What is an Inclusive Playground?
We believe all kids are created equal.
That's why we create play environments using inclusive playground equipment that welcome kids and families of all abilities to learn, play and grow together.
Inclusive Play
All kids are created equal with the same desire and need to experience play. Play that challenges and inspires them physically, supports and stimulates them cognitively and facilitates an emotional and social connection. A well-designed inclusive playground welcomes children and adults of all abilities to a play experience where everyone can interact and play together.
Play is not only fun, but it’s also an essential part of a child’s development and critical for the successful growth of both the brain and the body. Playgrounds offer a unique opportunity to support a child's cognitive, emotional, physical and social development all why disguising it as play.
The link between play and its positive outcomes is so strong that the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) considers it an important component of developmentally appropriate teaching practice, the American Academy of Pediatrics have issued guidelines to help pediatricians encourage play, and the UN High Commission on Human Rights declared play a fundamental right of all children.
All children means everyone. The need for play does not distinguish between children who are typically developing and children with disabilities. Everyone of all abilities needs play. And everyone means not only children with a physical disability requiring an accessible playground, but it also includes developmental disabilities like autism; children with sight or hearing impairment and children with intellectual disabilities such as down syndrome. Everyone also includes siblings, parents, grandparents, friends and other caregivers.
Meet the Jr. Play Team!
At Landscape Structures, inclusion is more than a goal - it’s a promise. That’s why we created the Jr. Play Team, which is a group of incredible kids with disabilities who help us create truly inclusive playground products. In this video, you’ll meet John Buettner, president of the Landscape Structures Jr. Play Team, as he shares his perspective on what true inclusivity means.
Playground products shown in video may not be appropriate for every age group. Playsystems shown in video are for demonstration purposes only. Product configurations may vary.
At Landscape Structures, inclusion is more than a goal - it’s a promise. That’s why we created the Jr. Play Team, which is a group of incredible kids with disabilities who help us create truly inclusive playground products. In this video, you’ll meet John Buettner, president of the Landscape Structures Jr. Play Team, as he shares his perspective on what true inclusivity means.
[video: a mother helps her son to transfer from his wheelchair to playground decking.]
Mother: All right, get the knee up?
John voiceover: If you want to make an accessible playground. If you want to help increase the confidence of people with disabilities, you need to be able to look at people with disabilities and say we need to do something about that.
[video: John crawls up an inclined netted area of a play structure. A young girl wheels herself in her wheelchair across the playground ramps and decking. A grandmother holds her grandson as they sit together on a multi-person seesaw. Going up and down in slow motion. A mother leans over to talk to her son as he sits on a large circular swing seat. Screen fades to a darker blue as the Landscape Structures logo appear center screen in a complimenting lighter blue. Screen fades to John as he speaks to the camera.]
John: My name is John Butner I am 12 years old. LSI was just like; hey we want to start this club with kids who have disabilities and kids that want to see inclusivity happen.
[video: a girl seated in her wheelchair uses a mallet to play an outdoor xylophone. After she plays a few notes she double high fives her teacher standing in front of her on the other side of the xylophone. Scene switches to the camera looking down through playground netting to a boy as he lays on a lower level of netting. His mother leans over to help readjust him into a sitting position. Scene switches to John climbing on netted climbers inside the topmost point of a tower structure. Screen fades to a dark blue as light blue text appears center screen reading “Junior Play Team”.]
John voiceover: We’ve gone to multiple different sites to test out playgrounds.
[video: John wheels himself through a tunnel with star cut outs and marble panels. Another boy stands at the end of the tunnel as a teacher peaks in and points to the star cut outs on the side of the tunnel. Scene switches to John at a different playground location crawling up saddle shaped steppers.
John voiceover: We’ve tested out experimental prototypes. We’ve even gotten to help with designing our own playground equipment.
[video: John’s mother lifts him onto a swing prototype in a warehouse. John smiles as he rides a large hammock style swing. Scene switches to children pushing their friend on a large circular seat playground swing in slow motion.]
John voiceover: I feel like what I look for, is a person with disabilities going to look at that and say; Ooh that looks fun I want to try that.
[video: John smiles as he climbs on a large belt on a play structure. Camera switches to looking down a tube slide as John slowly lets his body down feet first. He looks up to the camera smiling as he wiggles down the slide. Scene switches to John crawling up the central netting of a play structure.]
Man off camera: You like the size of the gaps?
John: Yeah, I love the size of the gaps.
[video: scene switches back to John speaking to the camera.]
John: For me inclusivity means that a person with disabilities or just in general a person like that’s insecure about themselves or any person they can go outside and say, hey I’m going to play on the playground, and I know I can do that.
[video: two girls look through a bubble panel and smile at the camera. John’s friend pushes him around the playground following a road designed into the playground surfacing. A mother stands by her daughter as she uses a side rope to climb up an inclined belt on a play structure. Scene switches back to John as he continues to speak.]
John: Inclusivity means that people can have confidence that they’re not just being shut out form society.
[video: camera peaks into a hole of a dome structure where children play together inside. Scene switches to John as he makes his way up a slight inclined netting pathway side a tower structure.]
John voiceover: You shouldn’t have to ask for permission to do what you want to do on a playground.
[video: full elevated view of a playground filled with playing children. Scene switches to John as he crawls on a belted pathway. Scene switches to John looking around as he sits at the topmost location inside a tall tower structure.]
John voiceover: If there’s a boundary between you and what you want to do we need to break that barrier down.
[video: John seated in his wheelchair across from his teacher sitting on a bench high five each other twice. Camera switches back to John as he finishes speaking to the camera.]
John: The more we strive to achieve our goals the more we use our brilliant minds.
John voiceover: The more ideas pop into our head, the better that we will because at saying; we want inclusivity for all.
[video: John’s friends and a teacher push John on a large swaying playground glider. Camera focuses on John as he can sit in his wheelchair and ride the playground glider. Scene switches to a John inside a tower structure climbing up the accessible netting leading to a tube slide. John positions himself on a belted pathway to keep climbing up in the tower. Scene switches to a girl as she wheels her wheelchair through a green tunnel with marble panels and star cutouts. Screen fades to a dark blue as the Landscape Structures logo draws itself in the center of the screen.]
Inclusive Playgrounds
There is a misconception that an accessible playground is synonymous with an inclusive playground. However, simply ensuring accessibility for mobility devices on a playground is only part of a truly inclusive play design. An inclusive playground welcomes kids and families of all abilities to learn, play and grow together.
A well-designed, inclusive playground enables children of all abilities to develop physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally. An inclusive playground also provides just the right level of challenge to meet kids where they are, addresses all levels of ability, and creates play experiences for a variety of needs and interests. An inclusive playground goes beyond wheelchair accessibility and ensures children and adults of all abilities have play options and can choose how they want to engage each activity.
Our designs incorporate our inclusive play philosophy meaning special-needs playground equipment, events and activities are part of everything else and are designed to look appealing and inviting.
A truly inclusive playground doesn’t have areas off to the side for children with disabilities, or designated spaces for special needs playground equipment. Inclusive means everyone is a part of play with peers of all abilities. Inclusive playgrounds create an atmosphere where everyone can interact with each other, explore, imagine and play together.
Planning an Inclusive Playground
Our inclusive play specialists and design architects are available to assist you with all your inclusive playground planning needs. Whether you’re looking for a custom design or one of our already established plans, our design team and your local playground consultant will guide you through every step from concept through completion.
At Landscape Structures, we understand how the design of a children’s playground can shape a child’s development as well as the community in which it resides. Together, we can create an inclusive play environment that is welcoming to all and serves your community for decades.
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