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More than just a swing set, more than just a jungle gym, more than just a tree house. The companies listed below specialize in wooden playsets that are sure to challenge and excite children. Why wood? From small dramatic play structures to elaborate …

Who says adventure has to be dangerous? It’s not always a bad thing to be climbing the walls, and Rockcraft Design has elevated it to a different level and in a good way. If you have ever watched children when they reach the top of something they are …

Did you know that there are children out there without access to a community playground nearby? That may seem hard to believe, but it has been estimated that one-third of the children in the United States do not. This brings us to another question. Where …

Playground Safety came to public attention in the 1970’s. By 1981 the Consumer Product Safety Commission had developed playground safety guidelines. In the nineties, the American Standard for Testing Materials, ASTM, also became a part of playground …

You know that guy at the grocery checkout who turns “paper or plastic?” into “To be or not to be?” There is nothing more frustrating than being in line behind someone who can’t make a simple and quick decision. However, it’s not smart to rush all …

Terms like “research and development” may carry a lot of weight in most industrial circles, but in truth, it is the simplest germinal ideas that spawn great innovation. In the case of Landscape Structures, Steve King’s notion of “continuous play” sprouted …

This spring, the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) released its 2004 Safety Report Card for childcare, school and park playgrounds. This report card is based on data collected from over 3,000 playgrounds during on-site visits during 2003. The …

The wood materials segment of the play equipment market has had its share of hard knocks in recent decades. Some of it stems from discoveries inferring health hazards due to certain preservative applications. More of it, one could argue, has come from a …

Just where are we going with today’s playground safety? Throughout the playground industry, the issue of safe playgrounds has always been a priority topic and naturally so. Having fun in a safe environment is the whole reason for playgrounds, is it not? …

It’s kind of like having fireworks on the fourth of July. No, you don’t have to put the two together, but it just seems right. Peanut butter and jelly, circus and clowns, Michael Jackson and trouble, some things just seem to go together.    Another …

Many alternatives to using CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) as a wood preservative already exist. CA-B (Copper Azole Boron) and ACQ (Ammoniacal Copper Quat) are being used as wood preservatives by lumber companies and currently are the leading candidates …

As children, the winter weather provided a frosty world of endless possibilities for the kids in my neighborhood. We would construct forts, sled over freshly built ice ramps, skate on a frozen patch of water in the backyard and pretend we were Eskimos …

Not too many kids these days get the old-fashioned upbringing our grandparents did–growing up on farms or in small towns with plenty of fields, creeks, and orchards to play in. We live in the technological age when more and more children are being raised …

Even though I wasn’t the safest kid growing up, my parents still loved me. When my friend launched me off his trampoline when I was seven and I broke my arm, they took me to the hospital to get my first cast. However, they did not sue. When Tony Caliendo, …

“It is not enough just to give our children a playground. We must provide them and their parents a secure, clean location with safe modern play structures,” said Deputy Director John Cottell, Jr. of the Public Facilities Division, City of Bridgeport, …

If you know anything about Texas, you probably know that it’s hot—really HOT—for much of the year and that means kids want to be able to cool off when they’re playing outside. The Stone Gate housing community, one of five housing developments built by the …

In 2001, playgrounds throughout Florida were closed amid fears of children being exposed to arsenic from wooden playsets constructed of CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate, an arsenic-based wood preservative) treated wood as well as from the contaminated soil …

“A nationwide partnership formed to contribute to the advancement of the playground building industry by promoting playground installation as a legitimate contracting profession.” –Purpose of the NPCA …

I had the best childhood ever. Reared in a small town in Montana (population about 3,000), it was the type of community where you knew pretty much everyone. If you didn’t, you knew someone related to them. The best part of all was the fact that we weren’t …

No matter where you travel throughout the world, you’re bound to find some type of playground equipment. Parks and school playgrounds, as well as many backyards in family-friendly communities, have some form of children’s play equipment. But what actually …

A hot afternoon thundershower or a sudden unanticipated heavy Atlantic Ocean fog can empty the normally crowded sands at Hampton Beach, N.H. in a heartbeat. When this happens, use of the famed summer resort’s unique playground increases dramatically.  …