Right on the beach promenade, just a short walk from the ocean, lies a place where the ocean didn’t have to stay outside: the Dünenwelten Grömitz. In this new indoor family paradise, the “Tobedüne” has been created—a maritime play world for children ages 0 to 14—open year-round regardless of the weather, with plenty of space for movement, imagination, and independent exploration.
As playground equipment manufacturers, it quickly became clear to us: If an indoor play area is being built right on the Baltic Sea, then why not let the sea in a little? Not with a bathtub, and not with an aquarium either. But with sandcastles, coral reefs, sea grass, seashells, and a deep sea where you can lose yourself to your heart’s content. The result is a versatile play world that tells its story the moment you step inside. Conceived from the start as a cohesive experience, the individual areas feature not isolated pieces of play equipment, but rather stations along a grand, interconnected maritime journey of discovery.
And somewhere right in the middle of it all, there’s probably a child standing there, wondering whether to climb, slide, balance, or just run away first.
The journey begins where almost every great beach adventure probably begins at some point: in the sand.
In the sandcastle play area, children encounter their first simple crawling structures alongside sand buckets, shovels, and sandcastles of varying heights. This play environment offers a scale tailored specifically to the youngest children. Here, they can experiment, build, crawl, and dig. And when that little pile of sand eventually turns into a full-fledged castle, it’s clearly a work of architecture—and by no means just sand. Although: Real sand isn’t used here. The entire floor surface was constructed using high-quality, sand-colored EPDM fall protection in thicknesses specific to the fall height and was partially molded. The fall-absorbing flooring, which is suitable for indoor use, thus combines safety and design while still making the sand landscape look like a beach.
Right next to it is the “Muschel” play sculpture—an oversized seashell where children can climb, slide, and listen. The built-in tube slide keeps kids moving, a sound module fills the space with the sound of the ocean, and beam and balance structures on the ground turn the path to the “Muschel” into the next little challenge. If that’s not enough, kids can venture into the “Coral Reef.” The climbing structure winds up and down through a veritable maze of poles. Climbing, dodging, balancing, and finding your own way—this is exactly where the play value comes in that leaves children with no doubt about what to do next. The seagrass meadow takes you even deeper. Hide-and-seek, tag, diving through, and exploring all go hand in hand here. Climbing crabs and jellyfish with body showers add interactive elements to the underwater world, turning the area into a play zone for different age groups and play needs.
The real highlight of the project is the “Deep Sea” climbing structure. This multi-story net climbing structure starts at ground level and winds its way upward through interlocking levels. Those brave enough can take the bridge to the first floor. Those who’d rather head back down to the “sea floor” quickly can take the tube slide. The beauty of it is that there’s no single “right” way. One child climbs to the top. The next crawls underneath somewhere. A third discovers a path that apparently no one had seen before. It is precisely these kinds of open-ended play situations that are an important part of our playground design: Play equipment should offer possibilities, but not dictate what must be played.
The “Seegraszaun” underwater grotto on the upper level also follows this principle. Rock formations, a submarine, seat cushions, and distorting mirrors create a space that balances activity and relaxation. Light and sound enhance the underwater atmosphere. This transforms an indoor playground into more than just a collection of playground equipment: it becomes an environment that engages different senses and constantly inspires children to come up with new ideas.
Even with all the activity, even the best playground needs a place to catch your breath every now and then. The Sand Dunes meeting spot therefore serves as a central gathering and orientation point. A beach-inspired relaxation zone featuring a large, reclining shell-shaped seating platform—which children can even crawl underneath—combines comfort with play value. The area is complemented by jumping equipment and umbrellas. The seating platform landscape creates a quiet zone for parents, guests, and little adventurers between play sessions. In this way, the playground design follows a simple yet important principle: Children need to move around. Adults need a clear view. And both should be able to feel comfortable in the same space.
The entire facility was designed as a high-quality indoor play area for a broad target audience. From a toddler’s first attempts at crawling in the toddler area to challenging climbing routes for older children, there are varying levels of play within a cohesive themed environment. The concept of inclusion was also taken into account: play areas should appeal to as many children as possible, with their diverse abilities and needs.
For us as playground equipment manufacturers, this project therefore combines several elements that go hand in hand with good playground design: functional quality, high-quality materials, custom woodwork, a variety of play experiences, and a story that speaks for itself.
Dünenwelten Grömitz shows how an indoor playground can become a destination in its own right—a place where the Baltic Sea roars outside, while the fun continues inside.
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