Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
Home
  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
  • The Evolution of Playground Surfacing
  • Playground Supervision: How Much Is Too Much?
  • Girard Street Park Playground Goes Year Round
  • Designing A Great Skatepark
  • Is The Use of PVC in Playground Equipment Safe?

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Play
  3. Education
  4. More than just a playground

More than just a playground

Education
July 01, 2006
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
By Playground Magazine on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
494

It's a center of learning

In the Fall of 2000, the City of Tempe, Ariz., held an invitational competition to design a children's playground for Tempe Beach Park—the premier park in the city located on the south bank of the Rio Salado Project, which is a nationally recognized flood control / recreational development just north of the downtown area. The MOORE / SWICK partnership, a local landscape architecture and planning firm, was unanimously chosen to design the project by three separate selection committees, one assembled specifically for this project, one comprised of representatives of the various City departments with a vested interest in the project and one made up of members of the community at large.

The Tempe Beach Park Water Playground was designed to be a unique play environment that would complement the philosophy of the Rio Salado Project, add to the existing amenities in Tempe Beach Park and provide a creative, educational and enjoyable play experience for the children of Tempe.

The concept behind the design was to make children more aware of the presence and importance of water in Arizona by tracing the course of a raindrop as it fell on the state.

The playground begins on top of an existing berm, used to represent the mountains of Arizona’s high country. A fully accessible concrete path winds its way to the top, through boulders and trees. At the summit, a hard surface seating area is located below an overhead fabric and stainless steel shade canopy designed to resemble thunderclouds. In this canopy, a strobe light flashes periodically to simulate lightning, all-weather speakers pipe in the sound of rolling thunder, and a stainless steel “rain ring” intermittently provides dripping water, simulating a light rain. It's a real thrill to see the look on the kids faces when they hear the crack of the thunder and set off running to be drenched by the falling rain.

This water is captured in a small basin in the plaza below and is channeled to cascade over two small artificial rock waterfalls (one for older children and one for younger children) to splash in. Some of the water flows down an off-the-shelf playground slide through a misty, fluted stone canyon on its way out of the high country.

Once it reaches the “valley” below, the water is split to flow in two separate directions.

The first direction illustrates the course that water follows on its natural course out to the ocean. Here, shallow water flows over a textured concrete and acrylic deck surfaced “stream” under the canopy of overhead shade trees. Children enjoy themselves either sitting in the flowing water or floating boats, leaves or sticks in the current. An off-the-shelf playground bridge crosses the stream and provides muscle-developing activity and an overlook down the stream. On the banks along the stream are riparian plants such as Chuparosa and desert grasses, used to demonstrate that particular type of natural landscape environment. Hidden in low streamside landscaping are small ornamental frogs and turtles that squirt the children with a cooling spray of water. These small critters are a favorite with the younger children who enjoy the quiet of the stream and low flow emitted by the animals. The stream terminates at a small tot-turf surfaced area representing the ”ocean.” Here, children can splash in the spray of grade level ground sprays, or play on off-the-shelf whale spring toys.

The second direction illustrates the course that water follows as it is used by humans. The first major feature the water encounters is a small concrete “dam.”

On the upstream side is a small tot-turf surfaced “lake” on which several boats are implied with a complimentary colored Tot-Turf. These boats are retrofitted with off-the-shelf water cannons so that kids can squirt each other to keep cool. This high-energy feature is a real hit with the older children. The dam itself is made of concrete and constructed to a height where it can be used as a fully interactive water play table for children of all abilities. On one face of the dam is a bas-relief illustrating various plants and animals found along Arizona waterways.

Peeling off from either side of the dam are a series of shallow water channels representing the “canals” that crisscross the Phoenix metropolitan area. These are fitted with pumps, gates, and scuppers for more interactive water play.

On the downstream side of the dam is the “dry riverbed.” Here, children can partake in traditional sand play, use an off-the-shelf playground bridge for muscle developing activity, or work with “diggers” (these playground elements were designed to resemble and work like small-scale backhoes).

The concrete on either side of the sand play area is scored and colored brown and green to resemble “agricultural fields,” which are planted with grids of overhead shade trees representing agricultural “groves.”

In the evening, the playground is lit by several area lights designed to resemble rainbows—the traditional symbol of the calm at the end of the storm.

Although it's located in a desert, the project is very water conscious and uses state-of-the-art technology to assure that neither water or electricity is wasted. First, the system is 100 percent re-circulating. It is also electronically programmed, with each of the features sequenced to turn on and off for a pre-determined length of time. Throughout the playground several "activation bollards" have been located, which allow children to interrupt the sequence with the touch of a hand, making it fully interactive.

The mechanical system was designed as a stan­d-alone system. It uses two separate pumps the first is a 60 g.p.m. to 200 g.p.m. variable-frequency pump that kicks in when the system is turned on. It runs some of the lower-flow elements such as the animals along the stream and the ground sprays. When one or more of the higher-flow elements such as the waterfall or water cannons are engaged, boosting the flow requirements over 200 g.p.m. (and up to 450 g.p.m.), the second fixed-frequency pump takes over and continues to pump until the flow requirement drops off to below 200 g.p.m., or the park is turned off.

Water quality is maintained through the use of a bromine ozone injection system which can be remotely monitored (as can all the pumps, valves, and sequencers) by City employees. It even has the added capability to call in, should some part of the system fall outside of the predetermined operation parameters.

The project is the first of its kind in the State of Arizona. It was completed in May of 2002 and has proven to be a tremendous success with the children of Tempe, as well as those of other metropolitan area communities who come from far and wide to enjoy a day cooling off at the Tempe Beach Park Splash Playground.

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
Playground Magazine
Published 16 years ago
Last updated 3 months ago
494
4
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

More About Education

Sand castle on beach
Jan 28, 2020
Education

Which Activities are Best to do During School Break?

Jjennifer Billington
Brain Boosters
Nov 29, 2018
Education

Beneficial Brain Boosters: Tips To Improve Your Brain Function

John Button
Teacher Appreciation
Apr 20, 2020
Education

4 Unique Ways to Give Thanks to Teachers Right Now

Kacey Mya
Kids learning via video game.
Apr 16, 2019
Education

Using Entertainment in Education

Martha Jameson
How To Help Your Kids Overcome Stress During The Exam Period
Nov 11, 2021
Education

How To Help Your Kids Overcome Stress During The Exam Period

Inna Atwood
Why Recess is Important
Sep 01, 2002
Education

Why Recess is Important for a Child's Education

Deanna Ryan
Books in a library
Apr 20, 2020
Education

Helping Your Child Learn How to Read

John Caviness
7 Strategies to Motivate Your Child to Learn
Jun 29, 2020
Education

7 Strategies to Motivate Your Child to Learn

James Adams
How To Throw an Exciting Back-To-School Party
Aug 24, 2021
Education

How To Throw an Exciting Back-To-School Party

PGP
Physical Literacy, the Linchpin to Classroom Success
Sep 14, 2021
Education

Physical Literacy, the Linchpin to Classroom Success

Preston Blackburn
A clarinet is a good hobby for a child
Mar 15, 2019
Education

How You Can Find the Best Hobbies for Your Children

Tilda Moore
St. Louis Zoo Includes Children's Interactive "Zooground"
Jul 01, 2002
Education

Lions and Tigers and Bears... and More!

Playground Magazine

Education Professionals

US Play Coalition
US Play Coalition
Organization
More
Guildcraft Arts & Crafts
Guildcraft Arts & Crafts
Sales Rep
More
Shape America
Shape America
Organization
More
KidKiddos Books
KidKiddos Books
Organization
More
Lakeshore Learning Materials
Lakeshore Learning Materials
Manufacturer
More
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Organization
More
Playworks
Playworks
Organization
More
Tout About Toys
Tout About Toys
Manufacturer
More
Natural Learning Initiative
Natural Learning Initiative
Organization
More
New England Symposium On Play
New England Symposium On Play
Organization
More
Peaceful Playgrounds Foundation
Peaceful Playgrounds Foundation
Organization
More
Association for Childhood Education International
Association for Childhood Education International
Organization
More
Home

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Playground Magazine
  • Contributors
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2023 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions