Playground Guide - 2017 - 30

Creating a Better Playground
Experience for Children
By Rob Lockhart, CCPI, CPSI

oday's parents and caregivers are paying more attention
to the choices of activities for their children - not just
in structured activities but, increasingly, in free play.
Parents recognize the need to choose wisely and offer their
children the best experience possible. This means that landscape architects, play space designers and decisionmakers are
required to more carefully evaluate their choices for commercial playground equipment when preparing new playgrounds
and schoolyards.
The motives for good activity choices in free play are many,
starting with the need for children to be physically active to
build fit and strong bodies. These incentives extend to the
benefits of active play in promoting better academic success,
continue in the indirect learning opportunities and include the
enhancement of essential life skills, such as decision-making
and self-confidence.
Physically, children's daily activities are becoming more sedentary. An ever-growing volume of studies show alarming
trends in children's wellness, and childhood obesity is on the
rise, along with a variety of illnesses that appear to be attributed to poor overall health. Experts seem to agree that the one
key to solving these health issues is for children to participate
in at least one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
each day.
Some proponents advocate for organized sports or for increased physical education programs in school. While these
are activities that can contribute to the total amount of physical
activity a child achieves in a given week, they cannot completely solve the problem. Many children lack interest in or aptitude for organized sports and even more will avoid any activity
if they are told they must do it. The right kind of free play
can present an environment that entices children to make their
own choice to participate in activities that are inherently filled
with beneficial physical activity. If children are just having fun,
not following directions, they are more likely to be active for
longer durations and for repeated periods.
The goals when designing play equipment or play spaces to
generate this type of play activity should be to include elements
that contribute to the development of coordination, flexibility,
dexterity, balance, upper- and lower-body strength, core body
strength and cardiovascular health. Unfortunately, children

Parks & Recreation

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Playground Guide - 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Playground Guide - 2017