4 Playground Designs We Wish We Had When We Were Little

Parents have known for years that play is essential for healthy development in young children. Modern playgrounds are designed to stimulate physical and mental growth in ways that older playgrounds didn’t. Here are a few playground concepts we would have been lucky to enjoy when we were kids.

Themed Play Parks

Themed playgrounds are immersive experiences that take the stock playground paradigm and jazz it up substantially. They typically use a motif like mountain, desert, beach, or jungle terrain as their guiding design principle. Play equipment and decoration choices are then based around that overriding theme.

The best thing about themed playgrounds is that they’re more effective at encouraging physical exertion. Kidsare more likely to burn a few calories with friends if they can pretend that they’ve traveled to an exotic destination. Details like custom metal art and theme-specific equipment help to sell the illusion.

Spray Parks

Effectively miniature versions of the water parks you’d find at Six Flags, spray parks are a playground trend on the rise. Featuring water slides, sprinklers, and splash pads, spray parks are a great way for children to simultaneously beat the heat and have tons of fun.

Unsurprisingly, spray parks are a big hit with kids of all ages. For one thing, they allow children to easily cool off when the mercury rises. What’s more, they tend to result in the kind of rambunctious play like water fights that encourage the development of social skills in adolescents.

Interactive Electronic Parks

When it comes to getting kids to play outdoors, interactive electronic parks are highly effective. Electronic playground equipment like Sutu soccer walls, Toro sports courts, and Memo activity zones are big favorites with today’s youth. These inclusive playground equipment examples are surprisingly affordable given all that they offer.

The nice thing about interactive electronic parks is that they allow kids of all ages and physical capabilities to interact seamlessly. Tech-savvy youth quickly develop a love for play parks with electronic bells and whistles. Optional sports bleachers allow parents to supervise kids and bond with them at the same time.

Climbing Parks

While vertically oriented playground equipment has always been a big draw, today’s climbing parks take things to a whole new level. Now we’re seeing net ladders, net climbers, and rock step attachments in playground designs at locations all over the country. Best of all, modern climbing playground equipment has never been safer.

Since most kids naturally like to climb, net-based climbing parks pretty much sell themselves. Furthermore, climbing parks promote vigorous childhood development in a few ways. For one thing, climbing is a good athletic outlet for kids of all abilities. In addition, climbing is a mental exercise that forces youngsters to think outside of the box while playing.

The Only Limit Is Your Imagination

Over the past decade, playgrounds have become increasingly sophisticated to meet the demands of a new generation. Consumers recognize that swings and slides aren’t the be-all and end-all of playground equipment. Ultimately, a versatile playground that stands out is easily attainable if you research your options carefully before breaking ground.