Dynamic nets win Best Visual Appeal in Boston

Posted on November 19, 2013 by PlayLSI

Last weekend, we were in Boston, Mass., to participate in the 2013 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Annual Meeting & Expo. The theme of our booth this year was “We believe parks make communities great,” and it featured our newest playground innovation, GeoNetrix.

Visitors to our booth were able to get a first look at the iconic playstructure. The dynamic nets, contemporary towers and colored, translucent polycarbonate roofs of GeoNetrix enticed attendees to stop by for a play break and test the new playground innovation. Landscape architects were so captivated by the structure that they voted our booth Best Visual Appeal.

In addition to our booth, we were proud to sponsor the Opening General Session speaker, Jack Dangermond, founder of Esri, who spoke about geodesign and the emerging GIS platform. We also sponsored the ASLA/Landscape Structures Gala at the Boston Children’s Museum, which offered hands-on activities, farm-to-table dining and dancing.

We had a great time in Boston visiting with landscape architects, hearing from industry experts and taking in the nearby attractions. Our employees and playground consultants are already looking forward to 2014 ASLA in Denver, Colo.!

Laying the foundation for change

Posted on November 7, 2013 by PlayLSI

Our partnership with Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children with disabilities, has allowed us to positively impact many children, families and entire communities. And we’re excited to say that our partnership is helping bring inclusive play to Ecuador! In a matter of weeks, the Municipality of Cuenca will open its first inclusive playground (the first in the entire country!), which will help promote integration among children of all abilities.

Learn more about the project and see a few in-progress photos from our friends at Shane’s Inspiration.

Guest Blog: Gaining community support for your playground project

Posted on October 24, 2013 by PlayLSI

In June, we awarded the Iola Kiwanis club in Iola, Kan., $25,000 in playground equipment as part of the Make a Difference Through Play contest. Since winning, they’ve been busy with plans, and we’re happy to share another update from Michael Ford, member of Iola Kiwanis and community resource officer for the Iola Police Department.

We started gaining support for our inclusive playground project during the Make a Difference Through Play contest. The contest took place on Facebook so we were able to easily spread the word through the Iola Kiwanis club Facebook page, various community pages and each of our personal pages. With family and friends spread far and wide, we literally had support coming from around the world.

When we entered the contest many people said, “What are the odds that little Iola, Kan., can win this contest?” But the power of social media showed that anything is possible. With our online outreach and word-of-mouth spreading through the community, we secured enough votes to get our project to the top of the list. After winning the contest and sharing our plans for the inclusive playground—including plans to have the project completed by April 2014—we were concerned that we would be confronted by naysayers, but we’ve had nothing but support.

Inclusive playgrounds mean more than just accessible.

Top: OmniSpin® spinner; Middle Left: Oodle® Swing; Middle Right: Cozy Dome®; Bottom: Sensory Play Center®

To help increase community involvement, we included the M.O.M.S. group and physical therapist from school to help our Kiwanis club create a truly inclusive playground design. While I was thinking wheelchair accessibility, they helped educate our group on the need for sensory play panels, playground spinners and swings, as well as quiet areas where kids with autism or sensory processing disorders can take a “time out” if necessary.

While we move forward finalizing the design, we’re analyzing our site and creating an overall blueprint of the project. We’re also beginning to work more closely with the Iola Parks Department as they will be heavily involved with the installation and maintenance of the playground.

Stay tuned for another update from Michael next month. He’ll talk more in depth about designing an inclusive playground.

We believe parks make communities great!

Posted on October 16, 2013 by PlayLSI

Last week, we were in Houston, Texas, to participate in the 2013 National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) Congress & Exposition. The theme of our booth this year was “We believe parks make communities great,” and it featured the Eclipse® Net Plus, We-saw™ and Kaleidoscope benches.

Visitors to our booth were able to take a play break to climb through the nets and rock on the We-saw. We provided red solo cups (which are made in Grand Prairie, Texas, @huetherdesign on Instagram taught us) to those that stopped by full of keg root beer. We also hosted an event at Lucky Strike Lanes, which was complete with bowling, billiards, Xbox Kinect and lots of fun. See more photos of that event on Facebook.

We had a great three days in Houston visiting with park and recreation professionals, hearing from industry experts and taking in the nearby attractions. Our employees and playground consultants are already looking forward to 2014 NRPA in Charlotte, N.C.!

Show your school spirit… on the playground

Posted on September 11, 2013 by PlayLSI

Personalization adds a unique element to playgrounds, and it also lets you show your school spirit! Versailles Elementary School in Versailles, Ohio, went all out to show their support for the Tigers. By incorporating their school colors—orange and gray—and a couple of personalized panels showing their school mascot, there is no doubt to anyone that visits the playground that it is the home of the Tigers.

Not only can we help you create an entirely personalized playground like Versailles Elementary, but we can add any level of personalization to best meet your needs. From a personalized welcome sign to playground panels with your school name, motto or mascot, or a customized freestanding play component, we’ll help make your school playground design your own.

Serving up play to two Vancouver schools

Posted on July 1, 2013 by PlayLSI

Volunteers from Circle K International built playgrounds at two Vancouver Schools We’re proud to say that last week we worked together with Circle K International (CKI) members, Kiwanis and our local playground consultant, Habitat Systems, to build playgrounds at two deserving schools in Vancouver, British Columbia. More than 150 CKI volunteers installed playgrounds at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary School and Sir Wilfrid Laurier Annex as part of CKI’s 13th Annual Large Scale Service Project, which took place prior to their annual convention.

After two days of construction, two new school playgrounds were ready for students in Vancouver.

Both schools had aging wooden play structures that were scheduled for removal due to safety concerns. “The students were aware that the playgrounds were being removed, and were disappointed,” explained Janet Souther, principal of Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary School. “The Laurier parents, staff and students at both the Elementary and the Annex have been working hard on various fundraising projects but new playgrounds were still years away. Landscape Structures, Kiwanis, Habitat Systems and our local corporate donors have made these school playgrounds a reality and we are beyond grateful!”

Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary & Annex celebrate their new playgrounds with a grand opening event on the last day of school.

After two days of construction, some of which took place during rain showers, the two playgrounds were complete. On Thursday, June 27, both the Elementary and Annex celebrated the new playgrounds, in addition to the last day of school, with grand opening ceremonies.

Contest helps Kiwanis clubs “Make a Difference Through Play”

Posted on April 22, 2013 by PlayLSI

We are excited to be partnering with Kiwanis International to help a deserving Kiwanis club bring a playground to their community through a contest on Facebook called, Make a Difference Through Play. The winning Kiwanis club will receive $25,000 in playground equipment to be used toward a playground project that can be completed on Kiwanis One Day, April 5, 2014, which is Kiwanis International’s signature day of service.

The contest is open to all Kiwanis clubs that are currently working on a playground project. Qualified contestants can enter the contest at facebook.com/Kiwanis by completing the entry form. Entries will accepted through May 5, 2013. Following the submission period, Facebook users will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite project. Find complete contest rules here.

Landscape Structures became a vision partner of Kiwanis International in January 2013. Kiwanis and its family of clubs partner with Landscape Structures to bring play and playgrounds to communities across the globe. Learn more about the partnership at playlsi.com.

Sharing the history of Landscape Structures

Posted on April 12, 2013 by PlayLSI

Steve King, our cofounder and chairman, released a book titled, A Legacy of Play, in January. In A Legacy of Play, readers take a journey through the unusual history of Landscape Structures, and learn how the company helped the playground industry evolve while keeping in mind the most important aspect of play—child development across all ages and abilities.

When Steve was a landscape architectural student at Iowa State University in the mid-1960s, he was eager to learn more about play and went to the Child Development Department to observe kids. Their behaviors—kids didn’t like standing in line to use the swings or slides; they wanted group activities—got him thinking. For Steve’s final project he designed a playstructure using the continuous play concept, which combines traditional playground equipment into an endless stream of activities.

Landscape Structures’ first sold playstructure.

In 1971, Steve and his late wife, Barb, cofounded Landscape Structures. We are headquartered in Delano, Minn., and proud to be a 100-percent employee-owned company. Since opening, Steve and Barb were committed to enhancing children’s lives by creating inspiring play experiences, a mission that all of us employees connect with and work towards.

Landscape Structures corporate headquarters in Delano, Minn.

Steve continues to serve as chairman of Landscape Structures and is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects (FASLA). He served as chairman for the task group of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) that worked to develop accessibility standards to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector, and a founding member and past president of IPEMA (International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association).

A Legacy of Play is available for order on Amazon.com. The cost of the book is $14.95, and proceeds will go to the SEBA Foundation, the King family charitable foundation dedicated to environmental and children’s causes.

Topiaries, flowers and playgrounds… OH MY!

Posted on March 14, 2013 by PlayLSI

We are excited to have our playground equipment featured at the 20th Annual EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival, which kicked off March 6, and runs through May 19. We are truly honored to be a part of this special event, and proud to say that 2013 marks our 11th year of participation.

New to the Festival this year is the garden and children’s play area called, “Land of Oz.” A themed Evos® playsystem is linked to the PlayBooster® Vibe™ to create a truly unique play experience. A rainbow-colored O-Zone® climber, cityscape and flower post toppers, and custom Vibe roofs will stretch kids’ imaginations and muscles. Additionally flower pod steppers lead to three Cozy Domes®, fun playground components that act as a hide-away on the inside while providing climbing fun on the outside.

In addition to the all-new “Land of Oz” garden, we have a nature-inspired playground that was designed especially for 2- to 5-year-olds. A PlayBooster playstructure complete with The Pinnacle™ and The Pointe™ rock climbers fits perfectly into the garden, which has a southwestern-themed landscape. And EPCOT didn’t forget about the teenagers, parents and grandparents visiting the park. In yet another garden, three of our HealthBeat® outdoor fitness stations are available for a quick workout.

If you’re in the neighborhood or planning a vacation nearby Lake Buena Vista, Fla., make plans to visit the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Colorful flowers and more than 75 Disney character topiaries accompany the play areas, along with a concert series and presentations by HGTV and DIY Network personalities. Read more about the annual Festival here.

Spring means playground planning

Posted on March 8, 2013 by PlayLSI

On Sunday, we spring forward for daylight saving time and then spring officially gets underway nine days after that. So what I’m saying is that spring is in the air, which is the perfect time to start thinking about your upcoming playground projects.

Whether you’re designing an entirely new playground or freshening up an existing play space, don’t forget to include freestanding play components. Playground activities set apart from a main play structure allows kids to step away for some quiet time or break into smaller play groups. Better yet, freestanding play components can bring children of all abilities and ages into the same space for collaborative play.

Flywheel™ spinner

We have a wide variety of freestanding play events. New this year is the Flywheel™ spinner, which was designed for kids ages 5 to 12. The multi-user spinner accommodates up to five kids at a time, promoting social interaction and sensory stimulation. The Flywheel spinner can fit into a compact space, making it a great option for a playground add-on. Plus, many kids will love the thrill of spinning that the Flywheel Spinner offers.

Freestanding play includes more than just spinners. We have climbers like the Mobius® and Aeronet® Climbers, slides and gliders, swings, and sensory-stimulating activities like the Sway Fun® glider that will engage a variety of ages and abilities. Learn more here, and then get in touch with your local playground consultant.

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Category Archives: Playground