Improve the Safety and Enjoyment of Your Commercial Playground
Community playgrounds can be a great way to keep children entertained and busy while they get much needed exercise. The joyful squeals and laughs that surround community play systems that are in use let parents, caregivers, and spectators know that there are few things more enjoyable than swinging from monkey bars and zipping down slides. But playgrounds can be more than fun and games! If these play areas are suitable for the children’s age group, commercial playgrounds can be a safe and effective tool for building social skills and physical skills.
For children, there are few ways to get exercise that are more enjoyable than playing at a community site with their friends. Children can use playgrounds as a tool to stay active, acquire basic motor skills, refine advanced motor skills, and to build the social skills necessary for school interactions and later life. This all happens as the children happily play together! As children play, either by themselves or with others in their social group, they also begin to cultivate a rich imagination as they find creative ways to incorporate the play set into their games; these actions help children to develop creative thinking skills and problem solving skills that will follow them through not only their school life but also their later life.
Of course, all commercial playgrounds will not be suitable for every group of children. When schools and churches begin to research commercial play equipment for their new playground site, they should be considering more than safe, rounded edges, soft landing surfaces, and budget. One of the most important aspects to consider when choosing a play system is the age compatibility. The age of the children dictates their physical abilities, needs, and interests; these aspects will determine how a community can make the most out of the site for their new community playground.
A good commercial playground is designed to cater to the needs of the children and toddlers that will be playing on them. Younger children will have different abilities and needs than older children, and playgrounds will need to be designed accordingly. Children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years will need an environment with soft landing surfaces that can encourage the development of basic motor skills as they begin to scoot, crawl, and run! Children between the ages of 2 and 5 years old will begin to need more advanced play equipment. Systems with slides, climbers, and swings allow these children to improve their motor skills will encouraging them to learn and practice helpful social skills such as sharing and taking turns. Children between 5 and 12 years old will no longer need encouragement to learn social skills, so playgrounds designed with them in mind can focus entirely on physical development. Additional challenges such as horizontal ladders, climbers, and slides aid major muscle develop that will benefit these children.
Of course, not all community sites will be able to focus their attentions on a narrow age group. Some organizations will need to address the needs of a wide range of ages. Some committees choose to do this by purchasing multiple commercial playgrounds, each with a different age group in mind. However, in instances where this is not possible, commercial play equipment can be modified so that it can better serve a wider range of children. Ladders can be lowered to the reach of the younger children, while slides can be widened to fit older children.
While most parts and caregivers understand that children can keep themselves entertained on almost any playground, community playgrounds that are tailored to their age group provide more than just a good time. These commercial play sets are able to improve their motor skills, encourage social interaction while also allowing safer play. Instead of focusing only on keeping children amused and busy, focus on encouraging growth and development as well!
At Playgrounds of the Carolinas, we strive to offer schools, military bases, churches, and community organization the best quality and safest commercial playgrounds, play systems, and play equipment for their community playgrounds.
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