What Makes a Great Playspace?
I’ve recently been having a dialog with the national non-profit KaBOOM! about how Parentography can work with them to help spread the word about the good work they do around the country helping communities build and refurbish playspaces. One of the questions they asked in one of our email exchanges was “What makes a great playspace?”. I’m not an expert, but I’ve given it some thought as a parent and as someone who regularly seeks out parks and playgrounds to write about on Parentography and here are my answers (feel free to leave a comment with your own ideas or thoughts about my list):
Infants/Babies:
- Ample and free parkingÂ
- Shade
- A Place to sit down
- Restrooms (with changing stations)
- Infanct swings (the kind that look like a bucket with holes cut out where the legs go)
- Sand and grass play areas
- Vending machines with water, healthy snacks
- Other friendly parents
Toddlers:
- Same as above, but also:
- play structures that include a slide
- Seasonal water elements (fountains, etc.)
- Soft surfaces (mulch, rubberized mats or surfacing) underneath play equipment
- Some low elements — like plastic and metal animals to climb on, tables, etc.
- Bright colors wherever possible
Elementary Age:
- Same as above, but also:
- Climbing structures, ladder elements, firefighter-style poles, all separated from the younger children’s play areas
- Sport courts (basketball, tetherball, four square boxes, tennis, etc.)
3 Responses to “What Makes a Great Playspace?”
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April 27th, 2007 at 7:04 am
[…] Parentography asks: What makes a great playspace? They look at public play areas, and consider criteria for different age ranges. Ample parking, changing areas and healthy food alternatives are universal desires, but not always easy to find. […]
April 28th, 2007 at 9:54 am
What Makes a Great Playspace?
Parentography asks: What makes a great playspace? They look at public play areas, and consider criteria for different age ranges. Ample parking, changing areas and healthy food alternatives are universal desires, but not always easy to find.
May 16th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Bright colors and things organized for easy finding! Lots of things to get the mind going!