Playground Guide - 2017 - 31

don't want to go to the gym to work out; however, wise choices
by playground equipment and play space designers can present play opportunities that offer most or even all of these key
health benefits in the same play space.
More, Not Less Free Play Time
The benefits of frequent and extended physical activity are not
limited to the physical body. While a recent trend has been to
reduce recess free play time to focus children more intensely
on their studies, an increasing number of people and groups
are speaking out about the benefits of the opposite course of
action. Frequent short periods of active play can contribute to
better learning. Active play, such as running around while
pushing friends on a rotating climber or pumping legs to get
the swing to go high, will literally " get the blood pumping. "
This increased blood flow brings refreshment to the entire
body, most importantly by delivering an increased amount of
well-oxygenated blood. The fresh flow of oxygenated blood in
the brain increases cognitive abilities and generally contributes
to a better learning experience. This " body refreshment " also
tends to remove doldrums and physical attributes of stress,
improving emotional stability and making students more receptive to lessons.
Play can also be more than " just play, " when the playground
equipment has been designed to offer passive learning opportunities and give children more to gain from their play experience.
While traditional play structures were often designed with a
linear flow-through plan that encourages users to simply climb
up, go down and repeat, many wonderful creations are being
designed using nets and flexible materials. These flexible materials are chosen partly because of the many lessons they contain. Inherent in their nature are scientific principles such as
cause and effect, perpetual motion, equal and opposite reaction, as well as angles and momentum.
The responsibility we hold as adults is to encourage the development of our children, build their foundation of confidence and offer insight to guide them throughout their lives.
A good way to help children down this path is to allow them
to think and make decisions, give them goals to achieve, let
them fail and let them work to overcome their limitations. By
presenting children with a plethora of play paths and the freedom to decide which they will follow, we let them choose their
own way. Giving them practice in thoughtful consideration
and decision-making by offering play equipment designed with
many ways to use it helps them get ready to be leaders and
trendsetters later in life. By giving them targets and goals that
require effort to reach, such as climbing higher and higher in
a tower net, we help to build their confidence to reach higher
and farther as they continue to mature.

Matrix Nets: A Newer Form of Play Design
The first playgrounds were little more than sandboxes. For
many years, play spaces featured simple devices such as seesaws,
carousels and tall swings. Most people remember playing on
modular structures of stairs, decks and slides. One newer form
of play design, matrix nets, offer a much better play experience
for children by creating a constantly moving platform for play
that has unlimited play choices and constant sensory feedback,
which inherently encourages children to be more active. While
pyramid-shaped or exterior-frame net climbers have become
more common in the last two or three decades, even newer designs are now being seen: incredible amalgamations that might
include aspects of those matrix products, as well as free-form,
multiplane net climbers that can also incorporate swinging,
swaying, spinning and more into adventures and really remove
any form of linear, one-path play.

The best playgrounds will be very
enticing to children, attracting them to go
and explore everything there.
Another benefit of these newer creations is the ability for
each play structure to allow users of all abilities to participate in the same play experience. While providing equipment
targeted to those users with disabilities is a laudable step forward, the common practice is to provide specialty equipment
targeted to disabilities; however, an even better resolution is
for equipment that accommodates everyone at the same time
and offers benefits for any user, according to their own desires
and abilities.
The best playgrounds will be very enticing to children, attracting them to go and explore everything there. They will
offer a variety of sensations and puzzles that keep children
intrigued for long periods of time, and they will offer such an
amazing experience that children are drawn to return again,
making their own decision to leave behind computers or technology to just go out and play. Offering these unique and cutting-edge playgrounds made from modern materials and play
equipment designs can allow play space designers and buyers
to make an immense contribution to how our children grow,
learn and develop, giving them a better foundation for their
future. The experts agree - education is very important, but
better play also matters.
Robert Lockhart, CCPI, CPSI, is the International Sales Director and
Compliance Oﬃcer for Dynamo Playgrounds and a member of NRPA's Play
Area Advisory Panel (rob@dynamoindustries.com).

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Parks & Recreation

Playground Guide - 2017

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