Celebrating the magic of play this holiday season

Posted on December 21, 2023 by PlayLSI

As the festive lights twinkle and the air fills with the melody of carols, it’s a wonderful time to pause and reflect on the year that has passed. At Landscape Structures, the holiday season holds a special place in our hearts. It’s a time when the transformative magic of play shines brightest, mirroring the spirit of this season.

The Magic of Play

We’re privileged to witness how play acts as a canvas for imagination, connection, and joy. In parks, playgrounds and communal spaces, we’ve seen laughter ring out, friendships form and creativity take flight. These moments are a testament to the enchanting power of play.

A Canvas for Creativity

Our commitment to creating playful spaces is more than just a mission. It’s a passion fueled by the wonder we see every day. Play spaces become arenas where imagination and creativity are not just encouraged but celebrated. They are where the mundane gives way to wonder. And where every swing, slide and sandbox becomes a part of a larger story of joy and community.

Gratitude and Wishes

As we approach the end of the year, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to you. Your support and belief in the power of play have been vital in our journey. Whether you’re a parent, a caregiver, a community leader, or simply someone who believes in the importance of play, your role has been invaluable in shaping a world where play and creativity flourish.

This holiday season, we wish you moments brimming with laughter, joy and enchanting experiences. May your days be filled with the cheer of celebration and the delightful spark of play.

We are excited to continue this beautiful journey with you into 2024, and look forward to creating spaces and experiences where the wonder of play can thrive.

Play Connects Us

Posted on January 19, 2023 by PlayLSI

Connections. Our lives are built around them. At Landscape Structures, we see it every day. Everywhere. This is the beauty of play. An extraordinary opportunity for interaction and imagination. Coordination and cooperation. Freedom and fun. Play connects us to who we are and see our wonder amplified in the connections we make. That’s why, in everything we do, we celebrate the beauty of play.

Play Connects Us - Landscape Structures Playground Catalog

You’ll find everything you need to complete your play environment in our 2023 Playground Equipment Catalog – Play Connects Us. From new products to featured designs, individual components and outdoor fitness equipment, we’ll ensure your play space is everything you imagine and more. Browse our digital catalog, then request a copy to find inspiration for your upcoming playground projects.

Make a true impact with a fully integrated shade system for your playstructure, splash pad or any activity area. From small to big shade, decorative to themed shade, we have flexible and stylish options for everywhere people like to gather. Browse the SkyWays® Shade Products virtual catalog, then contact us and start on a new shade project.

Our splashtastic products engage kids’ imaginations, encourage exploration and deliver exhilarating new experiences with water to people of all abilities and on splash pads of all sizes. Discover how Aquatix® water-based activities can help you create a signature destination. Browse our digital catalog, then request a copy and start on your splash pad projects.

Celebrating the playful season

Posted on December 22, 2022 by PlayLSI

Collaborating with you this year has been a joy and a privilege. We are inspired by the work you’re doing to bring amazing play spaces to communities around the world. Thank you for your continued support. The work we’re doing together is helping bring together children of all ages, abilities and backgrounds for play.

Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays from all of us at Landscape Structures, Aquatix and SkyWays.

50 Years at Play

Posted on April 29, 2021 by PlayLSI

Many people remember the days of freestanding slides, swings and monkey bars. But in 1967, that idea of playground design advanced to interconnected play components. Cofounder Steve King created the continuous play concept, the revolutionary idea of combining playground activities. As his final thesis project at Iowa State University, Steve developed a system that linked play activities together to provide a continuous challenge for children. His premise was that if kids are together on one structure, they’ll learn things that they will use in real life like social and conflict-resolution skills.

While his thesis only scored him a C+ grade, Steve took his continuous play concept to his first job as a landscape architect specializing in park planning. In 1969, he put his approach in action in a playground design project for the City of Minneapolis. His first playground was a success, which lead to more interest. And in April 1971, Steve and Barb obtained a $1,000 loan and incorporated Landscape Structures to design and build playground innovation. See our company timeline here.

Landscape Structures’ commitment to playground innovation

Landscape Structures is committed to innovation. Hedra®, one of our more recent inventions, allows kids to safely navigate via their own intuition and curiosity, and invent routes, games and imaginary environments. Our long-standing commitment to inclusive play is breaking barriers with the new We-Go-Swing™, the first no-transfer inclusive swing that can be integrated directly into the playground setting. Even more, the use of innovative materials and the development of colors that are truly inspired by nature is changing the world of playgrounds.

Reflecting on the power of play

As Landscape Structures moves into its 50th year of business, we’re taking time to reflect on the power of play. We know that play and recreation has far more value than just being fun; it is essential for the health and wellbeing of communities. And that’s why our team—nearly 500 employees and the network of more than 200 playground consultants worldwide—is proud to provide unique play opportunities for all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Because no matter what’s happening in the world, we will always come back to play.

The season of joy

Posted on December 19, 2019 by PlayLSI

The end of the year brings no greater joy than the opportunity to express to you our heartfelt gratitude. Thank you for using play to celebrate children, families and entire communities. We know that the work we’re doing together is shaping the lives of the next generation.

Happy holidays from all of us at Landscape Structures, Aquatix and SkyWays.

For a better tomorrow, we play today

Posted on January 12, 2017 by PlayLSI

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3878sEXPuVE]We don’t just manufacture playgrounds at Landscape Structures. What we do here is shape kids’ lives… their futures. It has been more than 45 years since we’ve opened our doors and we continue to invest our hearts and souls into our work. Sometimes it’s hard to find the right words to explain why we do what we do. But this video captures exactly what gets us out of bed every day… why we create the best playgrounds in the world: for a better tomorrow, we play today.

Share our video and use #shapedbyplay to tell us how play has shaped your life or how you’re helping to shape lives through play. Then go to shapedbyplay.com to learn more.

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.

Setting forth on an incredible journey

Posted on March 9, 2012 by PlayLSI

Region 2 Winner: The FUNdation, South Elgin, Ill.

On Oct. 21, 2011, we marked the beginning of an incredible journey for FUNdation and the Village of South Elgin, Ill. We marked our celebration as the region 2 winner of the Together We Play™ contest by hosting a kickoff celebration at the location of our inclusive playground site. We held a community options planning session and invited many local community members to help us dream big! Great design ideas were shared by school administration, parents, Village administration, parks and recreation staff, teachers and committee members. In December, we received conceptual designs from Shane’s Inspiration and are on our way to completion.

Several of our committee members visited Landscape Structures in Delano, Minn., to take a tour of their production facility. Not only are the products produced by Landscape Structures of the highest quality, we learned so much about the culture of their business. And with the addition of their concrete manufacturing plant, nothing is impossible to create into play. We plan to include concrete products in our playground design.

Tiffany Harris and Brad Thornton from Shane’s Inspiration joined us on a cold, blizzard-filled evening in January as we reached out to our community members to gain support for this inclusive play project. After we shared our vision for inclusive play with those in attendance, we asked everyone to become ambassadors for this unique project. We have hosted two more open houses to educate community members, and we continue to research possible funding opportunities to help us meet our $1.1 million budget goal.

Together We Play

Bringing the magic of play to communities.

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