Ready! Set! Play!
The Playground of Your Childhood Doesn't Cut It Anymore

By Amy Campbell and RaeAnn Slaybaugh

Remember spending hours reaching for the sky atop a swing at your favorite playground? Or enjoying the rush of skimming down a slide at what seemed like lighting speed only to safely land in a soft pile of sand? Maybe the monkey bars were your domain. Up there, you could see the entire playground.

Playground memories hold a special place in everyone's heart, and today's children are no different. Sure, they have video games, skateboards and computers, but kids still want to feel the exhilaration of reaching for the sky or making that arduous climb to the top of the monkey bars.

Today's youth are, however, more sophisticated. Creating a stimulating playground has become a challenge in itself. Competing with technology isn't easy. Add to the mix the rising concerns about sun exposure, and an increase in the number of handicapped students who now are a part of the main student population.

Churches need innovative playgrounds that are accessible and safe, while engaging the body and the mind.

Safety First

Whether you're building a new playground or revamping an old one, the first priority should be safety. About 200,000 children are injured on playgrounds every year, reports the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS), a nonprofit agency that serves as a clearinghouse for playground safety information. It's not scraped knees or bruised elbows, either. These injuries typically require a trip to the nearest emergency room. "We're talking about broken bones, internal injuries and head injuries," says Dr. Susan Hudson, the agency's educational director.

About 17 children die every year from playground injuries. The NPPS hopes to reduce those numbers through education and awareness. Established by the University of Northern Iowa under a 1995 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Injury Prevention in Atlanta, the organization sponsors an annual National Playground Safety Week (slated this year for April 22-26); conducts ongoing research in the area of injury prevention; and produces educational videos. The organization also has keyed in on four areas to help reduce the number of playground-related accidents: supervision, age-appropriate design, sur- facing and equipment.

One of the biggest mistakes school officials make is not having enough supervision on the playground at all times. "About 40 percent of playground injuries can be contributed to the lack of adult supervision," Hudson points out. "Equipment will not supervise the children. Adults need to be out there and need to be actively monitoring the children on the playground."

Adults also need to ensure children are using the equipment correctly. They should be on the lookout for children who are attempting things they are not physically ready to do, such as going down a high slide. One way to reduce this risk is by choosing age-appropriate equipment. What is entertaining and challenging for a 10-year-old may not be appropriate for a 5-year-old. Hudson suggests separate playgrounds for students in kindergarten through second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth and sixth grade. Seventh- and eighth-graders typically don't need playgrounds. Benches, basketball courts and other places to "hang out" are ideal.

Equipment also should undergo daily inspections and regular maintenance. "If you bought a new car for $25,000, you'd be foolish to not take it in for a 3,000-mile oil change or get the tires rotated," Hudson says. "The same thing happens with playground equipment. There's no such thing as maintenance-free equipment." Look for cracks, tears, missing or loose pieces and other defects, and check the area for garbage and litter, Hudson advises. A more thorough inspection should be done monthly. Tighten screws or bolts and replace any worn materials, such as swing seats or ladders. If a piece of equipment is potentially hazardous, remove it from the area or declare it off-limits until it can be repaired or replaced.

Safety doesn't stop with the equipment itself. Make sure children do not have any loose strings such as a drawstrings from jackets or pants, loose clothing that could get hung up, or untied shoelaces. "Of those seventeen deaths that occur, about 50 percent are from strangulation," Hudson notes.

Talking to kids about playing safely can also reduce the number accidents, especially if the equipment is new to the students or the students are new to the equipment, as happens when children graduate to another playground. With a slew of new products on the market, kids might not be familiar with some equipment and how to use it. Playground manufacturers can help in this area. "Just like you don't start up your new $25,000 car and drive it off the lot without some understanding of how it operates, you shouldn't introduce new playground equipment without talking with kids about what types of behavior you expect to occur, what the good things are to do, and what will not be tolerated," Hudson says.

Equally important is not overloading equipment with too many children. Ask the manufacturer about the maximum number of children per piece of equipment. "The more crowded equipment becomes, the more chances you have of pushing and shoving and the types of behaviors you wouldn't tolerate in the classroom and you shouldn't tolerate out on the playground," Hudson says.

All play spaces were designed by Peter Exley, AIA; Sharon Exley, MAAE (Educative Designer) and Adrian Ferguson of the Chicago-based firm architectureisfun, Inc. (www.architectureisfun.com) for Granger Community Church's Children's Ministry Center in Granger, Ind. Photos were taken by Doug Snower Photography.

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TAKE IMAGINATION TO NEW HEIGHTS

The Rocky Mountain Adventure Climber from Burke Premier Play Environments lets children scale realistic-looking mountaintops--safely--just a few feet off the ground. The climber is available in a variety of colors and in freestanding or deck-to-deck forms.

800.266.1250
www.bciburke.com

A WACKY NEW WAY TO PLAY

Exercise and play are critical to a child's growth and development, and Wacky Ball from Soft Play is a fun new way to do both. Wacky Ball is a contained, colorful arena featuring a variety of challenging hoops, targets, tubes and bright balls in practically every corner of the room, plus the ceiling. An electronics package integrates sounds, lights, a scoreboard and time.

800.782.PLAY (7529)
www.softplay.com

ROCK LITTLE WORLDS

The new Whimsy Riders collection from Landscape Structures Inc., will capture the imaginations of your center's 2- to 5-year-olds. Choose a zebra, seahorse or dolphin; each is brought to life with vibrant, hand-painted artwork. The base is a sturdy, no-pinch steel alloy spring design protected with a powdercoat finish and designed for smooth, rocking play.

888.4FUNLSI (386574)
www.playlsi.com

IT'S PLANETARY PLAYTIME!

Dozens of specially designed educational area rugs available from Carpets for Kids encourage learning and interactive play. They even help improve indoor air quality in your childcare center by trapping and holding airborne particles until they can be vacuumed. All patterned rugs are backed by 15-year warranties and antibacterial protection to minimize product deterioration and odors. Solid colors are also available.

503.232.1203
www.carpetsforkids.com