A BALANCING snake, a giant wooden tunnel and a mini beast hotel are some of the new activities at a new outdoor play site in the New Forest.

Following the success of a wild play area launched by the New Forest National Park Authority and partners at Holbury Manor in April last year, a second permanent space has opened at Stanford Rise Green in Sway. It is hoped that the play area it will encourage children to explore nature.

Three sites are being created across the National Park as part of a Forest-wide landscape partnership scheme to help enhance and protect the Forest for future generations.

Holbury and Sway are the first two sites to be completed, with planning underway for the final site at Ashurst and Colbury Recreation Ground on Whartons Lane in Ashurst.

Wild play officer for New Forest National Park Authority, Claire Pearce, said: “It

s important we encourage children to spend more time outdoors, not only to inspire them to care for nature, but to help improve their physical and mental wellbeing.”