play
Contents
&
Pages 14 & 15 - News & products
Pages 16 & 17 - Safety surfacing
Your essential guide for
Pages 18 & 19 - Play project pages
activity
Page 20 - News & products
Sports & Playground Equipment
today
In association
with
November/December 2009
with safety standards and pass
Play just gets better
annual safety inspections.
New
Beyond that comes, agenda-
focused thinking. This aims to
Children’s
provide not just what children
enjoy but that which also
commissioner
contributes to their health,
New materials, new the recent improvements development and learning
Maggie Atkinson, the
colours, technical innovation, made to play areas: they felt naturally through play. One
former president of the
natural play, loose parts play, they spent longer periods of example, to combat child
Association of Directors of
more creative consultation time on the sites due to the obesity, is ‘hidden exercise’.
Children's Services is set to
and recognition at increased variety and appeal. where equipment causes
become the new children's
government level, all make a Local authorities reported stretching of muscles and
commissioner for England.
huge difference to play higher numbers of users calorie burning ‘work’.
She will be leaving her
today say the API. following improvements. The Playground design has
position with Gateshead
As an interesting variety of high-quality become much more about the
council on 31 January 2010
comparison, there is no equipment on sites was needs of the child rather than
and will replace Sir Al Aynsley
change in the way children central to parents’ and just what they like. Done well,
Green who has held the post
play naturally nor in the things children’s positive impressions play spaces cause children,
since its inception in 2005.
they have always liked in play. and were the main reason why teens, youths, adults and
Well researched, and even children wanted to visit. seniors to enjoy play and
more easily observed, children Local authorities stressed that playful activity which benefits
Safer routes
like swinging, sliding, consulting children and them without them realising it.
climbing, running, jumping, parents was vital in delivering for Play
balancing and bouncing, a play site that met local users’ CONSULTATION
make believe and imaginative needs and expectations.” Developments in
Local Authorities should
play, building dens and hiding consultation that engage
have more cohesion to offer
in houses. ENVIRONMENTAL communities at all levels
children a safer healthier
The changes are in play SENSITIVITY continue to develop and are
lifestyle through improved
provision with enlightened The big shift is in the beneficially fuelled by
play access. A recent report
agendas and government interest in natural play and is mandatory requirements of
published by Sustrans calls
thinking behind new funding. one of the ten principles of the Play England funding. Where
for an increase in
Encouragingly, recent Play England’s Design for Play. once rare, consultation is now
collaboration between
research for the DCSF into New play area design thinking commonplace. From these
council departments to
‘Children and Parents’ includes a sympathetic engagements with children,
ensure better access to play
Experiences of Recently blending with and enhancing families, residents, schools
spaces for children.
Improved Play Areas’, finds the existing environment, be it and stakeholders of every
Sustrans Chief Executive
people like new equipment an urban streetscape, a public kind, can come an exchange
Malcolm Shepherd said
and the balance of park or woodland dell. which is able to richly inform
“there is a need to ensure
equipment. Extracts state: Designs may include ground the play design process.
children can walk and cycle
“Although these areas had mounding to change levels, Interestingly, there is often a
and have traffic free play
been enhanced via funding planting to create interest and lag in public knowledge,
spaces”
from non- Pathfinder/Play a different visual and sensual experience and
Builder sources, the types of experience with pathways of panels may have wonderful recycled materials grows as understanding of just what
improvements made were different gravels, earth, grit computer cut games and does recyclability of old modern play areas and Play time in
similar to those which Play and other materials to create graphics. Their colours are equipment. This wonderful equipment can offer.
Pathfinder and Play Builder variation. resistant to fading in daylight materials range is mixed and Inevitably adults may base
Aylesbury
investments will fund. and can be fire retardant. matched and offers huge perceptions on their
Parents mentioned the PLAY AREAS Rope that is really steel cable choice. experience as children.
Thanks to £355,240
improved appearance of play A MATERIAL WORLD with a rope-like surface, and
funding from the
areas that had been No longer just about steel huge rocks hewn from stone EQUIPMENT DESIGN One of many useful
Department for Children,
regenerated. New equipment and wood, today’s play millions of years old are all It is now ‘taken as read’ outcomes of consultation is
Schools, and Families
was seen as more aesthetically equipment materials include part of modern play areas. In that local authority play for the public and local
Playbuilder Programme six
pleasing, more modern the new and some very old. In addition to real wood there providers must have authorities to engage with
play areas in Aylesbury have
looking, and for some parents use are stainless steel, mild may be panels of synthetic equipment guaranteed to last play designers who can
already been revamped and
was associated with better steel, aluminium, rubber and wood. Some is harder some twenty years with explain the design ideas
between now and March
safety than the equipment it modern plastics. Strong, wearing, better in the English minimum or no maintenance. behind the play area and the
2010 a further four are to be
had replaced. Parents and smooth, colourful plastics weather, more vandal proof It must be inclusive for natural and manufactured
improved.
children were positive about sometimes in colour-sandwich and can cost less. Use of children of all abilities, comply equipment.
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST LITERATURE
13
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