Playground 233854 222638627 2008-06-30T11:28:09Z Les boys 7373191 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 222638422 by [[Special:Contributions/Les boys|Les boys]] ([[User talk:Les boys|talk]]) - on second thoughts, it finds with the other external links here - leave it for now {{2otheruses|the activity area|the Another Bad Creation song|Playground (song)|the record label|Playground Music Scandinavia}} {{refimprove|date=June 2008}} [[Image:PlayEquipComboPlastic wb.jpg|right|thumb|Combination playground structure for small children; slides, climbers (stairs in this case), playhouse]] A '''playground''' or '''play area''' is an area designed for [[child]]ren to play freely. Modern playgrounds often have recreational equipment such as the [[see-saw]], [[merry-go-round]], [[swing (seat)|swingset]], [[Playground slide|slide]], [[jungle gym]], [[chin-up bar]]s, [[sandbox]], [[spring rider]], [[monkey bars]], [[overhead ladder]], [[trapeze]] rings, [[playhouse]]s, and [[mazes]], many of which help children develop physical coordination, strength, and flexibility, as well as providing [[recreation]] and [[enjoyment]]. Common in modern playgrounds are "play structures" that link many different pieces of equipment. <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:RidgeRider Saltex 07.jpg|left|thumb|Ridge Rider]] --> Playgrounds often also have facilities for playing informal games of adult [[sport]]s, such as a [[baseball]] diamond, a [[skating]] rink, a [[basketball]] court, or a [[tether ball]]. "Public" playground equipment refers to equipment intended for use in the play areas of [[park]]s, [[school]]s, child care facilities, institutions, multiple family dwellings, restaurants, resorts, and recreational developments, and other areas of public use. A type of playground called a [[playscape]] is designed to provide a safe environment for play in a natural setting. ==About playgrounds== Professionals recognize that the [[social skills]] that children develop on the playground become lifelong skill sets that are carried forward into their adulthood. Independent research concludes that playgrounds are among the most important environments for children outside the home. Most forms of play are essential for healthy development, but free, spontaneous play&mdash;the kind that occurs on playgrounds&mdash;is the most beneficial type of play. [[Image:SeesawWithKids wb.png|thumb|right|Seesaw with a crowd of children playing]] [[Image:KidsRopeBridge wb.png|thumb|right|Rope bridge for improving balance]] Children have devised many [[playground game]]s and pastimes. But because playgrounds are usually subject to adult supervision and oversight, young children's [[children's street culture|street culture]] often struggles to fully thrive there. Research by Robin Moore (''Childhood's Domain: Play and Place'', 1986) has clearly shown that playgrounds need to be balanced with marginal areas that (to adults) appear to be derelict or wasteground but to children they are area's that they can claim for themselves, ideally a wooded area or field. A type of playground called a '''[[playscape]]''' can provide children with the necessary feeling of ownership that Moore describes above. Playscapes can also provide parents with the assurance of their child's safety and wellbeing, which may not be prevalent in an open field or wooded area. Playgrounds can be *Built by collaborative support of corporate and community resources to achieve an immediate and visible "win" for their neighborhood. *Public, free of charge, like at most rural [[elementary school]]s *A business with an entrance fee *Connected to a business, for customers only, e.g., at [[McDonald's]] and [[IKEA]]. *Elaborate indoor mazes, like those at the (now defunct) [[Discovery Zone]] and [[Chuck E. Cheese's]] ==Playground safety== {{OR|section|date=October 2007}} Sometimes the safety of playgrounds is disputed in school or among regulators. Over at least the last twenty years, the kinds of equipment to be found in playgrounds has changed, often towards safer equipment built with modern materials. For example, an older jungle gym might be constructed entirely from steel bars, while newer ones tend to have a minimal steel framework while providing a web of [[nylon]] ropes for children to climb on. Often, playgrounds with equipment that children may fall off of has [[mulch]] on the ground to help break children's falls. [[Rubber mulch]] is gaining popularity due to its added ability to break falls. A [http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=media_18jul2007_e study] done by the [[Canadian Institute for Health Information]] found that playground injuries were responsible for 23 visits a day to [[emergency room]]s in [[Ontario Canada|Ontario, Canada]]. The largest proportion of these visits were for [[orthopedic]] and [[head injury|head injuries]] (51% and 22% respectively.) In the United States the [[Consumer Product Safety Commission]] and the American National Standards Institute have created a Standardized Document and Training System for certification of Playground Safety Inspectors. These regulations are nation wide and provide a basis for safe playground installation and maintenance practices. [[ASTM]] F1487-07 deals with specific requirements regarding issues such as play ground layout, use zones, and various test criteria for determining play ground safety. [[ASTM]] F2373 covers public use play equipment for children 6-24 months old. This information can be applied effectively only by a trained C.P.S.I. A National Listing of Trained Playground Safety Inspectors is available for many states. A Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) is a career that was developed by the National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) and is recognized nationally by the National Recreation and Park Association or N.R.P.A. [[European Committee for Standardization|European Standards]] [[EN 1177]] specifies the requirements for surfaces used in playgrounds. For each material type and height of equipment it specifies a minimum depth of material rquired.<ref>http://www.en1177.com/en1177.htm EN 1177 - Impact Absorbing Playground Surfacing</ref> [[EN 1176]] covers playground equipment standards.<ref>http://www.rospa.com/playsafety/info/10_en1176.htm The Royal Society for the prevention of Accidents: EN1176 Playground Equipment Standard</ref><ref>http://www.smp.co.uk/cust_services/pdf/EN1176.pdf SMP Specifiers Guide to EN 1176 parts 1 To 7 Playground Equipment (A light-hearted guide)</ref> ==Playgrounds in the Soviet Union== Playgrounds were an integral part of [[urban culture]] in the [[USSR]]. In the 1970s and 1980s there were playgrounds in almost every park in many Soviet cities. Playground apparatus was reasonably standard all over the country; most of them consisted of metallic bars with relatively few wooden parts, and were manufactured in state-owned factories. Some of the most common constructions were the [[carousel]], sphere, [[seesaw]], [[rocket]], bridge, etc. In the 1990s, after the breakup of the USSR, many items of playground apparatus in post-Soviet states were stolen by metal-thieves, while relatively few new playgrounds were built. However, there were so many Soviet playgrounds that many of them still exist and are in a relatively good state, especially those which were repainted. <gallery> Image:Standard Soviet carousel.jpg|Standard carousel Image:Soviet playground Sphere.jpg|Sphere Image:Soviet playground construction.jpg|Another playground construction Image:Minsk-2004-playground.jpg|A playground in a garden Image:Soviet playground Rocket.jpg|Rocket Image:Soviet playground Bridge.jpg|Bridge </gallery> ==Natural Playground== {{Main|Playscape}} "Natural playgrounds" are play environments that blend natural materials, features, and indigenous vegetation with creative landforms to create purposely complex interplays of natural, environmental objects in ways that challenge and fascinate children and teach them about the wonders and intricacies of the natural world while they play within it. Play components may include earth shapes (sculptures), environmental art, indigenous vegetation (trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, lichens, mosses), boulders or other rock structures, dirt and sand, natural fences (stone, willow, wooden), textured pathways, and natural water features. <gallery> Image:Natural Playground by The Natural Playgrounds Company.jpg|A natural playground for a child care centre. Image:Earthartist natural playground.jpg|A natural playground sandbox using creative landforms provides a place for Passive / Creative Play Image:Jacques Laurent Agasse 001.jpg|Jacques Laurent Agasse: The Playground, 1830 Image:Wasserspielplatz.jpg|A water-based playground in Germany Image:AccessiblePlayground.JPG|Accessible public playground in the USA, 2007 </gallery> == See also == {{Wiktionary}} * [[Playscape]] * [[Obstacle course]] * [[Playground game]] * [[Ropes course]] * [[Friendship bench]] * [[Empower playgrounds]] ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == *[http://www.ipema.org IPEMA International Playground Equipment Manufacturer's Association] *[http://www.playground-contractors.org NPCAI International Playground Contractors Association] &mdash; a non-profit trade association of commercial playground builders and associated organizations *[http://www.playgroundsafety.org National Program for Playground Safety] &mdash; serves as a recognized national U.S. clearinghouse for playground safety information *[http://www.kaboom.org/playspacefinder KaBOOM! Playspace Finder] &mdash; a searchable database of playgrounds in the U.S. *[http://www.ozcubbys.com.au Oz Cubbys] Manufacture of Australian playground equipment, Made in accordance with Australian Standards. *[http://www.playgroundmarkingsdirect.co.uk PMD] Leading Manufacturer of childrens playground equipment in the UK {{Technology}} [[Category:Play]] [[Category:Recreation]] [[Category:Soviet culture]] [[bg:Детска площадка]] [[cs:Dětské hřiště]] [[da:Legeplads]] [[de:Kinderspielplatz]] [[fr:Terrain de jeux]] [[ko:놀이터]] [[it:Parco giochi]] [[he:גן שעשועים]] [[ms:Taman permainan]] [[nl:Speeltuin]] [[ja:遊び場]] [[no:Lekeplass]] [[pl:Plac zabaw]] [[pt:Playground]] [[ru:Детская площадка]] [[simple:Playground]] [[fi:Leikkipaikka]] [[sv:Lekplats]] [[zh:遊樂場]]