

The people behind 30 years of play

Of course, none of those playgrounds happen on their own.

Thirty years of Playground People represents the work of many people. Our employees past and present, customers, schools, councils, landscape architects and designers, contractors, installers, suppliers and industry partners have all played a part in our story.

It also represents thousands of communities and generations of children who have climbed, swung, balanced, imagined, challenged themselves, made friends and simply had fun on the playgrounds we have helped create.

As we celebrate 30 years, we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has trusted us with their projects and worked alongside us.

And while playgrounds have changed a lot since 1996, our goal remains much the same as it was when we installed that first playground at Puni School: to create playgrounds that children want to play on, communities are proud of, and customers can rely on for decades.

Here’s to the next 30 years of play!