Wanuskewin Interpretive Playground, located North of Saskatoon at Wanuskewin Heritage Park along the Opimihaw Creek, was designed to integrate a unique play experience that celebrates and engages visitors with stories of the long and rich history of the site.
Wanuskewin has acted as a place of gathering for over 6000 years for the nations of the Northern Plains and millions of bison who once roamed. Inspired by the historic stories of the landscape, the playground design acts as a microcosm of the larger site, where children and families of various backgrounds and abilities may come together to meet, play, share, and learn through nature and each other. The playground site provides nooks for joining together such as the story-telling circle and large picnic area, where classes, interpretive tours and miniature performances may take place. The Seven Sister's garden provides a working landscape for ceremony and nourishment.
Archeological, natural, and cultural resources found on site were reflected in the playground design. Bison rubbing rocks, roaming bison and beaver log jams are incorporated as interpretive play structures. Two large tower structures lift children 20 feet above the surrounding plains, overlooking the valley and reintroduced bison in the distant paddocks.
