“Play is the highest form of research”, said Albert Einstein.

Through play, children build a wide range of cognitive and social skills – especially when physical activity is involved. Research on early childhood development highlights the crucial role of outdoor play and playgrounds as sources of health, inclusion, and imagination.

Before taking the familiar shape we know today, playgrounds were built from steel pipes, bean bags, chains, brooms, balls, and ladders. Despite the long journey of refinement, they continue to evolve, encouraging learning through play.

In Bulgaria, the first company to manufacture playgrounds according to European standards is Metalplast Engineering in Ruse. To expand its activities, the company benefited from an investment loan for technological modernization from BDB.

The idea was born in 1997, when the company was producing fiberglass and working with a chain of gas stations where children’s play corners were installed. It turned out there was great demand for such facilities, while almost no one in the country was offering them.

Today, Metalplast Engineering ranks among the Top 3 in Bulgaria for the production of such equipment – and its success is no coincidence. “We work with German materials designed specifically for playground facilities. They don’t require repainting and are resistant to damage, as we aim to minimize additional maintenance costs for playgrounds”, explains owner Aneliya Georgieva.

The company mainly serves the Bulgarian market but is already delivering major projects in Romania, Moldova, Cyprus, and Greece.