We Speak Playground

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.

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.

In the words of Charlie Chaplin, "A day without laughter is a day wasted." Fortunately for children and the adults who take care of them, laughter is one of the primary sounds heard on a well-designed playground. Thanks to the help of Computer-Aided Design (CAD), playgrounds can now be more readily designed to meet the specific needs of schools, parks and recreation areas. 

Play has always been an innate part of the childhood experience. Long before there were playgrounds of any kind, children were creating their own using little more than their imaginations. Play is important for the cultivation of motor skills as well as physical strength and stamina. Children also learn social skills from playing together in groups. Country children had it best in this respect — a crooked stick became a lightning-fast steed, while a small stream became a vast and mysterious ocean. Play occurs in all cultures and is an essential part of healthy childhood development, even though playgrounds themselves are a relatively recent addition. The first public playground was built in San Francisco in the year 1887, and playgrounds as we know them gradually came into existence as cities grew larger and outdoor play in the streets and in vacant lots became increasingly dangerous. However, it took over a century for the idea of inclusive playgrounds to even begin to make a dent in America's cultural landscape. 

All children need and deserve safe and fun playgrounds. There are abundant options for playground designs that don't just meet ADA requirements, but that also create a very special environment for inclusive play and interaction between children of all abilities. Playgrounds should offer opportunities for a thrilling experience to all children. May Recreation designs inclusive playgrounds and components that provide access and exciting interaction for all children.

If you ever read our blogs, you know that we are BIG on the importance and impact of playground interaction/play on children’s development.

People with typical kids usually don’t think twice about this. After all, their kids get recess every day at school. They go to the park and play on the playground on the weekends. They get plenty of playground interaction, right?

“Inclusive” is a buzz word in the news right now. We hear the term “inclusive” in relation to gender, race, education and religion. But what about inclusion on the playground? This is a subject that needs to be in the public eye more.

We have a pretty cool new project coming up that we want to share with you guys because we're just THAT excited about it! We will be working on a highly inclusive playground for Greenthread Park, located in the Cross Creek Ranch community in Fulshear, TX.

May Recreation believes in the benefits of inclusive play – but not everyone sees or understands the true advantages that back our beliefs in an inclusive play system. There are so very many reasons why inclusive play is beneficial, you’d be here all day if we tried to talk about them all! So, for the sake of time, here are the basics. 

Everybody can play outdoor musical instruments regardless of their skill level or age, which makes them a great addition to any playground being designed with inclusion in mind. Parents, Educators, Church Elders and others can participate together with children of all abilities in creation of their own individual musical sounds and rhythms.