playground
Celebrating the Positive Side of 2021
Friends – With the end of the year just around the corner and we look back on 2021 it’s tempting to view it through a dark lens. No one can be blamed for seeing 2021 as another year of hardship, when Covid continued to reign over our lives, constricting us…
The Griff Slides of Erie: Fast, Curvy and Transformational
LEAF Double slide with waves Even before their official dedication last month, the Griff slides of Erie, Pennsylvania had taken on almost mythic proportions. “This is just huge for the Erie community,” said landscape architect Alex Luddy. “That’s shown by all the community involvement we had.” From a gleam in the eye of Erie developer…
Playgrounds Spin into the Next Generation
Ever tried twirling on a playground spinner as an adult? Did it make your stomach turn? It’s not uncommon. When adults spin, the centrifugal motion can make them feel dizzy and uncomfortable, even sick. But spatial disorientation is good for our brain in appropriate doses, which is why sitting at…
Designer Profile – Aldo van Eyck: A Playground for Every Neighborhood
In 1947, when the structuralist architect Aldo van Eyck built his first playground in Amsterdam, Dutch cities were in a state of crisis. The city’s infrastructure lay ravaged by World War II, the birth rate was accelerating, and there was little available housing stock. At the time, most existing playgrounds…
Designer Profile: Joe Frost, The Contemporary Father of Play Advocacy
As a child on a small farm in southwestern Arkansas, Joe Frost played with his friends in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. He played war and chase, built dams in the stream behind his grade school, and piled on his classmates in a game called “Dog Pile.” He devoured…
Creating Intergenerational Public Spaces
A Place and Space for All Benefits Everyone Many are well aware that intergenerational interactions create enriching experiences for all involved. With the incorporation of design elements that effectively encourage an active involvement from the many adults in a child’s life, a play area’s overall value and ability to promote strong…
The 7 Best Playgrounds of 2016
The days of monkey bars suspended over pea gravel are far behind us. But the evolution of playgrounds is happening so fast, and in such varied ways, the change can seem dizzying. Certainly one of the biggest trends of 2016 is the growing popularity of fitness-focused playgrounds designed for older…
Designer Spotlight – H Nyunny Kim of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
“Who needs to escape the city when you can walk down the street or take the F train to Jay Street or the No. 22 to Clark Street or the B63 bus that goes right to Pier 6 at Atlantic Avenue — and see nature in the city.” That’s Anne…
Play Garland Oosterpark by Carve
Play Garland Oosterpark by Carve The Oosterpark, built in 1891, is part of the Amsterdam 19th century extension girdle, and is the first large public park that was realised by the municipality. Since 2011, plans are being made to integrate the monumental public buildings in the northern zone into the…
Integrating Music with Playscapes
Complementary Benefits Makes Adding Musical Elements to Playgrounds a Truly Smart Idea Play and music already share a vocabulary. A self-contained part of a musical composition is called a, ‘movement.’ It is common for sportscasters to describe an athlete or team as, ‘getting into rhythm.’ The laughter that emits from…
Going Against the Grain of Modern Materials with Robinia Wood
Natural Karolam® Robinia Wood Offers Impressive Benefits Over Modern Materials K&K Karolam® – Robinia Wooden Posts | Video via YouTube.com At their very best, playgrounds and playscapes mimic the joy of running, jumping, climbing, and otherwise playing in a wild and natural setting. They fulfill our instinctual desire to…
Designer Spotlight – Mitch Ryerson’s Woodworking and the Art of Play
Mitch Ryerson | Image via ryersondesign.com The Original Jungle Gym was a Tree, and Mitch Ryerson Knows How to Use Them Creating a Playground Tree | The Esplanade Association via YouTube.com When explored by the hands of a skilled artist, playfulness itself becomes an expressive language. At its best, the work of a well-seasoned woodworker, designer, and artist such…
