Playgrounds feel like weddings to me. They bring families together. They perpetuate joy. No one wants to leave at the end of the day. Parents get pulled into activities they haven’t done for years. Or they can let their kids run amuck and generally not worry about their welfare or whereabouts. Inevitably, someone ends up crying. They both cost an exorbitant amount of money. Weddings are everywhere; rural or urban, suburb or inner city, the woods or churches…
Traditions are similar for playgrounds and weddings too. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue……”
Something Old.
We can all remember where we were on the day that the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) declared grass as an “unsafe” play surface. Word about this ruling spread faster than a prescribed burn.
This begs the question, if grass isn’t a safe play surface, than what is?
The option that everyone seems to be interested in these day is: poured-in-place rubber. Low maintenance translates to limited staff time!
Have you noticed that high use areas of poured-in-place playground surfaces now come equipped with removable circles or squares? It doesn’t seem to last very long. Honestly, I’m not sold on their long-term safety for kids either. Used tires are known to consist of heavy metals and cause cancer.…. Rubber probably isn’t the safest choice either. Ever felt the heat of a rubber playground surface on a hot day? I wonder what fumes we are breathing in……
The more “experienced” professionals talk about pea gravel as their favorite playground surface. Not only does it provide fall protection, but it also helps with on-the-ground collisions…. ever tried to run on pea gravel? I wonder how grandma’s pearls (pea gravel) would fair by today’s standards or health concerns?
Natural playscapes make kids stand up and turn their heads like the bride’s entrance to the aisle. A well-placed set of logs summon every kid to play like a DJ summons kids to a dance floor.
Schoolyards everywhere have been adding “buddy benches” to their playgrounds. My highly technical scientific research with my overwhelmingly massive sample size of 2 tells me that it has been a great idea, but largely unused for its intended purpose…. so far.
Large hill or ramp accessible playground entryways are rising up everywhere. I applaud all accessibility efforts related to playgrounds. One question remains in my mind: Where is the main entry point to your playground? Accessibility does not just mean equal access. It means inclusion! The main entry point that every kid would want to first enter the playground should be the most attractive, visible, and used entry. For everyone! You’d never ask any of your guests to come in the backdoor at your wedding reception. From the moment a kid runs or rolls from the parking lot they should both have an equal shot at getting on the playground at the same time, at the same entry point.
Something Borrowed.
Borrowing shapes from cultural, regional or historical aspects of your community create connections for fundraising, sponsorship, and sense of place. When done well, they enhance children’s experience through imagination and whimsy. Sometimes, the playground pieces even become community symbols.
Something Blue.
Playgrounds can be sad places too. Parents on the outside. Parents on their phones. Parents inactive. This makes me blue. Play for all should mean thinking of ways to entice parents to play with their kids at the playground as well. Parent tot swings are a good start…
Sometimes playgrounds need to be located in high traffic locations and include new twists on the playground idea (like in Seattle or Maggie Daley Park in Chicago). If they look fun…. they are fun. And parents just might join in!
Moral of the story: don’t take my word for it. A Pinterest wedding or playground won’t be authentic or remembered in 40 years. Be creative. Better yet, ask the kids in your community what they think. They are far more creative and inclusive than we will ever be!
