Long gone are the days when a playground included a sandbox
and a slide. Modern playground installations are artistic, innovative, and
sometimes extravagant designs built with a kid's imagination in mind. While
playgrounds have upgraded in how they look, their core function remains the
same: to encourage play and promote fun. Below are a few business cases for
modern playground installations.
Promoting Health and Wellness
A new, updated playground signals that the community,
school, or church places an emphasis on children's health and wellness. It
symbolizes a commitment to prioritizing activity, movement, fun, and outdoor
play. Knowing that playgrounds are dedicated spaces for outdoor play, these
structures symbolize a commitment to prioritizing activity, movement, and, of
course, fun! Since their inception, playgrounds have challenged little ones.
They've tested just how high they can climb or how far they can reach to grasp
onto the next monkey bar. Today, modern playgrounds can do this and more
through their innovative designs and avant-garde constructions.
Prioritizing children's health and wellness is more
important than ever. Childhood obesity is at an all-time high. Kids are
spending less time being physically active and more time inside watching
television and playing on their devices. In combination with the poor American
diet, children aren't exerting the energy needed to burn off excess calories.
As a result, children are gaining weight at unhealthy levels and putting
themselves at risk for certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease,
high blood pressure, and more.
An up-to-date playground complete with fancy slides, playful
commercial swing sets, thrilling merry-go-rounds, and tempting sensory walls can be
the nudge children need to get outside and play. While at the playground,
children are mindlessly participating in physical activity. Running to the
slide doesn't feel like anything compared to running laps in gym class at
school. Nor does hanging from the monkey bars to test their grip strength, or
scattering across the climbing structure to zip down the slides. By refreshing
and improving a playground area, communities are giving importance to physical
activity and children's overall physical health and
well-being.
Building Community
Nobody likes to hang around an old, outdated community space.
Families are drawn to well-maintained, clearly lit spaces where their kids can
play freely and the parents or guardians can chat amongst themselves. A
modernized playground can easily become a centralized meeting point for
neighbors to gather and friends to linger while their children play. These
updated spaces help build community, a core component of any city or town
looking to foster a sense of home and connection.
Modernized playgrounds and parks can also serve as locations
for celebrations. Instead of meeting in someone's backyard or driving to
another part of town to throw a kid's birthday party, they can host it at the
playground. This encourages families to stay within the community, which is
beneficial to local businesses as well. Instead of picking up cupcakes from a
bakery in the next town, families will buy from the one located down the block
from the playground. This stimulates the community's economic activity and
supports local jobs too.
In order for families to want to meet and gather at the
playground, it's important to consider a few factors. First, the playground
should be regularly attended to for maintenance. Fresh flowers should be
planted when old ones die, and the grass should be cut regularly. Second,
having a space for parties means having a premise on-site for gathering. A few
picnic tables or a covered gazebo are nice additions that encourage events and
allow parents to sit and chat. Third, the playground should be safe and well
lit. A fence to enclose the space and a few lights triggered by darkness can
help make the space feel inviting and welcoming to all.
Attracting New Residents
If a city or town is looking to expand its population, then
a modernized outdoor playground may just do the trick. Attractive,
well-maintained playgrounds are an attractive incentive for new families
looking to put down roots. Again, a modern playground is a signal that the
community prioritizes children's health and is focused on community building.
This is especially the case in densely populated cities where private outdoor
space is at a minimum. Having a public play area is on many families' wish
lists as they look for a new place of residence.
Additionally, it's not uncommon for upgraded playgrounds to
also lead to increased property values. This can encourage current residents to
get on board with supporting new playground development. It can also be the
ticket to getting community leadership on boards with plans and construction,
too.
Of course, for the playground to be a value-add, it must be
beneficial to a diverse range of residents. Playgrounds should be able to
accommodate a wide range of ages, anywhere from tottering toddlers to daring
tweens. Having set play zones for different age groups can make playtime more
fun and safe for everyone. Within these play zones, it's important to set up
quieter areas too. Some children who are easily overstimulated may need to take
a step back from the action areas and play on a sensory wall or in a sandbox.
Lastly, be sure that the playground is built with inclusivity in mind so all
children, regardless of physical abilities, are able to join in on the
fun.
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