We Speak Playground

Are today's children (and their millennial parents) starved for risk taking? The popularity of reality shows like Survivor and Wipeout would suggest this is true as would their penchant for video games like Minecraft and Fortnite. All offer vicarious risk-taking from the safety and comfort of their homes.

Many people don’t understand how important it is for children to play and learn how to play. They often see it as something inconsequential that children do to have fun or let off steam. The truth is though, is that play is very important for a child’s emotional, physical, psychological, and social development. It helps them not only learn how to function in the world but also how to understand and navigate it.

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, educators understood the value of taking their students outdoors for learning experiences.

Many faith-based organizations and worship centers are now making a substantial contribution to children’s lives and to their general development. It is pretty typical for these facilities to have childcare centers, pre-schools, and even kindergartens. Having a playground that is safe and fun just makes sense in today’s modern church. 

Community and commercial playgrounds are designed and built to last for years and years of enjoyment, but all playgrounds must be assessed annually for equipment that needs to be upgraded or replaced.

If you are the head of your local homeowners’ association or a developer designing a new neighborhood, including plans for a playground is a wise investment. Playgrounds and recreation spaces benefit your area by attracting quality tenants and homeowners, increasing property value, and enhancing the quality of life for families. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly arrived in March 2020 many kids across the U.S. went overnight from a normal childhood environment where technology had a limited role to a digital-first world with school districts shutting down and lockdowns preventing outside play.

While the lockdowns eased and some school districts got back to in-person learning, or hybrid approaches, in the fall of 2020, other areas of the country had kids learning online for a full year.

As an adult with responsibilities at work and at home, carving out time to play may seem like a luxury you can’t easily afford. But just as there are benefits for children playing outside with their peers, there’s also something to be said for parents spending time with their offspring at a local park or playground.

Read on for insight into why you will want to be playing with your child.

Young children are incredibly impressionable. Part of the reason they are so prone to fall in love with creative characters and over the top story lines—whether those are colorful puppets or clever puppy-dogs or princesses and pirates that are off to save the world.

Many Americans live, work, and play in areas prone to flooding with some estimates that 41 million people are exposed to flood risks on a yearly basis.

According to the Columbia Climate School, “In the past 20 years, flood-related disasters have cost the United States more than $845 billion in damages to homes, offices, and other infrastructure.”

Some of that infrastructure which can be flooded includes local parks and playgrounds.