Playground Planning for Different Ages
- Jul 01, 2019
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Children of different abilities and ages use playgrounds. Hence, the most significant initial challenge is to choose a suitable approach to design a safe space that could cater to different children. This includes toddlers, infants, school-age children, and preschool children that vary in their physical abilities and size, and also tend to have different social and cognitive skills.
As a general guideline, 60% of the budget should be allocated for the older children whereas 40% of the budget of a park should be for the younger children.
Such differences should be accommodated by age-appropriate children equipment.
Age 0 - 2 years
Toddlers and infants aged 0 to two years have varying but minimal mobility. This may include walking or crawling. Most of the activities that children do at this age include sensory exploration, in which they feel, taste, explore, and see the things in their surroundings. As a result of this, children in this age group require a particular space where they can explore their surroundings, under the supervision of a caretaker.
Children of this age group may take benefit from activity panels that include pull up handles, and tunnel mazes. At the same time, slides of small length and multi-level playing structures may also be suitable.
Age 2 - 5 years
Preschoolers are generally aged 2 to 5 years. Children in this age tend to have a minimal attention span, and they tend to be more focused on activity that involves climbing around, under, and over things. This allows them to build excellent motor skills.
After they become three years old, they tend to take more part in imitation and dramatic play. At this age, their social skills start to develop, and they begin taking part in dramatic play. Moreover, risk-taking and conflict often happen at this age as a result of which children need to be under substantial supervision.
The appropriate equipment and activities for this age group include play structures that have been scaled down to suit the need of smaller children, including enclosed play spaces, small slides, and crawl tunnels.
At the same time, sandboxes, talk tubes, climbers, and spring riders are also beneficial.
Age 5 - 12 years
School-aged children are generally 5 - 12 years old. These children tend to build their skills and learn at a breakneck pace. During this time, children. Get to work on their balance, strength, coordination, and gross motor skills. At the same time, older children at the age of 12, for instance, can be double the size and have eight times the strength of a toddler. As a result of this, peer pressure often results in vandalism or aggression. This could quickly become a liability for the younger children. Hence, proper supervision is still required, especially for the children on the lower end of this spectrum.
The equipment that is appropriate for this age group includes play activities that have been geared to body dimensions and the needs of the older children. Swings, fitness clusters, spinners, climbers, and various other independent play structures can be designed for some challenge. At the same time, sports equipment such as tetherball and basketball may also be of great interest for children in this age group.
As a general guideline, 60% of the budget should be allocated for the older children whereas 40% of the budget of a park should be for the younger children.
Such differences should be accommodated by age-appropriate children equipment.
Age 0 - 2 years
Toddlers and infants aged 0 to two years have varying but minimal mobility. This may include walking or crawling. Most of the activities that children do at this age include sensory exploration, in which they feel, taste, explore, and see the things in their surroundings. As a result of this, children in this age group require a particular space where they can explore their surroundings, under the supervision of a caretaker.
Children of this age group may take benefit from activity panels that include pull up handles, and tunnel mazes. At the same time, slides of small length and multi-level playing structures may also be suitable.
Age 2 - 5 years
Preschoolers are generally aged 2 to 5 years. Children in this age tend to have a minimal attention span, and they tend to be more focused on activity that involves climbing around, under, and over things. This allows them to build excellent motor skills.
After they become three years old, they tend to take more part in imitation and dramatic play. At this age, their social skills start to develop, and they begin taking part in dramatic play. Moreover, risk-taking and conflict often happen at this age as a result of which children need to be under substantial supervision.
The appropriate equipment and activities for this age group include play structures that have been scaled down to suit the need of smaller children, including enclosed play spaces, small slides, and crawl tunnels.
At the same time, sandboxes, talk tubes, climbers, and spring riders are also beneficial.
Age 5 - 12 years
School-aged children are generally 5 - 12 years old. These children tend to build their skills and learn at a breakneck pace. During this time, children. Get to work on their balance, strength, coordination, and gross motor skills. At the same time, older children at the age of 12, for instance, can be double the size and have eight times the strength of a toddler. As a result of this, peer pressure often results in vandalism or aggression. This could quickly become a liability for the younger children. Hence, proper supervision is still required, especially for the children on the lower end of this spectrum.
The equipment that is appropriate for this age group includes play activities that have been geared to body dimensions and the needs of the older children. Swings, fitness clusters, spinners, climbers, and various other independent play structures can be designed for some challenge. At the same time, sports equipment such as tetherball and basketball may also be of great interest for children in this age group.
