Search Playground Professional's Archives

In the late 1990s, I met a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) candidate by the name of Dwight Curtis. This young man was very interested in conducting his Ph.D. research on the parks side of our profession. He said he had an interest in the area …

Ball playing sports facilities, including community fields, courts and courses, receive the greatest funding, attention, promotional support and real estate in our communities. Stevie age 12 uses a wheelchair and his 10 year old brother Andy does not and …

On January 25th, 2016, the Playground Ideas community reached its 1,000th playground. What started with a small band of volunteers building playgrounds along the Thai/Burma border in 2007 has grown into a global network of play advocates. The Playground …

Making the connection between playgrounds and theater is nothing short of brilliant, and nothing even shorter of obvious. Playgrounds, after all, are theater. Just ask the little actors running around shouting, "Watch me!" to their parents. By making the …

Often, when playground safety is brought up in a discussion, the focus centers on the playground equipment and surfacing. The equipment and surfacing are extremely important elements of a playground and there are standards, laws, and guidelines that can …

Ask anyone who’s tried it. Bringing natural elements to playgrounds is as they say … “muy dificil”. Let’s take a look at the obstacles systematically and then try to tease out design, programs and policies that will make “natural” play spaces more readily …

A very common and innocent exclamation used by millions of children every day across the world. To be welcomed and included in a play episode.  It signaled the beginning of a great adventure – where that adventure led was up to the imaginations of you and …

 As the movement for more green space continues to build momentum across the country, parks directors, planners, and designers are looking to streamline their park development projects. Leading the way to ease this process is typically the most overlooked …

Fitness trends seem to pop up faster than toast, every day it seems we get bombarded with messages about the latest ‘get fit now’ ideas. The question is, which ones are here to stay, and which are simply fads? To answer that, it’s important to look at the …

"I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning." ~Plato What is a Music Park and why do they rock? Musical parks and playgrounds are a new trend in …

On the way home from a long day at the office, you are driving past the local park like usual, but now a shiny new playground catches your eye. You quickly look in the rearview mirror and glance at your 5 and 2-year-olds to see if they have also spotted …

Jay Beckwith- Although I was an art major in college, I was also able to take a number of classes in psychology and early childhood education. This influenced my decision to go on to Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, one of the premier centers for early …

Mara Kaplan- Building a community inclusive playground takes a lot of people, knowledge and funds. The idea often starts with a group of dedicated volunteers and their first step is research. They want to know what is already out there, how to raise …

Jay Beckwith- Over the past five decades I have dedicated myself to creating play opportunities for children. Over the past dozen years I have become more involved in economics and particularly the housing crisis that resulted from the manipulations of …

Despite overwhelming evidence that periods of unstructured play and social interaction are a crucial part of children’s cognitive, academic, physical and mental wellness, schools continue to take away recess privileges as a penalty for academic or …

Things are constantly changing around us. I remember growing up as a kid being outside most of the time because WE HAD to be outside to find fun things to do. We would make up random games that involved jumping, running, and throwing things, and this was …

When someone says “adventure playground” I, and I suspect most people, have a vision somewhat like the one above and envision a playspace comprised mostly of junk and reclaimed lumber cobbled together into semi-permanent structures. The concept was first …

In 2011, several mothers of children with special needs recognized the need for an inclusive playground in their community, where children of all abilities could play, exercise and have fun together. Over the next two years, they raised $350,000 with help …

2016—It Could be a Great Year for Play The year is only 2 weeks old and I can already tell that it is going to be a great year for play.   The New Jersey State House and Senate voted at the end of the year to make recess mandatory.  The bill is now …