What are the Key Principles of Playground Design?

Posted On October 20, 2022

Children find it peaceful to play around with their friends and peers and let off all of their stress and worries. The places they choose to play around, however, come in many shapes and forms. A playground for them might look like a junkyard, a wild forest grove, or even an artistic sculpture. But what makes up a good playground design? There are multiple well-thought principles behind designing a playground and they are discussed as under.

Design for different play types

Children, just like their thoughts, have varied forms and formats of play and they are different from time to time. It is essential to let them be free to play freely and understand the world they are living in right now. Most playgrounds these days only help them to focus on their physical activities. A good playground, on the other hand, will challenge their abilities as well as promote the child’s growth by helping them engage in multiple play types. These include active play, creative play, sensory play, imaginative play, reflective play, or social play.

Create a sense of place

If the playground can incorporate the “sense of place” within a child, half the work will be easily done. A mundane playground will look like a generic place. It won’t speak about the culture, spirit of the community, or location. These kinds of playgrounds cannot provide any positive outcomes for the children. So, to make it more lively and happening, it is ideal to infuse playhouses or shops in the area. These will help to create authentic experiences. 

Trust children’s creativity

It is usually the tendency of the adults to design the play elements within the playground with just a singular purpose in mind. Slides for just sliding down, swings for just swinging, or the monkey bars to just traverse along. The children have the capability of being boundlessly creative when they find multiple ways to use the elements. A good playground must be encouraging the children to take the lead in their thoughts and make use of the playground elements as much as possible. One can also keep loose parts in the ground which the children can use to recreate their playground every other day.

If these principles have intrigued you a bit, you can collaborate with Inspire Play outdoor playgrounds team to build areas that are perfect for a child’s overall development.