Green Playgrounds, Naturally Fun!

Do you remember your fondest outdoor play memories? Tree climbing, sprawling in green grass and admiring the spring flora, finding animals in their natural habitats absolutely fascinating and splashing creeks come to mind as the best spent days for kids and those of us who remember being one. Children instinctively know which playground equipment foster the healthiest fun, combining environmentally conscious material choices with the all time favorite playground slides and swings.

A green playground supports a calming communion with nature. The children of today face stress factors that were absent from other generations, such as heavy schedules and commutes that deprive them from simple life pleasure that are so important in peaceful character building. More and more, parents are concerned with affording them the experiences urban life tends to make difficult, and play structures that integrate natural elements might be a great starter solution.

Green playgrounds can be understood as more traditional structures made from recycled materials or spaces built using the surrounding materials as a source – both solutions are easier on the environment and bring children a host of benefits. They focus on challenging cognitive and motor coordination and development and improve children’s overall well being when they are in tune with nature, something that shouldn’t be lacking from outdoor time, without forgetting the lasting joys of swing sets and playground slides.

For a long time, parents preferred controlled environments to increase their children’s safety, and smooth edges were achieved with plastic and steel, which we now know has high environmental costs – and leaving our children a beautiful, sustainable planet is ensuring their future. Furthermore, safety features achieved man-made products like rubberized tiles to alleviate falls can be achieved just as well with natural mulch.

Some studies point a direct correlation between a natural playing ambiance and children’s perception of healthy lifestyle choices. Parks that include information about flora and school outdoor spaces with plant growing programs help children to gain interest in much needed vegetables and fruits. This interesting and interactive experience builds physical activity habits that will help them stay healthy and confident.

Supporting these types of play areas is not only a great option to lead your children by example, but also a simple way of reducing your community’s carbon footprint. Integrating grass and trees in children’s spaces makes the air cleaner and pleasant, while selecting local materials saves on harmful emissions associated with transportation and plastic manufacturing.

It looks green, but is it truly environmentally safe? Truth is, natural looking materials alone don’t make playground equipment green unless their treatment respects children’s health and the earth as well. Older playgrounds, especially the ones installed before 2004, had the tendency to treat wood with harmful chemicals, and what sometimes seems to be natural sand is actually man-made quartz derivate with traces of silica and tremolite that may cause breathing issues in children. If you’re worried your community playground may have these problems, replacement suggestions are rather affordable, as only the wood that comes into contact with children needs replacing, and natural sand can be found in any garden center.

Taking your children to environmentally safe and conscious playgrounds in your area is a great choice in enhancing their health and physical and cognitive development. They’ll have more fun as they experience nature’s diversity and promote a peaceful, calming play experience, giving them memories that they’ll hold just as fondly as their parents did!