Child’s Play

Anyone who’s ever watched a 10-year-old climb a tree or a 2-year-old explore a sandbox knows kids play differently as they age. Differences in strength and agility produce wide variations in play activity, as do a child’s social, emotional and intellectual development. Kids at different ages -- and stages -- excel at different activities. Therefore, when you set out to design a playground that’s both safe and fun for preschoolers, focus the developmental factors that define this age group.

Safety is #1
Safety is the foremost goal of any play area for preschoolers, and, luckily, it’s easy to achieve. Begin by working only with established playground equipment manufacturers. These companies have produced hundreds, if not thousands, of playgrounds, and they know what works and what doesn’t.

Also, be certain that each play event you plan to buy is certified for safety by the International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association, or IPEMA. Do this by visiting www.ipema.org and comparing your list of play events with those listed on the website as certified.

Ask your manufacturer’s representative for several references of previous playground customers and contact them to see if they’re pleased with the designs, installations and service of their playgrounds. Your representative should also be able to provide you with several designs to meet your needs and budget.

Some (not all) representatives will also be able to provide you with a complete site analysis and plan. It’s very important that your play area have proper drainage and soil conditions and that it be surveyed for existing utilities, trees and accessibility. If your representative can’t provide these services, it might be prudent for you to hire a landscape architect to produce your site plan before you finalize the design of the playground equipment.

^{Kids will love the sensation of the rock-wall climbing with the new Conical and Corner Climbers from Landscape Structures. The new flexible, reinforced PVC belt material delivers additional motion for added climbing challenge.}

Once you’ve assessed your site, you’re ready to begin selecting the equipment itself. To do this, pay attention to the developmental stages of 2- to 5-year-olds. Most preschool-age children lack upper-body strength and don’t possess a large reaching and stepping range. So, when we design play equipment for this group, we steer away from challenging events such as ring bridges and track rides. Instead, we focus on things they can climb on and slide down. You don’t want anything that requires them to leap. Decks should be no higher than 48 inches, and stairs shouldn’t be too high or too far apart. Block climbers are great for 2- or 3-year-olds, while 5-year-olds with more developed climbing skills will be drawn to colorful handholds on climbers. Crawl tunnels are also very popular among 2- to 3-year-olds who like to explore the play structure, while 4- and 5-year-olds will appreciate the challenges of a simple horizontal ladder attached to a low 16-inch deck.

It’s important to remember that playing is learning. Your playground should create experiences that actually enhance a child’s development and encourage them to learn new skills, both social and physical.

Most 2- and 3-year-olds are still at a stage in which they prefer to play alone, but they also gravitate to play spaces they can share with other children their age. This includes an enclosed deck with play panels or a simple clubhouse or sandbox. They’re social at this age, but they don’t necessarily play together; they’re simply “doing their own thing” in the company of others.

By the time they reach the age of 4 or 5, children are learning to play together. They’re beginning to grasp the concepts of interactive play, cooperation and even competition. A sand or activity table will be very popular with this group, as will double side-by-side slides. As these children play, they refine their large and fine motor skills and practice basic tasks like running, hopping, climbing and balancing. A curved balance beam will attract the attention of many children of this age. Spring riders are equally popular because they let a child be as exuberant as he or she wants to be in a safe, controlled way, and because they help develop coordination skills.

However, not all play is physical. Simple devices such as talk tubes, driving panels and periscope panels promote fantasy play and stimulate the imagination. A representative can create themed play structures for you in the shape of trucks or ships, but oftentimes all you need to do is supply the basics -- a steering wheel panel and a periscope on an elevated deck -- and kids will create their own vision and imagine they’re in a car, on a ship or driving a fire truck. Children this age will also use the playground as an environment for games such as hide-and-seek, tag and games of make-believe.

Your representative or playground designer will be able to address all the facets and stages of development by carefully positioning equipment to create separate areas for active, energetic spaces and quiet, discovery-oriented zones. In the quiet, shaded areas of your playground, you can place sandboxes, activity panels and play tables. Livelier spots are then filled with slides, simple climbers, swings and bridges. This allows preschoolers to engage in various kinds of play within a single space and lets parents or childcare workers better supervise the activities.

Keep It Fun, Safe and Functional
There are several other important points to remember that will help you create the perfect play space for your young children.

Make sure some of the play area is shaded and cool.  In some states, this is mandated, so check with your representative ahead of time.

Consider adding a natural element as part of your play area.  A simple flower or vegetable garden is a powerful draw for young children and can be used to teach the basic relationships between plants and animals and our environment. Even a simple shade tree and expanse of grass provides color and natural relief to the play area.

Decide early the level of accessibility you desire.  In some cases, you’ll be required to meet guidelines for accessibility; in others, you might want to go beyond those guidelines to provide an inclusive environment for children of all abilities. Your representative can help you achieve the accessibility that’s right for your church and your children.

Choose a safety surface that’s right for your budget and environment.  Sand is ideal for this younger age group, but it limits accessibility. Young children will use the sand as a play tool, which is good, but it’s also easily tracked inside. You might want to have a separate (covered) sand area away from the building entrance, and use wood fiber or rubber surfacing beneath the main play structure.

Educate playground supervisors to walk around the play structures and keep an eye on the children.  Preschoolers welcome the presence of an adult, and children of this age should never be left alone to play. Supervisors should pay close attention to children playing on high decks and slides and on overhead events such as horizontal ladders.

Above all, rely on your manufacturer’s representatives to come up with safe, accessible and fun designs.  Work with them as partners to get the playground that’s right for your church or preschool. They’re the experts -- and their job is to help you.

^{Steve King is the cofounder and chairman of Landscape Structures Inc. in Delano, Minn. and a fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. King also serves as the current president of the International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) and has served as the task force chairman for the American Society for Testing and Materials, a capacity in which he was integral in the development of the first safety and accessibility standards for public playgrounds. For more information, call 888.4FUNLSI or log on to www.playlsi.com.}