Diggerland Brings Big Adventures for Australia’s Little Diggers
Playtime is better when you get to drive the digger! 🚜
Diggerland brings the thrill of the construction site to life for children aged six months to seven years. Here, kids can dig real sand, operate mini excavators, drive ride-ons, move materials with rotating cranes and build big with oversized blocks. It is hands-on, imaginative and far more fun than watching from the sidelines.
Founded by Shalakha Verma, Diggerland opened its first location in Braeside, Victoria, in November 2025. Families embraced it from the start, with more than 500 people visiting over opening weekend, including some who travelled more than three hours for the experience. By July 2026, Diggerland had recorded more than 12,000 play-session bookings and hosted 169 birthday parties.
Now, Diggerland is ready to bring big adventures to more families and communities across Australia through franchising.
Built for Little Diggers
Diggerland began with a simple idea: an indoor play experience where children could do more than climb, slide and run around.
Founder Shalakha Verma saw the chance to make play more immersive, giving children real sand, construction vehicles and building activities to get hands-on with. With 15 years of experience building technology products, Shalakha spent a year shaping the concept, finding the right site and bringing it to life.
At Diggerland, children get to take the lead. Across a 125 sqm indoor sandpit filled with 50 tonnes of sand, little diggers can operate mini vehicles, jump on ride-ons, work the cranes and build whatever they can imagine.
Dig, Build, Ride
The beauty of Diggerland is that there is no single way to play.
One child might be moving sand across the site, while another is operating an excavator, steering a ride-on or turning a stack of blocks into their next big build.
There is plenty to keep little diggers coming back. Alongside regular play sessions and all-day entry, Diggerland hosts construction-themed birthday parties. Parents and carers can stay close to the action with café food and barista-made coffee.
The Next Big Build
Following a successful launch in Braeside and with a second site secured, Diggerland is ready to grow.
“The response from families in Braeside has been incredible. Seeing how excited children are to dig, build and play has been amazing, and it has shown us just how much families love the Diggerland experience. We’re excited to take the next step and bring Diggerland to more communities across Australia, with the right franchise partners by our side.”
In partnership with DC Strategy, Diggerland is looking for hands-on franchise partners to bring the experience to more communities across Australia.
The opportunity is for owners who want to build a local family destination, lead a team and create an experience children and parents will want to return to. Franchise partners receive support with site selection, fit-out and equipment, training, launch preparation, operations and local-area marketing.
At DC Strategy, we are proud to support Diggerland as it expands into new communities. Braeside has shown how enthusiastically families have embraced the concept, and with a second location secured, there is much more digging, building and riding ahead.
Ready to join the Diggerland family?
Diggerland Play Centre is looking for passionate franchise partners who want to build a business of their own and bring the experience to a new community.