April 26, 2010 by learningstructures
Ah, it’s spring! The sun shines bright, days are longer, and children are swarming the playground. Spring also presents an important week in the playground world: April 26-30 is National Playground Safety Week! It’s a perfect time to focus on safe play environments for children and to review the basic checklist that helps keep a playground safe:
- Make sure surfaces around playground equipment have at least 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel, or are mats made of safety-tested rubber or rubber-like materials.
- Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, be sure surfacing extends; in back and front; twice the height of the suspending bar.
- Make sure play structures more than 30 inches high are spaced at least 9 feet apart.
- Check for dangerous hardware, like open “S” hooks or protruding bolt ends.
- Make sure spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs, measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches.
- Check for sharp points or edges in equipment.
- Look out for tripping hazards, like exposed concrete footings, tree stumps, and rocks.
- Make sure elevated surfaces, like platforms and ramps, have guardrails to prevent falls.
- Check playgrounds regularly to see that equipment and surfacing are in good condition.
- Carefully supervise children on playgrounds to make sure they’re safe.
The most important safety precaution is to check for inadequate ground surfacing. According to the NPPS, 70% of playground injuries are the result of a fall. Replenishing the ground surfacing across the playground can dramatically reduce the risk of serious injuries.
As you walk through the playground, pay attention to any broken pieces of equipment or loose fasteners. With the warm weather, unwanted pests may find your playground a delightful place to build their nests. A natural, mint based pest spray will help keep the playground safe from these unwanted guests.
For more information regarding playground safety and National Playground Safety week, visit the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS).
Posted in Playground Maintenance, Playgrounds, Safety | Tagged ground cover, maintenance, playground safety, swings | Leave a Comment »
February 16, 2010 by learningstructures
Treehouse playground in giant eucalyptus tree. Designed and built by Learning Structures.
Snow-pocalypse pummeled the Mid-Atlantic States last week, and here in the Northeast, the white stuff continues to fall. However, our playground design team is warmed by visions of upcoming spring playground building that will include fitness trails, school gardens, and tree houses. In fact, tree houses are increasingly popping up on our playground designs – and for good reason.
Richard Louv, award-winning author of Last Child in the Woods, extols the virtue of tree houses, “I have a soft spot in my heart for tree houses, which have always imparted certain magic and practical knowledge.” Magic is a great description for these whimsical, elevated spaces. Louv continues by explaining that his childhood tree house was transformed into a galleon, a spaceship, and even Fort Apache. There is no limit to imaginative play when a child plays in a tree house!
The view from high above a playground tree house
Natural site elements like trees are encouraged in community-built playground designs. Playgrounds with decks and towers can be built around a tree, without ever disturbing the tree’s root system, or piercing the tree with harmful fasteners. Natural, leafy tree canopies provide protection from harmful UV rays on children, and create a cool playground get-away from the sun.
Don’t let a playground company talk you into a stark, flat, treeless site for your playground. Retaining natural elements like trees on your playscape will bring children closer to nature and play. Despite all the snow this season — you’ll be warmed by visions of tree houses, too.
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February 11, 2010 by learningstructures
Potawatomi Village Tot Lot at St. Marys Community Built Playground. To be built May 2010.
This week, we learned that a client received a community-grant to help with the costs of building their community-built playground this spring. We couldn’t be more thrilled for them! It takes a dedicated, hard-working playground committee to convey their playground vision and successfully be awarded. We also know that foundations are looking for a more nuanced approach than simply sticking playground equipment in the ground. A playground grant needs to compliment the foundation’s areas of interest.
What makes a community-built playground appealing to funders?
- History. A custom-designed playground celebrates each unique community, by integrating history and culture.
- Volunteerism. Community-built playgrounds bring hundreds of people together, creating a sense of connection to neighbors and the project.
- Accessibility. Sensory rich structures and accessibility encourage use from children and families with a broad range of physical and developmental abilities.
- Recycling. Sustainable, repurposed materials and recycled building products are used to build the playground – reducing a playground’s environmental footprint
- Intergenerational Design. Assuring that people of all ages will enjoy the playground
- Building Community Spirit. Volunteers of varying genders, ages and economic backgrounds come together in a uniting, collaborative event.
- Activity. This week, First Lady Michelle Obama announced her program to battle childhood obesity, “Let’s Move”. A well designed playground offers safe circulation around play events and encourages large muscle play, coordination, balance, and active movement from structure to structure.
We work with our clients to identify grants for potential assistance with their playground projects. Contact us for more information. With all the advantages above, it’s no surprise that funders look favorably at the community-built playground approach.
Posted in Fundraising | Tagged accessible playground, fundraising for playground, grants for playgrounds, history playground, Let's Move Michelle Obama, obesity playground, playground foundations, playground funding, Playground grants, Repurposed playground, successful grants | Leave a Comment »
January 5, 2010 by learningstructures
Raising money for your playground project can be a daunting task, especially when the economy is less than cooperative. A few basic fundraising steps will help add to your success.
- Make sure you know how much money you need to raise. It may sound simple enough, but many playground projects are surprised by hidden costs down the road. Have you calculated the cost of resilient ground surfacing? How about shipping costs? Once you have an all-inclusive, no-surprises budget – your target is tangible and real.
- Use a visible gauge to show the success of your fundraising efforts. A mural outside the school, or a giant thermometer at a local vehicle intersection helps keep your community aware of hard work. One of our communities salvaged an old metal slide, and painted their fundraising progress up the slide.
- Get creative with your fundraising ideas. Put a new spin on the basic pledge or donation. (check out this Certificate of Playground Stock) If you are selling a product, make sure the product is useable and meaningful. When planning an event, check with other organizations in the community to make sure it hasn’t been done before – or that the timing won’t conflict with other community events.
- Use the media to draw attention to your fundraiser. A simple fundraising press release goes a long way in getting the word out to your community. Send the press release to your local radio station, the newspaper, and any local organizations’ newsletters.
- And finally, remember to be your fundraising committee’s biggest cheerleader. Your enthusiasm speaks volumes about the worthiness of your playground project, and will make the difference in your fundraising efforts.
Learning Structures provides our community-built playground clients with detailed ideas and tips via our Fundraising Coordinator’s manual, as well as manuals for PR, Volunteer Recruitment, Children’s Committee, and many more. All volunteers on your playground committee have skills and talent that can be put to great use, with a little guidance and direction.
Posted in Fundraising | Tagged playground fundraising, raise money playground, playground costs, fundraising ideas, playground stock, press release fundraiser, enthusiastic fundraising, fundraising tips | 1 Comment »
September 1, 2009 by learningstructures
There’s a saying: What’s old is new again. Trends happen in cycles. Take sandboxes. Their appeal is universal. Anyone reading this blog has a memory of sitting in a sandbox at a playground with a shovel (or a spoon), a sand pail (or a Dixie cup). 
Sandboxes prompt us to become architects, sculptors, engineers. Social skills are fine tuned as children share their sandbox stories about their creations. Problem solving abilities are heightened as sandbox tools are shared. And imaginations soar as castles, moats and cities are created, and play unfolds in the sandbox.
Sand play sounds pretty wonderful and harmless – so where is the sand in the ointment? How can there be such a love/hat relationship in our culture with sandboxes?
Playground Sand Quarry
In the mid-eighties, growing scrutiny of sandboxes became a battle cry for removal of the play dinosaurs from public parks. Officials and parents were concerned about the toxicity of sand, from kitties and other animals claiming the sandbox as their own litter box. More recently, the EPA sounded the alarm about silica and the potential for children’s long-term exposure. Finely ground silica dust, present in some sandbox sand, poses a threat to children inhaling the dust while playing in the sandbox. It’s no wonder parents are frightened.
Despite these fears, sandboxes have gained an up swell of support in recent years. Safety concerns are not being ignored, but those concerns are being mitigated for good reason. Communities are adding sandbox covers to their playgrounds to prevent unwanted, animal visitors. Silica-free “safe sand” is being marketed and used in sandboxes throughout the country.
Sand and water play by Learning Structures
Do you remember scratching your head in amazement when “retro” was all the trend? Well in the commercial playground world, sandboxes are all the rage. Every playground client seems to want this old-school component added to their playground. Why? Educators and playground planners are steering clear of the sterile playgrounds that offer limited and tedious play. Here at Learning Structures, we talk with educators and child development specialists who tout the benefits of adding natural elements to their play environment. Authentic, low-cost elements like water play and sand play are high on the wish list for playground components. It’s true — what’s old is new again.
Posted in Playgrounds | Tagged build a sandbox, playground problem solving, sand creation, sandbox architects, sandbox covers, sandbox toxicity, sandboxes, silica in sandbox, social skills | 1 Comment »
