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(New page: {{EdPsy}} {{Play}} right|thumb|Combination playground structure for small children; slides, climbers (stairs in this case), playhouse A '''playground...)
 
 
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{{EdPsy}}
  
{{EdPsy}}
 
{{Play}}
  
{{Play}}
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[[Image:PlayEquipComboPlastic wb.jpg|right|thumb|Combination playground structure for small children; slides, climbers (stairs in this case), playhouse]]
  
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A '''playground''' is an area designed for [[child]]ren to play freely.
 
⚫
Modern playgrounds often have recreational equipment such as the [[see-saw]], [[merry-go-round]], [[swing (seat)|swingset]], [[Playground slide|slide]], [[climber (playground)|climber]], [[walking bridge]], [[jungle gym]], [[chin-up bar]]s, [[sandbox]], [[spring rider]], [[monkey bars]], [[overhead ladder]], [[trapeze]] rings, [[playhouse]]s, and [[maze]], many of which help children develop physical coordination, strength, and flexibility, as well as providing [[recreation]] and [[enjoyment]]. Common in modern playgrounds are "[[play structures]]" that link many different pieces of equipment.
 
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<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:RidgeRider Saltex 07.jpg|left|thumb|Ridge Rider]] -->
  
   
  ⚫
[[Image:PlayEquipComboPlastic wb.jpg|thumb|Combination playground structure for small children; slides, climbers (stairs in this case), playhouse]]
⚫
Playgrounds often also have facilities for playing informal games of adult [[sport]]s, such as a [[baseball]] diamond, a [[skating]] rink, a [[basketball]] court, or a [[tether ball]].
 
  ⚫
  +
A '''playground''' or '''play area''' place with a specific design for [[children]] be able to [[Play (activity)|play]] there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors, and when it is the latter, it may be occasionally referred to as a '''tot lot''' by some people or in some regions.<ref>http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/tot_lot/</ref>
   
  ⚫
Modern playgrounds often have recreational equipment such as the see-saw, merry-go-round, swingseat, slide, jungle gym, |sandbox]], [[spring rider, [[monkey bars]], playhouses, and [[mazes]], many of which help children develop physical coordination, [[strength]], and flexibility, as well as providing [[recreation]] and [[enjoyment]]. Common in modern playgrounds are "play structures" that link many different pieces of equipment.
  +
  ⚫
Playgrounds often also have facilities for playing informal games of adult [[sport]]s, such as a [[baseball]] diamond, a skating arena, a [[basketball]] court etc
 
"Public" playground equipment refers to equipment intended for use in the play areas of [[park]]s, [[school]]s, child care facilities, institutions, multiple family dwellings, restaurants, resorts, and recreational developments, and other areas of public use.
  
"Public" playground equipment refers to equipment intended for use in the play areas of [[park]]s, [[school]]s, child care facilities, institutions, multiple family dwellings, restaurants, resorts, and recreational developments, and other areas of public use.
   
  +
A type of playground called a [[playscape]] is designed to provide a safe environment for play in a natural setting.
⚫
==About playgrounds==
  
  +
  +
Recognizing the need for such, former US President Theodore Roosevelt stated in 1907,
  +
  +
:''City streets are unsatisfactory playgrounds for children because of the danger, because most good games are against the law, because they are too hot in summer, and because in crowded sections of the city they are apt to be schools of crime. Neither do small back yards nor ornamental grass plots meet the needs of any but the very small children. Older children who would play vigorous games must have places especially set aside for them; and, since play is a fundamental need, playgrounds should be provided for every child as much as schools. This means that they must be distributed over the cities in such a way as to be within walking distance of every boy and girl, as most children can not afford to pay carfare''.<ref>To Cuno H. Rudolph, Washington Playground Association, February 16, 1907. Presidential Addresses and State Papers VI, 1163.</ref>
  +
  +
==History and development==
 
Professionals recognize that the [[social skills]] that children develop on the playground become lifelong skill sets that are carried forward into their adulthood. Independent research concludes that playgrounds are among the most important environments for children outside the home. Most forms of play are essential for healthy development, but free, spontaneous play&mdash;the kind that occurs on playgrounds&mdash;is the most beneficial type of play.
 
Professionals recognize that the [[social skills]] that children develop on the playground become lifelong skill sets that are carried forward into their adulthood. Independent research concludes that playgrounds are among the most important environments for children outside the home. Most forms of play are essential for healthy development, but free, spontaneous play&mdash;the kind that occurs on playgrounds&mdash;is the most beneficial type of play.
   
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[[Image:KidsRopeBridge wb.png|thumb|right|Rope bridge for improving balance]]
  
[[Image:KidsRopeBridge wb.png|thumb|right|Rope bridge for improving balance]]
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Children have devised many [[playground game]]s and pastimes. But because playgrounds are usually subject to adult supervision and oversight, young children's [[children's street culture|street culture]] often struggles to fully thrive there. Research by Robin Moore (''Childhood's Domain: Play and Place'', 1986) has clearly shown that playgrounds need to be balanced with marginal areas that (to adults) appear to be derelict or wasteground, which young children can claim for themselves, ideally a wood or field.
 +
Children have devised many [[playground game]]s and pastimes. But because playgrounds are usually subject to [[Playwork|adult supervision]] and oversight, young children's [[children's street culture|street culture]] often struggles to fully thrive there. Research by Robin Moore (''Childhood's Domain: Play and Place'', 1986) has clearly shown that playgrounds need to be balanced with marginal areas that (to adults) appear to be derelict or wasteground but to children they are area's that they can claim for themselves, ideally a wooded area or field.
  +
  +
A type of playground called a '''[[playscape]]''' can provide children with the necessary feeling of ownership that Moore describes above. Playscapes can also provide parents with the assurance of their child's safety and wellbeing, which may not be prevalent in an open field or wooded area.
   
 
Playgrounds can be
  
Playgrounds can be
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*A business with an entrance fee
  
*A business with an entrance fee
 
*Connected to a business, for customers only, e.g., at [[McDonald's]] and [[IKEA]].
  
*Connected to a business, for customers only, e.g., at [[McDonald's]] and [[IKEA]].
−
*Elaborate indoor mazes, like those at the (now defunct) [[Discovery Zone]] and [[Chuck E. Cheese's]]
 +
*Elaborate indoor mazes, like those at the (now defunct) [[Discovery Zone]], Zoom Zoom's Indoor Playground in Ancaster, Ontario, [[Jungle Jam Indoor Playground]] and [[Chuck E. Cheese's]]
   
  ⚫
==Playground safety==
−
<gallery>
  
  +
{{Main|Playground safety}}
−
Image:Jacques Laurent Agasse 001.jpg|Jacques Laurent Agasse: The Playground, 1830
  
−
Image:Wasserspielplatz.jpg|A water-based playground in Germany
  
−
Image:AccessiblePlayground.JPG|Accessible public playground in the USA, 2007
 
   
   
  +
===Playground Injury===
⚫
== Natural playgrounds ==
  
  +
{{Main|Playground injuries}}
⚫
[[Image:Earthartist natural playground.jpg|left|thumb|A natural playground sandbox using creative landforms provides a place for Passive / Creative Play[http://www.earthartist.com/playground/design.htm .]]]"Natural playgrounds" are play environments that blend natural materials, features, and indigenous vegetation with creative landforms to create purposely complex interplays of natural, environmental objects in ways that challenge and fascinate children and teach them about the wonders and intricacies of the natural world while they play within it. [[Image:NaturalPlaygroundCoDesign.jpg|right|thumb|A totally accessible natural playground creates a beautiful, outdoor play and learning environment.]]
  
   
⚫
Play components may include earth shapes (sculptures), environmental art, indigenous vegetation (trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, lichens, mosses), boulders or other rock structures, dirt and sand, natural fences (stone, willow, wooden), textured pathways, and natural water features.
  
   
  ⚫
==Playgrounds in the Soviet Union==
⚫
==Playground safety==
  
  ⚫
Playgrounds were an integral part of [[urban culture]] in the USSR. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were playgrounds in almost every park in many Soviet cities. Playground apparatus was reasonably standard all over the country; most of them consisted of metallic bars with relatively few wooden parts, and were manufactured in state-owned factories. Some of the most common constructions were the carousel, sphere, seesaw, rocket, bridge, etc.
−
{{OR|section|date=October 2007}}
  
−
Sometimes the safety of playgrounds is disputed in school or among regulators. Over at least the last twenty years, the kinds of equipment to be found in playgrounds has changed, often towards safer equipment built with modern materials. For example, an older jungle gym might be constructed entirely from steel bars, while newer ones tend to have a minimal steel framework while providing a web of [[nylon]] ropes for children to climb on. Often, playgrounds with equipment that children may fall off of has [[mulch]] on the ground to help break children's falls. [[Rubber mulch]] is gaining popularity due to its added ability to break falls.
  
   
−
A [http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=media_18jul2007_e study] done by the [[Canadian Institute for Health Information]] found that playground injuries were responsible for 23 visits a day to [[emergency room]]s in [[Ontario Canada|Ontario, Canada]]. The largest proportion of these visits were for [[orthopedic]] and [[head injury|head injuries]] (51% and 22% respectively.)
  
   
  ⚫
==Natural playground==
−
In the United States the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American National Standards Institute have created a Standardized Document and Training System for certification of Playground Safety Inspectors. These regulations are nation wide and provide a basis for safe playground installation and maintenance practices. A.S.T.M. 1487-05 deals with specific guidelines regarding issues such as play ground layout, use zones, and various test criteria for determining play ground safety. This information can be applied effectively only by a trained C.P.S.I. A National Listing of Trained Playground Safety Inspectors is available for many states. A Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) is a career that was developed by the National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) and is recognized nationally by the National Recreation and Park Association or N.R.P.A.
  
  +
{{Main|Playscape}}
  ⚫
"Natural playgrounds" are play environments that blend natural materials, features, and indigenous vegetation with creative landforms to create purposely complex interplays of natural, environmental objects in ways that challenge and fascinate children and teach them about the wonders and intricacies of the natural world while they play within it.
   
  ⚫
Play components may include earth shapes (sculptures), environmental art, indigenous vegetation (trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, lichens, mosses), boulders or other rock structures, dirt and sand, natural fences (stone, willow, wooden), textured pathways, and natural water features.
⚫
==Playgrounds in the Soviet Union==
  
⚫
Playgrounds were an integral part of [[urban culture]] in the [[USSR]]. In the 1970s and 1980s there were playgrounds in almost every park in many Soviet cities. Playground apparatus was reasonably standard all over the country; most of them consisted of metallic bars with relatively few wooden parts, and were manufactured in state-owned factories. Some of the most common constructions were the [[carousel]], sphere, [[seesaw]], [[rocket]], bridge, etc.
  
   
−
In the 1990s, after the breakup of the USSR, many items of playground apparatus in post-Soviet states were stolen by metal-thieves, while relatively few new playgrounds were built. However, there were so many Soviet playgrounds that many of them still exist and are in a relatively good state, especially those which were repainted.
  
   
−  
−
<gallery>
  
−
Image:Standard Soviet carousel.jpg|Standard carousel
  
−
Image:Soviet playground Sphere.jpg|Sphere
  
−
Image:Soviet playground construction.jpg|Another playground construction
  
−
Image:Minsk-2004-playground.jpg|A playground in a garden
  
−
Image:Soviet playground Rocket.jpg|Rocket
  
−
Image:Soviet playground Bridge.jpg|Bridge
  
−
</gallery>
  
   
 
== See also ==
  
== See also ==
  ⚫
* [[Empower playgrounds]]
  +
* [[Friendship bench]]
 
* [[Obstacle course]]
  
* [[Obstacle course]]
 
* [[Playground game]]
  
* [[Playground game]]
  +
* [[Playground song]]
  +
* [[Playground Surfacing]]
  +
* [[Playscape]]
  +
* [[Playwork]]
 
* [[Ropes course]]
  
* [[Ropes course]]
−
* [[Friendship bench]]
 +
* [[School facilities]]
  +
  +
==References==
  +
{{reflist}}
   
 
== External links ==
  
== External links ==
  +
<!-- Do not list commercial playground equipment suppliers in this article! -->
  +
  +
*[http://www.ipema.org IPEMA International Playground Equipment Manufacturer's Association]
  +
*[http://www.playground-contractors.org NPCAI International Playground Contractors Association] &mdash; a non-profit trade association of commercial playground builders and associated organizations
 
*[http://www.playgroundsafety.org National Program for Playground Safety] &mdash; serves as a recognized national U.S. clearinghouse for playground safety information
  
*[http://www.playgroundsafety.org National Program for Playground Safety] &mdash; serves as a recognized national U.S. clearinghouse for playground safety information
−
*[http://www.publicliability.net.au Playground Safety Checklists & Info]
 +
*http://www.playinspectors.com UK examination body for playground inspectors
  +
*http://www.playinspections.co.uk Major UK playground safety and inspection company
⚫
 
   
  +
<!-- Do not list commercial playground equipment suppliers in this article! -->
   
  +
[[Category:Outdoor recreation]]
  +
[[Category:Playgrounds| ]]
 
[[Category:Play]]
  
[[Category:Play]]
−
[[Category:Entertainment]]
 +
[[Category:Recreation areas]]
   
   
 
<!--
  
<!--
  +
[[bg:Детска площадка]]
 
[[cs:Dětské hřiště]]
  
[[cs:Dětské hřiště]]
−
[[de:Kinderspielplatz]]
 +
[[da:Legeplads]]
  +
[[de:Spielplatz]]
  +
[[el:Παιδική χαρά]]
  +
[[fr:Terrain de jeux]]
  +
[[ko:놀이터]]
 
[[it:Parco giochi]]
  
[[it:Parco giochi]]
 
[[he:גן שעשועים]]
  
[[he:גן שעשועים]]
  ⚫
[[ms:Taman permainan]]
 
[[nl:Speeltuin]]
  
[[nl:Speeltuin]]
 
[[ja:遊び場]]
  
[[ja:遊び場]]
⚫
[[ms:Taman permainan]]
  
 
[[no:Lekeplass]]
  
[[no:Lekeplass]]
  +
[[nn:Leikeplass]]
 
[[pl:Plac zabaw]]
  
[[pl:Plac zabaw]]
 
[[pt:Playground]]
  
[[pt:Playground]]
  +
[[ru:Детская площадка]]
 
[[simple:Playground]]
  
[[simple:Playground]]
  +
[[sh:Igralište]]
 
[[fi:Leikkipaikka]]
  
[[fi:Leikkipaikka]]
 
[[sv:Lekplats]]
  
[[sv:Lekplats]]
  +
[[uk:Дитячий ігровий майданчик]]
  +
[[ur:بازی گاہ]]
 
[[zh:遊樂場]]
  
[[zh:遊樂場]]
 
-->
  
-->

Latest revision as of 16:27, 8 January 2010

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File:PlayEquipComboPlastic wb.jpg

Combination playground structure for small children; slides, climbers (stairs in this case), playhouse

A playground or play area place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors, and when it is the latter, it may be occasionally referred to as a tot lot by some people or in some regions.[1]

Modern playgrounds often have recreational equipment such as the see-saw, merry-go-round, swingseat, slide, jungle gym, |sandbox]], [[spring rider, monkey bars, playhouses, and mazes, many of which help children develop physical coordination, strength, and flexibility, as well as providing recreation and enjoyment. Common in modern playgrounds are "play structures" that link many different pieces of equipment.

Playgrounds often also have facilities for playing informal games of adult sports, such as a baseball diamond, a skating arena, a basketball court etc "Public" playground equipment refers to equipment intended for use in the play areas of parks, schools, child care facilities, institutions, multiple family dwellings, restaurants, resorts, and recreational developments, and other areas of public use.

A type of playground called a playscape is designed to provide a safe environment for play in a natural setting.

Recognizing the need for such, former US President Theodore Roosevelt stated in 1907,

City streets are unsatisfactory playgrounds for children because of the danger, because most good games are against the law, because they are too hot in summer, and because in crowded sections of the city they are apt to be schools of crime. Neither do small back yards nor ornamental grass plots meet the needs of any but the very small children. Older children who would play vigorous games must have places especially set aside for them; and, since play is a fundamental need, playgrounds should be provided for every child as much as schools. This means that they must be distributed over the cities in such a way as to be within walking distance of every boy and girl, as most children can not afford to pay carfare.[2]

History and development

Professionals recognize that the social skills that children develop on the playground become lifelong skill sets that are carried forward into their adulthood. Independent research concludes that playgrounds are among the most important environments for children outside the home. Most forms of play are essential for healthy development, but free, spontaneous play—the kind that occurs on playgrounds—is the most beneficial type of play.

File:SeesawWithKids wb.png

Seesaw with a crowd of children playing

File:KidsRopeBridge wb.png

Rope bridge for improving balance

Children have devised many playground games and pastimes. But because playgrounds are usually subject to adult supervision and oversight, young children's street culture often struggles to fully thrive there. Research by Robin Moore (Childhood's Domain: Play and Place, 1986) has clearly shown that playgrounds need to be balanced with marginal areas that (to adults) appear to be derelict or wasteground but to children they are area's that they can claim for themselves, ideally a wooded area or field.

A type of playground called a playscape can provide children with the necessary feeling of ownership that Moore describes above. Playscapes can also provide parents with the assurance of their child's safety and wellbeing, which may not be prevalent in an open field or wooded area.

Playgrounds can be

  • Built by collaborative support of corporate and community resources to achieve an immediate and visible "win" for their neighborhood.
  • Public, free of charge, like at most rural elementary schools
  • A business with an entrance fee
  • Connected to a business, for customers only, e.g., at McDonald's and IKEA.
  • Elaborate indoor mazes, like those at the (now defunct) Discovery Zone, Zoom Zoom's Indoor Playground in Ancaster, Ontario, Jungle Jam Indoor Playground and Chuck E. Cheese's

Playground safety

Main article: Playground safety


Playground Injury

Main article: Playground injuries


Playgrounds in the Soviet Union

Playgrounds were an integral part of urban culture in the USSR. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were playgrounds in almost every park in many Soviet cities. Playground apparatus was reasonably standard all over the country; most of them consisted of metallic bars with relatively few wooden parts, and were manufactured in state-owned factories. Some of the most common constructions were the carousel, sphere, seesaw, rocket, bridge, etc.


Natural playground

Main article: Playscape

"Natural playgrounds" are play environments that blend natural materials, features, and indigenous vegetation with creative landforms to create purposely complex interplays of natural, environmental objects in ways that challenge and fascinate children and teach them about the wonders and intricacies of the natural world while they play within it.

Play components may include earth shapes (sculptures), environmental art, indigenous vegetation (trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, lichens, mosses), boulders or other rock structures, dirt and sand, natural fences (stone, willow, wooden), textured pathways, and natural water features.


See also

  • Empower playgrounds
  • Friendship bench
  • Obstacle course
  • Playground game
  • Playground song
  • Playground Surfacing
  • Playscape
  • Playwork
  • Ropes course
  • School facilities

References

  1. ↑ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/tot_lot/
  2. ↑ To Cuno H. Rudolph, Washington Playground Association, February 16, 1907. Presidential Addresses and State Papers VI, 1163.

External links


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