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This Vortex water playground in Florida was designed to entertain children 2-5 years of age. Childhood and water go together like peanut butter and jelly. From playing in a muddy puddle to splashing around in the tub, kids just can't seem to pass up an …

Soft Contained Play Equipment (SCPE) is no longer the baby of the playground family. The Standard for this equipment was published by the American Society of Testing and Materials in 1999. It is referred to as ASTM F 1918-99 Standard on "Safety …

"Let's Build it Together" That was the theme our community selected for the Bay Minette Park Project. Building a kid's park is no easy task, especially for a small community. Parents want equipment that is safe for their children to play on, yet appealing …

When constructing the U.S. Constitution, the Founding Fathers put an awful lot of thought into the first 10 amendments that would collectively become known as the Bill of Rights. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion topped the list, while the right …

Erica Wheeler is too young for what-if's. At age seven, she has already moved past the playground prank that could have ended her young life. Like most children, Erica lives in the here and now. The past is for mom and dad to worry about. Unlike their …

The Board of the National Program for Playground Safety has taken the position that playgrounds are an environment for the facilitation of physical, emotional, social and intellectual development. But, what do these terms really mean? Most people take for …

Jay Beckwith is aware of what's out there. Three decades as a designer with playground equipment companies such as BigToys , Iron Mountain Forge, PlayBoosters and Kompan were enough to make it clear that there was a need for an alternative. "People are …

Triax 2000 inventor Paul Hogan uses the surveyor’s height rod during a test of the device. It's been documented that nearly 70 percent of all playground injuries come as a result of falls. Rolf Huber has made it a goal to make sure that 100 percent of …

One of the objectives of playground safety audits is to recognize very serious hazards. Generally speaking a "Class ·1 Hazard" has been defined as one that could cause an injury which would result in death, brain damage, permanent paralysis, loss of …

Park and School planners are adjusting to developing and designing play areas that follow guidelines and rules. Of course, when the Consumer Product Safety Guidelines for Public Playgrounds were first developed, there was much mumbling and confusion about …

Students at the J. Erik Jonsson Community School in Dallas peer out a window as volunteer workers install a new playground on their behalf. It took hundreds of hands and half as many backs to provide the J. Erik Jonsson Community School in Dallas with a …

Although the big numbers are impressive-1 million bike helmets distributed, 500,000 car seats provided 100,000 smoke alarms given out- it's the little number that is most important. "To this date, we have 41 reported lives saved," proclaims Stephenie …

This bridge was made for walking, but today it's serving a higher purpose as a heat source. With North Carolina currently caught in a cold snap, 3-year-old Chloe Gurgel and 2-year-old Alexandria MacDonald have discovered that the black belt bridge at the …

Theme play is one of Soft Play's latest ventures in soft-contained play equipment.  It may sound like something a thrill-seeking snowboarder would brag about, but Soft Play, L.L.C. is quite proud of its "ability to go vertical." "For our customers, space …

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) has now specifically defined loose-fill materials for playground use (fall) zones as an "architectural barrier" to a playground, that relating to all products which have not …

Welcome to the world of playground safety where there are so many issues and varieties of interest that it cannot be covered in one article. Here, we will look at some basic ideas on how to get your playground up to speed with tips and suggestions, while …

The philosophy is simple. Take the thrill and exhilaration that children receive by running  through a sprinkler on a hot summer day and turn it into a full-fledged water playground- or 'sprayground'-where anything goes. It's the refreshing idea growing …

Money is often an issue for people looking to purchase playground equipment. Concerned adults in communities around America are working to make playgrounds safer for children. Many times, this means replacing old, outdated and unsafe equipment or …

Hadley Kramm gets a hand in cutting the ribbon at the grand opening of the second park. “Sometime in our childhood, we all sat and daydreamed about what it would be like to be somewhere exciting. To be someone exciting. To do something magical or go …

Confined to a wheelchair by cerebral palsy, Karly Woodall of Meridian, Idaho, is unable to enjoy most playgrounds because of a lack of accessibility. Peggy Greenwell of the U.S. Access Board in Washington, D.C., spearheaded the drive for the release of …

With all due respect to ESPN sports anchor Dan Patrick, “Nothing but the bottom of the net!” doesn’t get you very far in this game. Like its elder cousin basketball, the object of Bankshot is still to get the ball through the rim, but unlike in Dr James …