Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
Home
  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
  • Build a Sandbox
  • The Play Value Of Sand
  • With Community Helpers the Play Lady Receives the Fred Rodgers Helpers Award
  • Keeping the Fun in Fundraising
  • See Accessibility Through the Eyes of a Child
  • Outdoor Play for Children with Intellectual Disabilities on Playgrounds

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Playground
  3. How Playgrounds Foster the 5 Types of Play

How Playgrounds Foster the 5 Types of Play

Playground
February 17, 2014
Profile picture for user PGP
By PGP on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
2249
How Playgrounds Foster the 5 Types of Play

How Playgrounds Foster the 5 Types of Play

Elevated Play Components
Ground-level Play Components

Different play structures on the playground engage children in different ways, whether it engages their imagination or their intellect. Well-arranged play environments should enhance children’s development by integrating learning and play in a way that’s fun but also boosts development. Here is a rundown of a few types of play and play structures and how they contribute to different experiences for children.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) categorizes play into five different types: creative play, games with rules, language, physical play and pretend play. For the most part, physical play structures, like playground equipment, contribute to children’s physical development by providing places to jump, climb, run and move around in general. Strength in gross motor development, as a result, improves in children who regularly partake in physical play.

Outdoor play structures can also include activities that allow children to engage the other types of play, such as games with rules, pretend play and creative play. Creative play is characterized by activities that let children express their feelings, ideas and thoughts by using their imaginations. Playing pretend on various play structures often features make-believe, role-playing, drama and fantasy games.

Elevated Play Components

Elevated Play Components

Elevated play components are equipment that can be approached or exited from above or below grade. For example, a climber that a child could ascend or descend is considered an elevated play component. These play structures, as you may guess, build balance and strength: two abilities that children use during play on these particular types of playground equipment. Other elevated play components, such as slides, use gravity to produce a sense of rapid descent.

Many elevated play items can be roped into fantasy and creative play as well. If an entire play structure is imagined to be a castle, pirate ship, spaceship or something similar, children are bringing in elements of drama, make-believe, role-playing and ultimately pretend play. This sort of play develops imaginations and steers young minds to think in creative, abstract ways.

Ground-level Play Components

Ground-level Play ComponentsGround-level components are, as the name suggests, items that can be approached and exited at ground level. Swings, spring riders and panels are all different types of ground-level play components, all contributing to different learning experiences. Rocking back and forth on spring riders and swings develops balance and strength; same goes for the items children climb and crawl around on.

What’s more, many panels that are part of play structures feature games, like tic-tac-toe, many with a rigid set of rules. Sports-themed equipment, such as tetherball sets, fall in to this category. Games with rules help children develop language skills as they explain, question and negotiate the rules. Even pretending comes in to play in this setting, as children may imagine what can and can’t be done as part of the rules.

Panels that have music or word components also develop language skills. Some panels may have musical instruments like chimes or drums, with which children can explore patterns, sounds and nonsense words.

Common Elements

Both elevated play components and ground-level play components can accommodate varying numbers of individuals, so it is inevitable that, at some point, collaborative play and socializing take place. Anytime children play alongside each other and communication takes place, they develop skills such as language and cooperation, among others.

Different types of play structures can affect many aspects of the playing experience and can shape the way children learn. From the most obvious area, physical growth, to creativity, make-believe and language skills, play structures foster the atmosphere and situations to make play both fun and vital to childhood development.

About the author:

David Reeves is Marketing Manager of Playland Inc., a total solutions manufacturer and supplier to many industries, with its roots deep in the park and playground markets including churches, schools, and day care centers.

Profile picture for user PGP
PGP
Published 9 years ago
Last updated 9 months ago
2249
2
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

More About

Aug 01, 2005
Playground

Why Spend the Extra Dollars?

Playground Magazine
Tumbling Bay Playground, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - overview
Nov 11, 2013
Playground

Tumbling Bay Playground, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

PGP
Dec 01, 2005
Playground

Your First Playground

Playground Magazine
My Playground Story
Sep 01, 2011
Playground

My Playground Story

Sandra Libby
The World is a Kiwanis Playground
Sep 01, 2007
Playground

The World is a Kiwanis Playground

Kasey Jackson
What makes a great playground survey
Aug 18, 2014
Playground

What makes a great playground? It's all about what you can do

Anne-Marie-Spencer
Jul 01, 2001
Playground

IPEMA Sets the Standard for Playground Equipment

Playground Magazine
Giant rope climber
Sep 14, 2018
Playground

Exploring the Latest Trends for Outdoor Play Structures

Kacey Mya
Jan 01, 2002
Playground

Great Rewards

Playground Magazine
Mar 27, 2014
Playground

How Design Relates to Play

Jay-Beckwith
Adult Swings
Apr 12, 2016
Playground

Playgrounds for the Grown

Bernie Dekoven
Aug 01, 2005
Playground

The Games They Play

Playground Magazine

Playground Professionals

KaBoom!
KaBoom!
Organization
More
PlaySafe, LLC
PlaySafe, LLC
Services
More
Ben Shaffer Recreation, Inc.
Ben Shaffer Recreation, Inc.
Sales Rep
More
Lee Recreation, LLC
Lee Recreation, LLC
Services
More
Playground Inspections of NE, LLC
Playground Inspections of NE, LLC
Services
More
Miracle Playsystems
Miracle Playsystems
Services
More
Great Lakes Recreation Company
Great Lakes Recreation Company
Services
More
DunRite Playgrounds
DunRite Playgrounds
Services
More
Playground Safety Services, Inc.
Playground Safety Services, Inc.
Services
More
Planet Recess
Planet Recess
Sales Rep
More
Safety Play, Inc.
Safety Play, Inc.
Services
More
Everlast Climbing Industries
Everlast Climbing Industries
Manufacturer
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