The gloomy weather did not dampen the fun at Ta' Qali's new adventure park yesterday as children played on the swings and the slides and teenagers whooshed down a long, two-storey-high zip line.

The new €1.3 million BOV Adventure Park boasts a multitude of colourful attractions, catering for people of all ages. Animators dressed up as everything from elves to turtles spun plates, painted kids' faces and gave out freebies to all who showed up.

Smacks of red, blue and green filled the skies overhead as giant balloons tied to fencing at the park's periphery with long rope darted about in the wind. Even putting rubbish in the bin was fun because the containers themselves are shaped like cartoon animals.

To cool off in summer, the park has five interactive fountains that will shoot a jet of water at whoever steps on them. Antoine Gouder, visiting the park with his two young children, said: "I'm quite impressed by this new park. I think it will become very popular on Sundays because there's a big lack of facilities like this in Malta. Today's a bit cold but the kids are enjoying it!"

Sam Agius, a teenager who had just sped down the long zip line at the end of the climbing course, said: "The course is great. It looks scary at first but it's good fun. I enjoyed the zip line the best. I got stuck for a moment at one place but I was soon off again."

The climbing course, geared towards young people, has 10 qualified full-time instructors to guide around anyone daring enough to give it a go. It is also compliant with EU regulations and safety has been given absolute priority.

In addition, the park, sponsored by Bank of Valletta, will soon have a six-storey-high abseiling facility and another climbing course similar to the one already in place.