Community Investment Resource Collaborative for Kids Guide4 Developing Early Childhood Facilities Designing Early Childhood Facilities Equipping and Furnishing Early Childhood Facilities Creating Playgrounds for Early Childhood Facilities Community Investment Resource Collaborative for Kids Guide Published by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation/Community4 Investment Collaborative for Kids Written by: Mav Pardee, Amy Gillman, and Cindy Larson Illustrations by: D.W. Arthur Associates June 2005 The authors and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this resource guide. Contents CONTENTS Introduction 1 Considerations in Regulations and Guidelines 1 Selecting Equipment 14 Children’s Gross Motor Development 2 Get Professional Advice 14 Organizing the Space 3 Health and Safety 14 Aesthetics 15 Creating a Natural Playscape 6 Choice of Materials 15 Establishing Outdoor Activity Areas 6 List of Playground Equipment Catalogs 17 Climbing Structures 7 Scale 17 Fall Zones and Safety Surfaces 8 Play Value 17 Slides 10 Swings 10 Managing the Riding Toys 11 Cost of the Project 18 Bouncing and Balancing 11 Dramatic Play 11 Resources 19 Art 12 Games 12 Organizations 19 Gardening and Nature 12 Sand and Water 12 Special Considerations for Infants and Toddlers 13 i “Rather than beginning with catalogs and decisions about equipment and surfaces, start with what it is that children should be able to do outside, if only Rwe could make it happen. Then decide how best to accomplish this.” Quoted from “Are We Losing Ground?” by Jim Greenman as printed in Child Care Information Exchange; March, 2003. REGULATIONS Introduction AND GUIDELINES Active outdoor play is an important part First and foremost in considering your playground, of a child’s day, so planning outdoor space make sure that you become familiar with which INTRODUCTION regulations govern playground design and use. and memorable outdoor activities are Ideally your playground project should be pursued essential components of developmentally in conjunction with an architect who is familiar appropriate care. Vigorous physical play with child care design and local regulations. The architect will then be responsible for ensuring offers children a chance to spend time that the playground meets all required regulatory together in ways that are quite different standards and building codes. If you are not from their play indoors. It offers children working with an architect on design, it will be your an opportunity to test their physical responsibility to obtain copies of all applicable codes and regulations, speak with any relevant skills and abilities. It builds strength officials, such as state fire marshals, and ensure and coordination, and stimulates the that your proposed design is in keeping with all imagination as children engage in fantasy relevant standards. play or interact with natural materials In addition to understanding state child care and the scents, sounds and textures of the licensing regulations for outdoor playgrounds, outdoors. you must also become familiar with any state or local fire or building codes that relate to how you design and equip your playground space. Also, if The change of pace is important as well. you are aspiring to achieve accreditation for your Outdoor voices and laughter can be more center through the National Association for the exuberant; play can be louder and sillier; Education of Young Children (NAEYC) make sure that you understand the guidelines set out in those and children are encouraged to run, climb standards for children’s outdoor play areas. and jump instead of discouraged from doing so. The change of scenery can At the end of this guide you will find a list of be equally valuable. Outdoors there are national organizations with guidelines governing the development of children’s playgrounds and opportunities to mess about and explore playground safety. Please note in particular the materials in new ways. Exposure to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s sunshine, shade and the elements helps Handbook for Public Safety. It is also important to become familiar with the new rules regarding play children learn more about their world. areas for special needs children developed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. This guide will help you plan your center’s outdoor play space to achieve a successful environment for young children. It will Across the country, there is growing concern about childhood obesity. By the time American children begin by considering the types of activities enter public school, 15% of them are classified that children can enjoy outdoors, and will as obese. Since many patterns of activity are suggest equipment and materials that established in early childhood, child care programs support that play. play a critical role in establishing active habits and offering age-appropriate physical challenges that support healthy growth and development. 1 CHILDREN’S GROSS choices – should be based on the ages and stages MOTOR DEVELOPMENT of the children who will use it, and always include appropriate safeguards. Too often, the model for an early childhood playground is a scaled-down version of an exciting A summary of milestones in children’s gross motor playground for school-aged children. Preschoolers development is below, along with playground are not just smaller than older children – their equipment ideas for each stage. While each child physical skills, spatial orientation, judgment, and develops in an individual way, these guidelines how they interact with their surroundings are all can help in assessing the suitability of outdoor significantly different. The layout of a play area – equipment and activities for children of different including sight lines, interest areas and equipment ages: AGE DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT INFANTS ■ Develop on individual ■ Soft surfaces (0-15 timetables ■ Shade MONTHS) ■ Push and pull up ■ Tactile materials ■ Sit without support ■ Water and sand ■ Crawl ■ Objects to crawl through ■ Cruise or walk using objects ■ Places to sit with adults or adults for support ■ Wind chimes and other sensory materials ■ Begin to stand and walk alone ■ Safe plants to smell and touch ■ Toys to push and pull ■ Sturdy equipment to pull up on TODDLERS ■ Become increasingly mobile ■ Climbing structures (15-33 ■ Push and pull toys while walking ■ Slides MONTHS) ■ Learn to climb stairs ■ Water and sand play equipment ■ Begin to use riding toys (with feet ■ Places to crawl through, over, under on ground) ■ Riding toys ■ Run short distances ■ Sensory materials to engage sight, sound, ■ Squat and balance on feet while touch, taste playing ■ Structures (like playhouses) for make-believe ■ Kick and throw balls ■ Shady places to sit ■ Jump in place ■ Loose parts for creative and imaginative play ■ Places to run, throw balls, play 2 AGE DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT YOUNG ■ Highest activity level of any age in ■ Structures for climbing and sliding PRESCHOOL the human life span ■ Riding toys and paths to ride on (2.9-4 YEARS) ■ Increasingly more adventuresome ■ Balance beams INTRODUCTION ■ Run back and forth ■ Playhouses ■ Throw and catch balls ■ Water and sand play equipment ■ Pedal a tricycle ■ Loose parts for pretending, creating, building ■ Somersault ■ Talk tubes ■ Climb stairs ■ Telescopes ■ Push and pull larger toys like a ■ Places to run, jump, play ball wagon ■ Materials to enhance all senses (wind chimes ■ Enjoy showing off climbing for sound, flowers for smell) prowess ■ Shade to sit, eat, read, relax ■ Hop and jump increasingly well ■ Places to paint, draw and create OLDER ■ Physically competent ■ Climbing and sliding structures that provide PRESCHOOL ■ Climb well, enjoy trying to go challenge for increasing skills (4-5 YEARS) higher and higher ■ Bikes and paths to ride on and explore ■ Enjoy challenges ■ Water and sand play equipment ■ Roll balls ■ Art studios ■ Skip on alternating feet ■ Structures for imaginative play ■ Able to begin riding two-wheel ■ Loose parts to enhance play bike ■ Natural features to experience seasons ■ Places to run, play ball, play games ORGANIZING THE SPACE ■ Environmental features: Note the overall shape of the space and its If you think about the outdoor play space as an topography, and in particular any extension of the indoor learning environment, it is existing natural features like trees, natural to consider different zones and activity shrubs, rocks, or sloping areas you areas as you plan the space. may want to incorporate into your plans – like putting a seating area 1. Plan separate zones for quiet activities around the base of a tree or building and active play; large group as well as a slide into a small hill. Also, there individual or small group play; and play may be some interesting views or equipment. Make sure that activities that landmarks you want to highlight are adjacent to each other are compatible through the placement of equipment – keeping in mind that the most active zones or location of activities. should be grouped together and away from the quiet zones. If your center is part of a ■ Sun patterns: Don’t forget to look housing complex, school, retail center or office at sunlight and shade patterns at building, you might also consider locating the different times of the day and year to most active (and often noisiest) play zones at help figure out where you may need some distance from your neighbors’ windows. to place a shade structure or where it might be best to plant a garden. To plan out your zones and to help determine where to locate equipment and other structures, ■ Safety hazards: Make sure you are consider the following: aware of any potential safety hazards 3 such as the presence of underground or overhead utilities or wiring, or sharp or protruding edges on the building. ■ Points of Access: Note the location of doors to the outdoor area from the classrooms and/or other entry points onto the playground, and determine emergency access and egress routes or delivery routes if supplies are moved through the play area. Keep in mind how these access points can interfere with the flow of playground activities or present a security issue.