The brothers behind WOW PARK
The founders
The brothers behind
the wildest forest
Aage & Jacob Hindhede — from a climbing tree in a West Jutland garden to Denmark's wildest forest.
The origin
It began with a single tree
In the garden of the farm in West Jutland where we grew up stood a giant chestnut tree. We had hung a rope swing in it. We spent — quite literally — thousands of hours playing in it.
At first it was simply about daring. Pushing off, feeling the rush, holding on. But the play kept evolving. In the end we would scoop darts off the ground as we swung past at full speed — and land them in a dartboard mid-air.
No grown-up had invented the game. No manual. Just two brothers, one tree, and play that kept raising the bar. Risk. Imagination. Everything on the line.
The body
The body could do more
than we thought
We did not just grow up in the trees. We both did a great deal of springboard gymnastics — the take-off, the rotation, the control in the air, the landing. The courage to dare a little more, every time.
It is the same feeling that lives in a swing, a free fall or a glide between the treetops: sensing what the body can do — and discovering that it can do more than you thought.
You never forget that feeling. We have spent our adult lives passing it on.
We have seen countless transformations in people who thought they were too old to play — who suddenly turn out to be the ones laughing the loudest.
AAGE HINDHEDE · CO-FOUNDER
The vision
From climbing tree to park
My brother and I went from climbing trees ourselves to building a park. We wanted to give others — whatever their age — the same nostalgia and sense of adventure we grew up with.
— Jacob Hindhede · co-founder
In 2013 the first WOW PARK opened in Skjern. Billund followed. Two forests. The same idea: that nature is the wildest, most fun place to play, to be and to learn.
The brothers
The same dream. Each our own role.
We grew up in the same garden, with the same dreams and the same vision of what nature and play can do for people. Today we carry that dream together — but each in our own role.
Aage Hindhede
Co-founder & Technical Director
A trained farmer and serial entrepreneur — with his roots planted in the West Jutland soil. The man behind the structures: the treetop play houses, the zip lines and the 100-plus play elements gently mounted around the trunks of the trees. If you have felt the rush in your stomach on one of our courses, Aage is the one behind it.
Jacob Hindhede
Co-founder & CEO
Holds a Master's in Public Health (Cand.scient.san.publ.) and is a trained physiotherapist. Responsible for strategy, business and growth — and for putting into words why play works. He translates research on the body, play and nature into the choices we make out in the forest.
The design philosophy
What free play in nature taught us
Children do not learn from perfect environments. They learn from real ones.
That is not a gut feeling — it is the foundation beneath everything we design.
Dirty knees are not a mistake. They are the receipt.
Proof that the child has been in contact with reality. The raw and imperfect does not happen despite the design. It is the design.
We do not design risk away.
A child who has jumped from many heights knows what their body can do — and therefore makes fewer dangerous mistakes. We do not want children to get hurt. We want them to learn what their body can do. That is not the same thing.
A mum and dad seeing their child master something is not a bonus.
It is the core value. Several generations together around the same challenge — that kind of quality time is hard for families to find anywhere else.
The parks today
Two forests, two stories
WOW PARK Skjern — 2013
Built on the Løvstrupgaard farm, which was home to a children's home from 1899 to 1973. Back then a large garden was planted, which today stands as a lush, leafy forest. We think it is wonderful that children still come and play on that same ground.
WOW PARK Billund — 2020
Here we planted thousands of new trees around an existing forest and built more than 100 play elements into the canopy — in the treetops, underground and on the forest floor.
What drives us
One shared goal
For us, WOW PARK is not about motors and attractions. It is about creating the setting for experiences you can feel — and that only grow more valuable the more digital the world becomes.
We believe nature does something special to people. That play strengthens community. And that time together without screens builds stronger relationships.
Frequently asked questions
Good to know
Who is behind WOW PARK?
WOW PARK was founded by the brothers Aage and Jacob Hindhede in 2013. Aage is co-founder and technical director — a trained farmer and serial entrepreneur. Jacob is co-founder and CEO — holds a Master's in Public Health (Cand.scient.san.publ.) and is a trained physiotherapist.
Where is WOW PARK located?
We have two forest parks in Jutland: WOW PARK Skjern (opened 2013) and WOW PARK Billund (opened 2020).
What makes WOW PARK different?
Here it is the heart, the body and the imagination — not motors — that drive the play. More than 100 play elements are gently integrated into the forest, from the treetops, on the forest floor and down into the underground caves.
What is the idea behind WOW PARK?
To recreate the brothers' own childhood play memories from a West Jutland garden — and make nature the most fun route to play, movement and togetherness for every generation.
Can you hold a children's birthday party at WOW PARK?
Yes — and there are few things that beat a birthday in the forest. The children climb, splash and laugh themselves tired, while you grown-ups can lean back. We have the space, the food and the setting for a day that is remembered long after.
Can you hold a company event at WOW PARK?
Yes. The forest is a completely different setting for team days and events — free play, bonfires, good food and room for colleagues to meet in a new way. We put the day together so it fits you.
About the authors