We Speak Playground

Playgrounds should help children understand the world around them and master skills they need to succeed in life. Many playgrounds only focus on physical play, but they should also create opportunities for other types of play.

When designing a playground, it’s important to think about how it will allow children to use their minds and bodies to interact with others and the environment.

It is understood that exercise goes hand-in-hand with a healthy lifestyle overall. Therefore, one way to get more out of your park investment is to incorporate fitness equipment either designed for adults, kids, or both to use when visiting.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) states that for overall health or to maintain healthy levels, adults should do between 150 and 300 minutes of physical activity (moderate) weekly along with between 75 and 150 minutes of physical activity (aerobic) in the same time span.

Playgrounds are very popular because they help to enhance child development. Playgrounds as a whole help to encourage children to socialize, exercise, increase their coordination, and use imaginative play.

Designing a playground structure can be overwhelming. There are so many types of equipment out there, that you may find yourself wondering what you need on your playground and why.

Making a school playground inclusive is an all-in intentional effort. It’s more than building a ramp. While providing universal access is a major part, it's only a head start. The structures and equipment within the area need to encourage and challenge every child no matter what his or her abilities.

As adults going through a typical day, we often take our senses for granted. But remember back to when you were a child, and you never knew what wondrous sight, smell, or sound was awaiting you. You formed your opinions of foods by how they tasted, or in some cases how they smelled or felt.

Inclusive playgrounds have started popping up all over the nation, and for good reason. Their innovative designs elevate the community space by providing every kid with a safe and inviting place to play.

Once upon a time the school day, like a sentence, was punctuated by class periods. Children's thinking was confined to one area at a time. Learning was compartmentalized. One class period ended, and they put their math books away and opened their readers, and so the day went, with science textbooks following, readers, math workbooks, and perhaps a trip to the gym, And so it went until the dismissal bell put an end to their day of disjointed learning.

If you are responsible for purchasing equipment for a school playground or city park, you may be researching different types of park equipment. One of the types of equipment that is gaining in popularity is obstacle courses for kids.

In addition to typical play equipment, such as climbing structures, slides and swings;  playgrounds and parks are opting for obstacle courses. These courses may include things such as climbing towers, breakaway footwork equipment, sprawl walls and crossway climbers. The reason these items are gaining in popularity is because there are numerous benefits to kids who play on this type of equipment. Here are some of those benefits. 

Never underestimate the power of a kid’s imagination. The more we do to help children develop their creativity and to explore the world of make-believe, the easier it is for them to socialize with one another, learn to cooperate and have plenty of fun in the process.