Canberra Centre has launched a new educational play space, providing a safe area for children to play and learn inside the shopping centre.

The new play space is located in the level one food court next to Kathmandu and is designed to not only keep the kids entertained but also help them learn.

The play space is inspired by local terrain, with the final design based on the exposed granite layers of Booroomba Rocks in Canberra’s Namadgi National Park.

Featuring colouring stations and a quiet reading zone and structures, the play space will also host kid-focussed masterclasses, including two gingerbread house making classes on Saturday 16 December.

Canberra Centre Manager Amanda Paradiso said the centre wanted to incorporate a fun but educational zone where kids can be entertained while parents have a quiet cup of coffee and watch their kids.

“We are always looking to offer new experiences in the centre and this new play space adds another element, specifically for parents with young families,” she said.

The play space officially opened to the public at 11.00am on Friday 15 November with a launch that offered the opportunity for kids to try out the new zone, plus free gift bags, and a photo opportunity with a gingerbread man and Santa’s elves.