Hopscotch Neon Installation (Festival of Lights)

About This Project

The Festival of Lights team asked us to create an illuminated, interactive installation for kids — something simple, fun, and safe. They planned to launch it as a pop-up on Ariki Landing, the public space between Puke Ariki Museum and Centre City. After that, it would move to the Pukekura Park Playground for the rest of the festival.

We suggested a classic hopscotch court. It’s instantly recognisable and easy to use without instructions. The idea was approved, and we got to work designing something playful, durable, and eye-catching.

To start, we built a raised platform from 20mm foam PVC. We routered grooves into the surface to hold bright neon flex lighting. A second groove outside the light path worked as a drainage channel to protect the electronics. We painted the PVC black to make the colours stand out even more.

To keep kids safe, we added a clear polycarbonate top layer with a non-slip outdoor floor laminate. We wrapped the exposed sides in artificial turf to soften the look and help it blend into public spaces. Around the perimeter, we installed LED strip lighting. This helped define the edges and acted as a subtle safety feature to prevent trips and missteps.

To reduce moisture buildup, we mounted the entire structure on an aluminium frame. This lifted the platform slightly off the ground, allowing air to circulate underneath.

The end result was a vibrant, crowd-friendly feature that lit up the night and got people moving. It was a hit with families and even earned a Silver Medal in the design-in-house category at the 2021 New Zealand Sign & Display Awards.

The client loved it and told us they plan to reuse it again and again.

You can check out another illuminated signage project we created for FOL here.