We Speak Playground

You want a playground that gives everyone a chance to learn and have fun outdoors. However, some children with physical or intellectual limitations have a harder time navigating a traditional play structure than others. That’s why it’s important to make a few simple changes to ensure all children have a great time at recess. Check out these five tips for making school playgrounds more inclusive.

Have you ever traveled through a neighborhood and found an outdoor fair, block party or local festival? The sights and sounds feel welcoming to both the residents, tourists and people who are simply passing by. Such events and recreations do more than just allow people to sell food and products. They allow neighbors to build relationships and provide a venue where everyone can come together to enjoy new arts, culture and entertainment.

Protecting outdoor spaces can allow people of all ages to enjoy recreational activities, athletes to participate in sporting events, allow businesses to provide products and services, and offer other amazing benefits. In addition to warding off the rain, a shade structure also provides important protection from the hot sun and damaging effects of the ultraviolet light. Here are some great places where you can use a shade structure.

Dexterity and fine motor skills require the use of many small muscles in sync. Parents tend to associate the playground with the development of gross motor abilities like jumping and running, but it also improves fine motor skills.

Celebrate May as National Physical Fitness & Sports Month! Outdoor play and exercise used to be a natural part of every childhood. But with the temptations of electronics and video games, loving parents are challenged with getting kids outdoors, according to 39% of adults polled. It’s crucial to keep kids physically active and playing outside. With proper exercise, kids can have improved muscular fitness, better bone health and protection from heart disease.

Here are some of the proven benefits from studies around the world. 

Shade structures protect both your playground equipment and your guests from the sizzling summer sun. And if you make the right choices, they look as cool as they feel.

For many, springtime in Texas conjures up images of bluebonnets, rodeos, festivals, picnics and BBQ! Children love to explore outside, and playgrounds provide the perfect opportunity for friends and families to enjoy the spring weather.

April is World Autism Month. Now is the best time to increase awareness of this condition that affects so many children. The Centers for Disease Control reports that one in every 59 children is diagnosed with some form of autism. Autism can affect children from all ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but males are four times more likely to be diagnosed than females. Awareness of the prevalence of autism is the first step toward helping children and their families who suffer from this issue. One place that everyone can help kids with autism is on the playground.

It seems like the pressure on children to produce perfect test scores in school only gets stronger every year. The pressure is equally strong on teachers and education administrators since performance is typically tied to state or federal funding for schools. The STAAR test in Texas is one such example of test performance determining how much money each school receives in state funding.

When it comes to child development, play goes far beyond simple entertainment by acting as a building block to learning. Regular playtime allows the brain neurons of children to change and grow, which aids in their ability to pick up new skills rather quickly. Through free-play sessions, children can increase their knowledge about how the world works and build skills that will help them through every stage of life. Parents and caregivers can aid this process by better understanding the role of play in learning and child development — and offering their kids ample opportunities for growth through play.