Designers: SWA and Jonah Scholen, Landscape Structures custom playground designer
Goal: Convert an unused concrete space into a community-designed green space including playgrounds for children and recreation activities for all ages
Solution: The City of Hawthorne collaborated with SWA, their local playground consultant, RecWest Outdoor Products, and Jonah to create an aviation-themed playground design. The PlayBooster® and Netplex® playstructures encourage kids ages 5 to 12 to climb higher and higher until they reach the clouds, while 2- to 5-year-olds explore the twin-prop plane-themed playstructure.
Get more details about how the playground at Bicentennial Park encourages kids of all ages to go sky-high.
Are you looking for resources on trends affecting the playground industry? We can help! We’ve created whitepapers to help generate discussion about the importance of play in early childhood development, outdoor play during school hours, and balancing safety and challenge, and serve as a reference during future playground projects. Get details below about each of our whitepapers, and request a download today.
Shaped by Play: The Formative Role of Play and Playgrounds
Child’s play, we are learning, is not just fun and games. Children’s play behavior appears to be essential preparation for a successful adult life. We partnered with the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development to understand how behavior on school and community playgrounds contributes to whole-child development. This meta-study aggregates and analyzes key findings from some of the most influential studies on children and play.
Balancing Safety & Challenge in Playground Design
Playgrounds are a place where children can learn and grow through exploration and social interaction. However, that development can’t take place without age and developmentally appropriate challenges. Parental concern along with standards that have decreased design freedom are contributors to the lack of challenging opportunities in today’s play equipment. Finding a balance between challenge and safety is important to childhood development, and society can help determine a healthy median.
The Importance of Outdoor Play & Physical Activity During School Hours
Both outdoor physical activity and indoor classroom time are important for kids’ growth and development. School provides students with the education they need to have a successful career, and physical activity gives them a chance to stay healthy. Unfortunately, not all kids get their daily 60 minutes outside. School is a place where kids can supplement the lack of physical activity they get at home, and help kids become smarter, healthier and stronger.
Find more playground education resources including continuing education sessions and infographics at playlsi.com.
Smart Play® playstructures pack a lot of activities into compact structures, taking kids from early crawling exploration on up to active climbing and social play to a challenging course for older children. This line helps span several critical periods of childhood development, making it ideal for childcare, early learning centers, neighborhood playgrounds and schools.
Motion – 2 to 5 years
Each Smart Play playstructure makes the most efficient use of materials to create a large number of activities. For example, cut-outs from panels are used to create activity components found elsewhere on the playstructure. And the compact size of these structures requires less space and surfacing materials than typical playgrounds resulting in a lower total investment. That means Smart Play playstructures are ideal for tight spaces and tight budgets, too.
Smart Play structures are preconfigured and designed with your choice of color. All at a smart price. Lots of Smart Play options are available for kids ages 6 months to 12 years:
Nook – 6 to 23 months
Nook – 6 to 23 months
Sized right for little crawlers and early walkers, this whimsical playstructures 20 colorful activities to capture young ones’ attentions.
Loft – 2 to 5 years
As young children grow, they become ready for Loft. With language prompts and learning activities connected to early childhood curriculum goals, you’ll find plenty of interactive elements.
Fire Station – 2 to 5 years
Kids will enjoy lots of activities that teach them about fire safety and helping others in this imagination encouraging playstructure.
Market Cafe – 2 to 5 years
This farmer’s market and cafe lets little ones take turns placing meal orders, dining with friends and learning about healthy food choices.
Centre – 2 to 5 years
Connect all three playstructures–Loft, Fire Station and Market Cafe–with elevated crawl tunnels to create Centre, and enhance the fun.
Motion – 2 to 5 years
This accessible playstructure packs 16 activities into its compact size, and encourages kids to engage in social and imaginative play.
Cube – 2 to 5 years
A curated collection of interactive play events help build cognitive and motor skills for toddlers and preschoolers while they play.
Venti® – 5 to 12 years
Nets, slides, belts and climbers provide challenges that promote physical development and strategic thinking while also creating hangouts.
Venti® – 5 to 12 years
See Centre in action below, and visit playlsi.com for more details.
We’re excited to expand the Smart Play® line of playstructures with designs especially for toddlers and preschoolers. Introduced in 2017, Loft delivers interactive elements to engage developing minds and bodies. And now, the Loft family has grown to include the Fire Station and Market Cafe to further encourage social and imaginative play for 2- to 5-year-olds.
With the Fire Station, kids can take control at the wheel, pet Sparky the friendly fire dog or slide down to their next adventure. There’s plenty more to keep them busy including an object find game, a bell and a gear shift, and a fun mirror that shows them how they’d look in uniform.
The Market Cafe lets little ones take turns placing meal orders, dining with friends and talking about healthy food choices. Among lots of activities, kids can make pictures in the image panel, bing-bong the apple bell and chat about food colors and tastes.
Double the fun by connecting any two of these Smart Play playstructures–Loft, Fire Station or Market Cafe–with an elevated crawl tunnel to enhance the imaginative fun and physical activity levels. Or connect all three to create the Centre for kids to explore and stay active.
Best of all, with guidance from the National Head Start Association and Too Small to Fail, developmentally appropriate activities including literacy prompts were incorporated throughout the designs to engage children and adults in language-rich conversations.
See Centre in action below, and go to playlsi.com for more details about the Smart Play line.
Exceed community expectations by creating amazing playground designs. Our innovative new playground products will deliver engaging and educational play experiences that will keep kids safe. Even more, we’ll ensure that your playground project stays within budget and is delivered on time. Collaborate with us in 2018 and bring your playground visions to life.
Kids play. It’s a simple thing to do. A way to pass the time, let off some steam. To us, play is so much more. It’s a trial run of adulthood. A way for kids to discover and practice all the skills they’ll need in the future. Leadership, persistence, empathy, courage. Play is amazing because it shapes kids for tomorrow. So for a better tomorrow, we play today.
You’ll find everything you need to complete your play environment. From new products to featured designs, individual components and fitness equipment, we’ll ensure your playground is everything you imagine and more. Browse our virtual 2018 Playground Equipment Catalog, then request a copy.
Invite individuals of all ages and abilities to immerse themselves in the brilliance of an Aquatix water experience. See how Aquatix moves graceful aqua play experiences well beyond a fun way to cool off. Browse the 2018 Aquatix Catalog, then request a copy.
A fresh look for your playground
Add a cool aesthetic (and an extra layer of protection) to your playground that will look great in any environment—urban, sculptural, modern, industrial—with the new HDG Series!
Exploring nature on the playground
There are myriad benefits to kids playing outdoors. That’s why we design nature-inspired playground equipment that helps connect kids to the natural world.
Thank you for tuning in to Together We Play in 2017. We’re looking forward to an exciting year of play; tell us below what you’d like to see more of in 2018 and we’ll do our best to share it here.
At this special time of year, we’d like to thank you for collaborating with us. Together we’re creating more than just playgrounds. We’re creating opportunities for imagination. Opportunities for children and families to celebrate each other… similarities and differences. Together, we’re helping build the leaders of tomorrow.
Thank you for all you do to create the next generation of great citizens.
