Play for all: This park in Tampines houses Singapore's first slide for wheelchair users

For wheelchair users, using the playground might not have seemed feasible in the past. 

But it is now possible with Singapore's first slide made for them.

At the inclusive Magical Bridge Playground at Sun Plaza Park — a 10-minute walk from Tampines MRT Station — visitors can use equipment like slides and swings that are accessible to everyone, including those using wheelchairs.

The slide there has a "slide-and-sit" landing, which consists of a platform at the bottom that resembles a bench.

This design gives people more space and time to safely transfer to their mobility device or wait for their caregiver to attend to them, according to National Parks Board (NParks).

The inclusive playground, designed by US-based nonprofit Magical Bridge Foundation, was launched by NParks on Wednesday (June 17).

Other inclusive aspects of the Magical Bridge Playground include wheelchair-accessible equipment, barrier-free routes as well as amenities for people with autism such as quiet corners and hideaway huts.

The playground equipment and surfaces are also painted in bright colours for those with low vision.

Moreover, the playground houses a sensory garden which offers a rich tactile and olfactory experience for all ages and an amphitheatre for gatherings and community activities.

Magical Bridge Foundation specialises in innovative and inclusive playground designs. It has 14 such playgrounds around the world to date.

The Magical Bridge Playground at Sun Plaza Park is its first collaboration with NParks.

Speaking about the project, founder and CEO Olenka Villarreal said that playgrounds built by the foundation are "designed to be places where no one is left on the sidelines".

The project was made possible through a US$3 million (S$3.9 million) donation by the non-profit through donors Amanda Toh-Steckler and Vince Steckler to the Garden City Fund, said the statutory board.

Amanda, who is Singaporean, said that she and her husband came across the Magical Bridge Foundation's work in Palo Alto, California and were inspired to bring it to her hometown.

"I am excited to see the Magical Bridge Playground finally come to life and hope that it will be a cornerstone for the community to gather and build bonds for years to come," she said.

In October 2025, the Magical Bridge Foundation opened A Whale of a Tale — its first project in Singapore — at the lawn outside the National Museum of Singapore.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com