The New-Style Playgrounds
Do you remember playing on the swings, slides and monkey bars when you were a kid? The natural play spaces children enjoy today often look quite different from traditional playgrounds.
This article explains:
* What a natural play space is.
* The types of activities a natural play space can accommodate.
* Why a natural play space is so appealing to children.
* How to develop a natural play space in your community.
What Is a Natural Play Space?
Natural play spaces use a blend of natural areas, water and local plants to interest children in learning about the wonders and secrets of the natural world. Swings and slides may still be there, but new-style playgrounds also offer other things to do.
Natural play spaces:
* Allow children to be active and creative.
* Are specially designed for children of all ages and abilities and for boys and girls alike.
* Promote light, moderate or vigorous physical activity that supports children’s growth and development.
In natural play spaces, children can play freely but also be involved in organized programs led by a teacher, parent or other community member. Each child can find the activities that he or she most wants to do. The variety offered by a natural play space appeals to kids and supports a wide range of play opportunities.
What Activities Take Place in a Natural Play Space?
Designed play spaces offer lots of interesting and enjoyable places for kids (and adults) to spend time. The activities a natural play space accommodates include:
* climbing
* rolling down hills
* playing with loose equipment
* playing with water and sand
* connecting with nature
* talking in quiet social areas
* moving around on interesting pathways
* riding a bike over bumps
Playgrounds and play spaces can encourage structured play, facilitated play, non-competitive play and open-ended play. Organized activities or programs can help kids discover the many things they can do on a site. Sometimes children just need a little support as they explore their hopes and dreams through play. For example, climbing structures can become a ship’s lookout tower, park areas can provide a nature walk, sand pits can be a place where exotic sand creatures live, and mazes can be created around and through the equipment.
What Is the Appeal of a Natural Play Space?
When children really enjoy a well-designed play space, they want to return there again and again. The place has a special meaning for them and, eventually, special memories.
Ask your children where they like to play, and watch for cues that tell you what they most like to do. Often, you will find they prefer the natural areas of a designed play space. So when you have the chance, visit different playgrounds and take your kids to play in areas with water, grass and hills.
Developing a Natural Play Space in Your Community
Most sites where children play have lots of possibilities in addition to the usual equipment. Creating a new play space doesn’t have to be expensive. Perhaps all that is needed is a grassy hill.
The children in your community probably have lots of ideas about what kind of play space they would like to have. To find out what attracts children, watch them play. And don’t forget to ask them!
If your local playground needs some attention, find other parents, teachers or daycare operators who would like to get involved in a playground project. Form a committee and make plans to discuss a natural play space design with your community league, town council or parent-teacher association.
The variety offered by a natural play space with features such as water, grass and hills appeals to kids and supports a wide range of play opportunities. Such spaces are not necessarily expensive to create, especially when various community groups work together on the project.
Source: HealthyAlberta.com
Tags: Natural Play, natural world, Organized activities, Playgrounds