What makes a good play park?

Our favorite playgrounds are immersed in nature in a way that makes the playground equipment and extension of nature and not a distraction from it. Whether it is nestled among the trees or has a natural mulch ground covering, having some element of nature gives a playground a more calming effect. I also find that great playgrounds skip the brightly colored equipment and opt for more natural browns and grays instead. A great playground doesn’t have to be huge, but there should be room to explore freely, both physically and figuratively. A patch of grass, a slide tucked behind a hill or a few randomly placed logs all invite children to use their body and imagination in ways not obviously prescribed by adults. Wide open space calls for a game of tag, cartwheels or leapfrog. Good playgrounds might have a climbing structure with a variety of ways to get down including stairs, a rope ladder, a slide or a sliding pole. Children are amazing self-regulators and most children 3 and up will be able to determine their own skill level and which route suits them best. There have been numerous studies documenting the need for risky play.

Play experts recommend play environments which can answer to the needs of the community and individual users. They advocate the need to address the changing lives of children, families and the relationships with their environment in order to present more appropriate and fun play places. Research shows the play areas that are most satisfying reproduce the type of play previously experienced in the woods, streets and vacant lots, rather focusing solely on equipment. These play areas, commonly called adventure playgrounds, depend on "loose parts," such as water, sand, balls, and other manipulable materials. Research reveals that successful play areas offer the opportunity for interaction between age groups by offering something for everyone. Such places link play for different ages with social activities like eating and drinking. Providing leisure activities and social opportunities for adults also means that parents will stay longer, giving children more play time. For example, Isadora's Restaurant at Granville Island, a park in Vancouver, BC, is situated so that a water park, picnic area, grassy fields and play structures are in easy view of the restaurant's patio cafe. Parents can socialize over coffee while watching their children in a variety of play environments. Also, the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park is a place where all ages can climb or pose for pictures. A concession stand with tables and chairs nearby provides a place to get a snack and a chance to sit, eat, watch and socialize.

A Great Climbing Structure is key, children love this kind of thing and will flock to it. This should be the central feature of your play area, it should also be planned by a professional, and installed by a professional play ground installation company. The structure should have lots of bits to climb up, run through and hang on, hide in, and of course, it should have slides. No play area is complete without a slide. Children love natural elements when it comes to outdoor play areas, it connects them with nature and makes playing outside feel magical. Wooden climbing structures and constructions can contribute to the natural elements, as well as a natural playground surface like play chip or bark, and surrounding shrubbery and trees. Kids love to walk along things and balance, parents may find it a little nerve-racking at times, but it’s great for kids’ development, both physically and mentally. A safe playground surface is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of an amazing playground, for a surface to be truly safe it should absorb impacts from falls and be free from toxins and chemicals. A natural and sustainable sourced playground woodchip is one of, if not the best, option for a playground surface as it ticks both of these boxes. An obstacle course for children to work their way along, from start to finish, is a great thing to incorporate in a children’s playground. Mazes, whether they are on the ground for children to walk along, or through, or whether they consist of a ball bearing in a spinning wall maze, kids love mazes, completing a maze will give a great sense of achievement, and mazes are great for a child’s development, including problem solving and growing confidence.