PLAYGROUNDS as places for creative learning
James A. Burbank
373-0851
Brunswick citizens have available
five playgrounds and twelve athletic facilities all managed by the Parks and
Recreation Department. In addition, the
community also has playing areas that are located at local school sites ,all
under the direction of the Brunswick School Department.
The focus of the five playgrounds
has been to provide a safe environment for spontaneous play for individuals and
small groups, although supervised activities are offered during summer. The Brunswick Parks and Recreation
Department, under the leadership of its Director, Tom Farrell, strives to
maintain the park facilities to the highest standards that the budget
allows. This Op-Ed article summarizes
the recent public discussion about national safety standards for
playgrounds. This presentation was one
of nine forums, which were sponsored by the Brunswick Open Space and Recreation
Task Force.
The presenter was Mr. Thomas G.
Civiello, former Superintendent of Recreation for the City of Bangor and
currently a nationally recognized authority on playground safety. He is a Certified Playground Inspector and a
Playground Design & Sales Representative .
The presentation and subsequent spirited public discussion focused on
the following six points:
What do children need in an outdoor play setting?
Playground
facilities need to be protected from traffic, free of environmental hazards and
fully accessible to people with disabilities. Children need access to sunshine,
shade and fresh air. As playground planners work to develop facilities, they
need to insure that children are given the freedom of choice of activity by
including a wide variety of play components in the design. One third of the square
foot area of the playground should be reserved for big movement such as running
and organized games. Ample area needs to be designed to encourage gross motor
activity. Children also need to have the opportunity to make noise. Outdoor
play is one of the few venues where children are able to freely express
themselves in loud sounds. Playgrounds
also provide a place where children begin to develop conflict resolution skills
through interaction with their peers in the use of equipment.
What are the safety problems with playgrounds?
In 1994 an
independent Public Interest Research Group researched the safety of 443 playgrounds in 22 states. The results
circulated nationally entitled “Playing it Safe” revealed that 92% of the
playgrounds surveyed lacked adequate protective surfacing materials, 75% of all
injuries were caused by falls, 76% of the sites lacked appropriate safe
distances between play components and 57% of the play equipment was too tall in
height. Statistically it was also determined that 42% of the injuries sustained
by users were from misuse of the equipment and 37% were caused by a lack of
proper equipment maintenance.
What are the hazards and risks?
A playground
hazard is defined as existing when the accident-causing problem cannot be seen
or evaluated by the user. Risk allows the user to identify the challenge,
evaluate the level of challenge, and then determine if the user wants to accept
the challenge. Common playground hazards include exposed concrete footings,
trip points, exposed edges, protrusions, head entrapment, clothing
entanglement, worn chain and improper maintenance. The Brunswick Parks and Recreation Department has a Certified
Playground Inspector on staff, who reviews the design of all play equipment
that the department installs. The
Department has instituted a “replace and improve” program, which will increase
the level of safety in its playgrounds.
What are the regulations to follow?
To address the issue of minimizing
hazards traditionally associated with playground equipment design and
manufacturing, a variety of regulatory agencies have established recommended
standards. Two of the best guides to follow are the 1998 revised Consumer
Product Safety Commission "Handbook for Public Playground Safety" and
the 1998 American Society for Testing Materials "Standard Consumer Safety
Performance Specifications for Playground Equipment for Public Use". In
addition to these resources the National Recreation and Park Association has
developed the National Playground Safety Institute. This program involves an
in-depth training and testing program whereby individuals responsible for the
maintenance of playgrounds can become certified inspectors. Trained inspectors
then conduct safety audits of their respective facilities by first identifying
and prioritizing hazards. After the initial hazard assessment is completed, a
planned approach to mitigating and eliminating known problems is established
and implemented. National standards may
be viewed at the Parks and Recreation
Department or copies may be ordered from the publishers.
What
types of playgrounds should a community have?
During the
1980's community-built wooden playgrounds were extremely popular. Such
facilities have limited life expectancies of ten to twelve years and are
maintenance intensive to properly upkeep. The trends today indicate that
commercially manufactured playground equipment is the preferred alternative.
This is attributed to its significantly longer life and reduced maintenance
requirements. Materials being used today include recycled plastics, aluminum
and steel. Other trends in design include more movement activity components
such as track rides and wheel swings. More and more playgrounds are being built
indoors especially in the northern climate zones. Water elements are now being
added to certain playgrounds as a popular feature. Although children ages
infant to early teens use playgrounds, studies indicate that by far the largest
group of regular users is between the ages of three and nine. This is important
to note when selecting the various types of play components in terms of their
level of challenge and height of apparatus. Toddlers need equipment that will
allow them to swing, climb, rotate and rock. Children 4 to 7 years of age need
additional challenges that will offer balancing, bouncing and hanging. Children
8 years and older need the experience of gliding and equipment that will test
their upper body strength such as horizontal ladders.
What is being done to determine how many playgrounds and where should
they be located?
There is no
existing standard that provides guidance with respect to this question.
Clearly, we know that both schools and parks are appropriate settings for these
facilities. The Department is looking for public input on such questions as,
should the Town be planning to locate playgrounds by neighborhood or on a wider
regional basis? What types of play
components should be made available at each site? Should we provide more playgrounds than we do currently? Both the
Open Space and Recreation Task Force and Recreation Commission need to hear
your thoughts. Please contact one of us to share your ideas.
Ed. Note: Mr. Burbank has served 20 years on the
Brunswick Recreation Commission and is currently the Chairperson. He welcomes your comments via email at jburbank@nqi.net
or via phone at 737-0851.
