The smartest duo in play

Posted on February 9, 2017 by PlayLSI

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otyOdDl21W0]

We introduced the Smart Play concept in 2014, and the newest additions to the family take the smart to a whole new level. Smart Play: Nook was designed for kids ages 6 to 23 months and Smart Play: Loft is for kids ages 2 to 5 years. Together, they span a critical period of childhood development.

The Nook and Loft activities and messaging were developed with guidance from the National Head Start Association and Too Small to Fail. They encourage adult-child conversations to support language development and literacy as well as support whole-child learning.

Best of all, the Nook and Loft playstructures take kids from early crawling exploration on up to active climbing and social play in a fun, whimsical environment. Whether playing inside or outside the Nook, the intentional sight lines let you keep your eye on little crawlers and early walkers at all times. And with 20 play activities, the Loft encourages imaginative play while helping to develop both large and small motor skills as well as strategic thinking.

Learn more about this duo of smart playstructures at playlsi.com, and use #shapedbyplay to tell us how your kids are developing through play and playgrounds.

Exciting, new products for your 2017 playground designs

Posted on January 26, 2017 by PlayLSI

Good things start on the playground, and that’s because we have exciting new playground products for 2017.

GeoPlex™

The abstract, geometric GeoPlex™ climbing panels for ages 5 to 12 come together in so many different ways to create endless patterns of visual and physical texture.

Smart Play®: Nook 6-23

Sized just right for little crawlers and early walkers, the whimsical Smart Play®: Nook 6-23 offers plenty of colorful activities to capture the attention of young ones.

Smart Play: Loft 2-5

Toddlers graduate from the Nook to Smart Play: Loft 2-5 and enter a world of imaginary play. Even more, the play structure encourages conversation between children and caregivers.

WhooshWinder™ Slide

Give kids a fast, twisty ride down the WhooshWinder™ Slide from 6- or 8-foot decks.

Double Swoosh Slide®

The Double Swoosh Slide® is our steepest double racer slide is now available in 8 feet height.

Learn more about these innovative new commercial playground equipment products on playlsi.com. And watch our video to see how we’re all #shapedbyplay at Landscape Structures.

Good things start on the playground

Posted on January 19, 2017 by PlayLSI

Good things start on the playground. That chance moment when kids from anywhere get together just to be kids. To free their spirits, their bodies, their minds.

To play.

And through play, kids show persistence, leadership, competition, bravery, support, empathy. They show us who they will become as adults. They show us, as adults, who we should be now. Yes, good things start on the playground. And last a lifetime.

Browse or request your 2017 Playground Equipment Catalog and find inspiration for your next playground design. And we encourage you to share how you were #shapedbyplay in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Case Study: Honoring a life cut short

Posted on November 17, 2016 by PlayLSI

Client: Madison Claire Foundation, Woodbury, Minn.

Designers: Gabriel Cotten, Landscape Structures playground designer

Goal: After the loss of their daughter, Madison, Dana and Dave Millington wanted to create an inclusive playground to honor Madison’s short life while also delivering a space for families of all abilities to gather and experience “normal” activities.

Solution: After getting input from the rehabilitation team at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital and talking to parents of children with disabilities, Dana and the Madison Claire Foundation’s Board of Directors broadened their idea of inclusive play to account for as many different situations as possible.

The inclusive playground design is fully ramped and includes many sensory-stimulating activities including a double ZipKrooz®, Sway Fun® glider, Cozy Dome®, We-saw™, Sensory Play Center®, OmniSpin® spinner, Roller Table and Oodle® Swing. Even more, there is a custom sensory tunnel, which is the highlight of the inclusive play design. The plum tunnel, with its star cutouts and marbles, invites intrigued visitors to step inside. Once inside, it’s a kaleidoscope of light and colors as the movement of the sun casts colorful stars on the opposite wall.

Read more about how Madison’s Place has created a space for families to create lasting and happy memories.

Guest Blog: Project-based learning leads to new playground design

Posted on March 31, 2016 by PlayLSI

In 2015, we collaborated with Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tenn., to design a world-themed playground. Today, we’re happy to have Kara Barbour, head of lower school, as our guest blogger discussing how the school brought students into the playground planning process through their project-based curriculum.

At Lausanne Collegiate School, the Lower School (PK-4) engages in a daily block of project work. Each Lower School classroom is in charge of three projects throughout the year, dedicating six to eight weeks to each project. Our goal with this project-based learning was to get students asking questions and researching a particular topic.

The third grade classrooms are focused on inventions projects, during which they start to investigate how things are made, hear from entrepreneurs, etc. The students work in groups of three to four to come up with an invention, and then they go to the idea labs to start sketching things out and building prototypes to determine if their idea will work.

When we decided that we were going to install a new playground, we really wanted to get the students involved and decided the third graders and their inventions unit would be a perfect fit. Each of the small groups put together a proposal, and so many of their ideas were actually things that Landscape Structures had already started working on.

We first revealed the playground drawings to the third graders. They squealed with delight to see their ideas turned into reality. We then gave them the opportunity to share the drawings with the rest of the school during a student assembly, and even had a few students share the plans with the parent group. The third graders feel that the playground came to be because of the work that they did.

The playground opened in August 2015, just before school began, and the third graders took part in the official ribbon cutting. All of the students at Lausanne love the new playground—even fifth graders are attracted by it. It’s been quite the magnet for the entire community.

Case Study: Taking Global Education to the Playground

Posted on March 3, 2016 by PlayLSI

Client: Lausanne Collegiate School, Memphis, Tenn.

Designers: Jonah Scholen, Landscape Structures custom playground designer

Goal: Demonstrate the school’s global brand and represent the internationally diverse population—30 percent of students and/or parents represent 54 different countries

Solution: Lausanne collaborated with their local playground consultant, Recreational Concepts, and Jonah to create a world-themed design. The playground includes 14 different playstructures that represent a tour of the world on safety surfacing designed to mimic a world map. The playground includes the ZipKrooz™, which takes students from the Horn of Africa to Australia. Plus, climbable replicas of Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal provide opportunities for kids to interact, engage in imaginative play and discover the world beyond them while staying active.

Read more about how the playground at Lausanne Collegiate School has become a space to play and learn.

Explore the power of outdoor musical instruments

Posted on February 26, 2016 by PlayLSI

We’re so excited about the new Rhapsody™ Outdoor Musical Instruments! Not only because the chimes, metallophones and playground drums bring people of all ages and abilities together for jam sessions, but because our musical instruments are the perfect addition to any space.

Rhapsody Outdoor Musical Instruments are a great addition to any new or existing school playgrounds. The instruments can be placed together to encourage musical ensembles or spread about individually for solo performances. Best of all, these outdoor musical instruments for schools will deliver a unique way for students to express themselves.

Adding outdoor musical instruments to your park playground is another great option. Kids and their families will come together to create their own music or sound out familiar tunes together. And with the highest quality materials used to make the Rhapsody Outdoor Musical Instruments, your playground instruments will be great sounding, beautiful looking and long lasting.

Because outdoor music play is a multigenerational activity, the Rhapsody Outdoor Musical Instruments fit more environments than just parks and school playgrounds. The outdoor music instruments can be installed at community and senior centers, museums and many other public spaces. These inclusive play activities are sure to encourage individuals of all ages and abilities to explore the power of music.

#MakeYourMark with innovative playground designs

Posted on February 4, 2016 by PlayLSI

BE BOLD. DARE TO CLIMB. DARE TO DREAM.
DARE TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF.
FIND THE COURAGE TO SEE THE WORLD FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE.
TO BE THE FIRST. TO MAKE YOUR MARK.
TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS.
WHEN WE ASK KIDS TO THINK BIG, REMEMBER THAT THEY’RE ASKING THE SAME OF US.
DARE TO ANSWER THEIR CHALLENGE.

Whether you’re creating a playground that will become a destination for visitors near and far or a neighborhood or school playground, we have design solutions that will help your project stand out from the rest. Check out our infographic below to see how we can help you make your mark!

Learn more about our design solutions by visiting playlsi.com, and request your copy of the 2016 Playground Equipment catalog.

Case Study: Healing through play

Posted on December 10, 2015 by PlayLSI

Client: Boston Redevelopment Authority, Boston, Mass.

Designers: Cheri Ruane, landscape architect at Spurr, Weston & Sampson’s design studio

Goal: Design an exciting and interesting playground that would be truly inclusive so that kids who are typically developing and those with special needs could play together

Solution: Cheri and her team collaborated with physical and occupational therapists from nearby Spaulding Rehabilitation Center to learn and understand what kinds of therapy and activities should be supported in the park. The playground combines the Evos® playsystem with the PlayBooster® playstructure, landforms were used to create elevation so that space wasn’t taken up by really long lengths of ramps. And sensory-rich and therapy-specific components were included to meet the needs of all visitors.

Read more about how Thomas M. Menino Park brings fun and therapy to the Boston Waterfront.

Celebrating Sensory Awareness Month

Posted on October 15, 2015 by PlayLSI

October is National Sensory Awareness Month… a time for us to help spread awareness of sensory processing disorder (SPD). SPD, which affects both children and adults, is a condition that exists when sensory signals don’t get organized into appropriate responses. The causes of SPD are among the subjects that researchers at the SPD Foundation have been studying, and treatment often includes natural setting therapy like at home, school or the playground.

The benefits of sensory-stimulating playground activities—those that engage all their senses—affect children of all abilities. The more they engage all of their senses, the better they make sense of the world around them and their relationship to it. See our infographic below of five ways that children benefit from sensory play.

Together We Play

Bringing the magic of play to communities.

Category Archives: Playground