Magical Park: Playable Park
- May 30
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 2
Parks & Recreation Multiple Cities World wide
A free AR game that gets kids active in parks worldwide
Deployments: USA · New Zealand · Australia · Germany · Europe
Model: App recycled Availability: Free · Most devices
Played in over 150 cities, kids spend an average of 45 minutes running and walking per session, covering around 2 km through their local park. Winner of multiple awards including Best Use of Technology at the PLA SA/NT Regional Award of Excellence (2024).
How do we convince children who love their devices to get outdoors?
Over a decade ago, a 7-year-old girl had lost interest in the playground. Then came the question: what if she could find fairies and dinosaurs there? That sparked the idea for Magical Park. Today the problem is bigger than ever. Children now spend 3–6 hours of entertainment screen time each day, and most aren't getting enough exercise.
The world's most effective way to get reluctant kids outside
Magical Park is a mobile augmented reality experience that overlays fantastical adventures onto real parks. Using a smartphone or tablet, kids roam the park to rescue kittens, chase dinosaurs, clean up coral reefs, recycle rubbish to help trees grow, and discover facts about local plants and animals. Parents often join in, making it an activity the whole family can enjoy together.
The magic works because it meets kids in their digital comfort zone, but draws them into the real world. The stories change with the seasons, and councils can activate multiple parks with one affordable subscription. And when the game ends, children often want to keep playing offline, kicking a ball or exploring nature.
Families that usually don't visit the park are enticed outdoors
Kids cover around 2km per session for up to 45minutes on average
"I think it's brilliant, especially for those with autism. Cameron is 9; he's not one to go out and socialise. Today, we saw him interacting with other children, which is brilliant."
Why councils and families keep coming back
Councils report increased park visits, strong school engagement, and positive community feedback. Parents love that Magical Park is free to play, educational, violence-free, has no in-app purchases, and does not collect personal data. Played in 150+ cities, kids spend an average of 45 minutes running and walking per session, covering around 2 km, all in a local park.
Councils subscribe for only a fraction of what it costs to build or replace traditional playground equipment, making it a sustainable, high-value way to activate public green spaces and inspire healthy play year after year.
Many ways to App Recycle Magical Park
App recycling means building on proven, working technology, not starting from scratch. Choose the level that fits your community.
Switch it on as-is
Deploy Magical Park exactly as it is. No changes needed. Your park is live and ready to play.
Add your language
If your national or regional language isn't already supported, we can add it, making Magical Park more accessible for your community and benefiting every other city that plays in that language too.
Add your logo
Localise the experience with your council or organisation's branding. Simple, but it makes a real difference to community buy-in.
Build a new game world in one week
The DevforGov team builds on existing game mechanics and framework, so creating an entirely new themed world is fast and affordable. No need to rebuild from the ground up.
Transform it into a QR code scavenger hunt
The same AR game world can be reimagined as a physical scavenger hunt using QR codes. New format, same magic, just with scannable posters instead of a geo located AR experience.
New Zealand recycled Magical Park into a scavenger hunt
Magical Park Matariki (AR) became Magical Mission Matariki. A QR-based scavenger hunt celebrating Māori culture.
Australia recycled Magical Park into a greeting card
Magical Park Australia became Outback Cleanup. Teaching Kids to Protect Australia's Environment with Augmented Reality.
Marketing Support & Free Seasonal Activation
Every Magical Park deployment comes with marketing support to help you make the most of your activation. Clients also receive a set of free seasonal AR poster packs for Christmas, Easter, and Halloween that transform any park or community space into a festive digital hunt at no extra cost. Each pack includes four scannable AR posters with mini games, making it easy to keep your community engaged year-round.
Magical Park | Evergreen
Children help restore a park's enchanted trees by cleaning up litter left behind by a mysterious villain. Glass bottles, pizza boxes, and apple cores have made the trees sick, and only kids can bring the magic back. A fun, story-driven way to teach environmental responsibility, recycling habits and respect for public green spaces.
Magical Park | Ocean Rescue
Dolphins, turtles, and fish are trapped in fishing nets and rubbish, and children must free them before the evil mermaid arrives. This adventure connects kids to ocean ecosystems and the real-world impact of pollution, turning a walk in the park into a lesson in conservation.
Magical Park | Arctic Explorer
Children explore the arctic by sound, guessing which animals are nearby before discovering them in AR. A curiosity-led adventure that introduces kids to wildlife they wouldn't encounter locally, building nature literacy and a sense of wonder about the wider natural world.
Key Features
Local nature facts woven into the adventure
Works on most smart phones
Free for families to play, no account or login required
Suitable for all ages and abilities
Analytics portal for operators and councils
Recycled app model, cost-effective to deploy in new locations
Violence-free and no in-app purchases
Stories change with the seasons, keeping the experience fresh
When a child asks to go back to the park, you know something has worked.
Multilingual
App recycled
Outdoor version
