Whybin\TBWA Gets Children Active with 'Mimi the Muttaburrasaurus'

As part of the ‘Generation Better’ campaign, Medibank has built a dinosaur play space to help encourage more physical activity and better health amongst Aussie children.

A survey of Australian parents with children under the age of 13 reveals that one third of children choose technology over playtime and, as a result, around 60 percent of children play outside for just one hour or less a day.

So to give kids another reason to go outside in an area that needed it within Yarraville, Victoria, Whybin\TBWA created “Mimi the muttaburrasaurus”, an imaginative play space modelled on a species that lived in Australia around 100 million years ago. She’s 3.5 metres tall and 7 metres long and is set into a landscape of giant egg cubbies and pre-historic trees with climbing ropes between them. Kids can climb into her stomach, use a voice tube to roar like a dinosaur then slide out her tail. The result is an inspiring playground giving kids a BIG reason to get back outside.

Mimi the muttaburrasaurus has also been turned into the star of a beautifully illustrated children’s book called, “BAMM! THWONG! SPROING! PHROOMP! WEEEE! Playing outside is the best”. The story is all about Mimi’s favourite thing to do – play outside – and encourages kids to do the same, inviting them to come meet her and play.

As well as building on the Generation Better philosophy, the play space and storybook are launching the Medibank Community Grants Program. Through the program, Medibank are inviting not-for-profit groups across the country to apply for grants to spend on initiatives they believe will help increase community health and wellbeing, as Mimi does in Yarraville.