We Speak Playground

Social distancing – it’s like a never-ending rainy day, without the rain. We’re not stuck indoors due to anything our kids can see and the electricity still works; thank goodness! With many adults now unexpectedly working from home and schools closed, the simple answer for an activity is indulging in different forms of screen time on repeat. But we all know the easy way out isn’t always the best way.

Childhood obesity has become a growing problem in recent generations. With today's technology-driven landscape, many kids don't move as much as they should, which means they're not burning calories. As a result, their bodies accumulate more fat than generations before them did. According to the CDC, obesity affects about 13.7 million children and adolescents between the ages of two and 19, which is about 18.5% of that population. Children between the ages of 12 and 19 have the highest obesity rates, measuring at 20.6% of the population. 

If your playground is starting to show its age, consider adding a few modern pieces to breathe new life into the space. By simply changing the ground cover or installing new equipment, you can update your playground without performing a full overhaul. But first, you must dream up your perfect playground space. Use the following elements to guide your vision and get thinking about modernizing your playground. 

With the brisk breezes and changing leaves, fall is an exciting time of year. It's also the perfect opportunity to plan some fun activities with your kids before the weather turns cold for the winter. Below are some of the best activities to do with your kids during the fall. 

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. 

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.

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.