Which Sports Facilities for Campsites and Holiday Parks?

Sports and play facilities have become one of the decisive criteria when a family chooses a campsite or a holiday park. They fill the hours between the pool and the evening meal, they justify a higher nightly rate, and they extend the season. The question for an operator is not whether to install them, but which mix of facilities gives the best return on a limited plot and a limited budget.

Water first, but not only water

Heated and covered pools remain the anchor of a holiday park: they work in poor weather and they are what makes a low season opening credible. Slides and inflatable water games extend the appeal to teenagers and to families with young children. Sites near the coast can lean on direct beach access and on watersports, but a pool area alone rarely fills a full day, and guests who are turned away from a crowded pool need somewhere else to go.

Land based facilities that carry the rest of the day

This is where most operators under invest. A campsite typically needs three distinct zones.

• A children’s play area for the youngest guests and the kids club, with play towers, swings, climbing nets and slides. Equipment for children is designed to EN 1176-1, and the impact absorbing surface underneath is a separate requirement covered by EN 1177. Browse the playground equipment range and the matching playground surfacing.
• A multi sports court for petanque, volleyball, five a side and basketball. A modular court takes very little maintenance and serves every age group from mid morning to sunset. See modular multi sport courts.
• An outdoor fitness and obstacle area for teenagers and adults. Calisthenics rigs, ninja warrior structures and outdoor strength stations answer the demand from guests who train all year and do not want to stop on holiday. Adult outdoor fitness equipment falls under EN 16630, which is a different standard from the children’s one and must never be applied to children’s equipment. See the outdoor gym equipment and ninja warrior rigs.

Wellness and shoulder season

Guests looking to unwind expect a wellness area with sauna, hot tub or hydrotherapy. Together with a covered heated pool, wellness facilities are what turn a summer only site into a business that also sells weekends in spring and autumn, when the site is quieter and the natural setting is at its best.

Specifying for a campsite, not for a gym

Outdoor holiday equipment lives under UV, rain, salt air and unsupervised use. Galvanised steel or stainless steel structures, closed fixings, vandal resistant hardware and a surfacing that drains are worth far more here than a long specification sheet. Plan the free space around each structure, the sight lines from the reception or the bar, and the maintenance access before you fix the layout.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum a small site should install?

A compliant children’s play area with the correct impact absorbing surface, and one multi use court. Everything else can be added in later phases.

Can adults and children share the same equipment?

No. The two families of equipment are designed and certified separately, for different heights, forces and fall protection. Keep the zones distinct.

How long does an installation take?

It depends on groundworks and on the surfacing chosen. We give a firm schedule with each proposal rather than a generic figure.

Planning your site