Why naturalized playgrounds?

Inspired by Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods, a grassroots movement advocating outdoor play in nature is growing across the USA and Canada, driven by parents, environmental educators, recreation and health promotion professionals, naturalists, and others. Naturalized playgrounds can support the outdoor play in nature movement in several ways: 

• Play structures are heavily used by children, as demonstrated by NLI behavior mapping studiesof actual use of school grounds and community parks designed to high standards of best practice. 

• National, state, county, and municipal “children and nature” and “active childhood” community initiatives and legislation are focusing attention on the spaces of children’s daily lives, including playgrounds. 

• Innovative projects that promote nature play generate positive press and new funding streams to help implement naturalization initiatives. 

• “Mixed” play environments of equipment and natural components are more attractive and comfortable for adults. As a result, caregivers may spend more time outdoors with their children. 

• Well-designed playgrounds are a primary attraction for families using neighborhood and community parks. Naturalization adds visual interest, shade, and comfort — resulting in sustained repeat visits, a relaxed and playful social atmosphere, and growth of community social capital.

• Users of all abilities discover a wider range of play opportunities in naturalized playgrounds. These inclusive, universally designed environments attract multicultural families with members of all ages. 

• Curvy pathways weaving around and connecting equipment and natural components provide attractive, accessible, active settings for children, and social strolling by adults. 

• Naturalization provides new opportunities for nature-based professionals such as naturalists, environmental educators/programmers, artists, playworkers, animators — and volunteers — to offer rich outdoor education and recreation programs for a wide range of children.

Play value of naturalization

Play value recognizes that different types of play environments stimulate different forms and amounts of play. 

• Plants increase the diversity of social, construction, symbolic, dramatic, and physical play and related learning opportunities by encouraging children to explore and discover the wonder of the world around them. 

• Plants improve natural habitat conditions for wildlife species that fascinate children such as butterflies, caterpillars, ladybird beetles, and salamanders. 

• Selected plants can attract songbirds to add sensory appeal to the playground. 

• Plants offer sensory stimulation by providing sounds, textures, tactile interaction, fragrance, and visual interest.

• Trees, shrubs, and flowering perennials increase playground aesthetic appeal, which stimulates higher levels of use, a greater variety of play behavior, increased social interaction, and diverse habitat for wildlife.

• Plants respond to seasonal change and add novelty and visual interest, which makes playgrounds more attractive and interesting to children and adult caregivers. This means adults are more likely to take children to naturalized playgrounds, spend more time there, and return for repeat visits. 

• Increased play value is a primary measure of community benefit for public funds invested in naturalized playgrounds.

This blog post was originally published in https://www.playcore.com/news/why-naturalized-playgrounds

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 

EXAMPLE APPLICATION OF BEST PRACTICE DESIGN

Aligning fitness equipment selection to total body fitness is critical for ensuring a well-rounded fitness routine. Equally important are a variety of design practices. To help support the planning process, utilize this guide to communicate and ensure that the various design best practices have been addressed to meet the unique needs of the community and your site-specific project

Programming 

Community partnerships help support on-site programs for fitness classes, wellness and nutrition education, and health screenings. Signage and wireless web access further expand utilization through downloadable user guides and instructional videos.

Marketing 

Targeted marketing campaigns help spread the word to a diverse, multilingual user group and engage stakeholders in the planning, grand opening, programming, and evaluation initiatives. 

Evaluation 

A variety of measurement tools, like surveys and direct observation, are utilized to engage individual users, support system-wide planning, and communicate health outcomes. 

Location & Context 

This urban plaza provides connectivity to a number of corporate and neighborhood users while also being accessible to a local hospital/ rehabilitation center.

Universal Design 

Carefully planned parking, unitary routes of travel, and equipment designed to accommodate both mobility devices and multiple users help promote comfort, usability, and inclusion for adults of all abilities

Safety & Management 

The Parks & Recreation Department oversees the management plan to ensure regular inspections and good working order. Age-appropriate signage and high visibility also promote a safer environment

Alignment to Health Benefits & Total Body Fitness 

While equipment selections are based on community goals, users, budget, and space, it is also important that this space ensures a well-rounded fitness routine by configuring opportunities for aerobic fitness, muscle fitness, core fitness, and balance and flexibility. 

This space meets all of the elements of a well-rounded workout, with some pieces of equipment providing multiple benefits. Notice the bike racks and benches on both sides, and the walking/jogging trail that passes through provides additional ways to promote aerobic fitness. The clear spaces around the equipment offer areas to engage in bodyweight resistance exercises. By including equipment that offers all the elements of fitness, you can ensure your Outdoor Adult Fitness Park provides a well-rounded fitness routine.

This blog post was originally published in https://www.playcore.com/news/outdoor-adult-fitness-parks-design-considerations