What problems need to be addressed in playground designs? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS), which works to prevent playground-related injuries by establishing detailed guidelines for safe playgrounds. NPPS has developed specific guidelines in four critical areas: surfacing, design, installation, and maintenance.

NPPS has identified surfacing as one of the most important factors, since injuries from falling are a major playground hazard. While loosely-placed materials like wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel are acceptable cushions for safe playground play, a surfacing material called shredded rubber is becoming increasingly popular with some playground designers.

The aptly named Clint Firestone, sales manager at Rubber Safe Playgrounds, Inc., likes to begin his sales pitch with a laundry list of the benefits of shredded rubber: "It doesn't attract insects, dogs, or cats, it doesn't decompose, and it pays for itself because of longevity of product life."

The shredded rubber product is made entirely from scrap tires. Magnetic separation equipment removes the steel belting from the tires, and then they are sliced into mulch-sized pieces. "From my own firsthand experience, kids play with the rubber more than they play with the swings—they love to bounce around on it," says Firestone. "It doesn't stain, it doesn't smell, and it's safe." According to ASTM International's scientific testing labs, shredded rubber provides twice the cushioning effect of sand, gravel, or woodchip products.

The design of a playground should be based on the ages of children who are playing there. "Age appropriateness is obviously important," says DeFrancesco. "Playground equipment is designed and manufactured for different age groups: preschool children and school-age children." NPPS notes that equipment built after 1994 should have a sticker that indicates for which age group the equipment is intended.

As for installation and maintenance, NPPS suggests that playground equipment be made of durable materials that won't fall apart when exposed to the elements. "Negligence in terms of maintenance is a factor that shouldn't be there, but it is," says DeFrancesco. She has taken pictures in recent years in both the Pittsburgh and Baltimore communities that illustrate the problem. In one case, a picnic table was placed within feet of the end of a long slide. "Layout is crucial—you want slides placed in low-traffic areas so kids aren"t directed straight for other kids or other obstacles," says DeFrancesco.

Creative and safe playgrounds are popping up all over the country. (Leathers and Associates)

Designing to Delight

Playground designers know that safe and creative products are becoming the desired choice for communities that have taken on the playground issue—and have the funds to make it a reality. One design team, Leathers and Associates of Ithaca, NY, was recently approached by Napa, CA community members who wanted to build a safe, yet creative, playground in their town. The group builds its playgrounds to meet Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) guidelines and all of the designers, project managers, and construction consultants are nationally certified playground safety inspectors through the National Recreation and Parks Association.

The fruit of their plans was "Playground Fantastico," a playground with two distinct sections: one for children aged 2 to 5 (the Tot Lot), and one for children aged 5 to 12. Wood mulch material surrounds castles, playhouses, a dinosaur skeleton, and a colorful mosaic created by the community, including many children.

Getting Kids Involved

Some communities go much further in making sure children's desires are reflected in playground designs. Projects known as Kids Parks involve children in the very earliest stages of design, by asking them to describe the elements of their dream playground.

The recently constructed Kids Park in Central Baldwin County, AL was designed by professionals from Leathers and Associates, but contains many components that were chosen by the children—hence, wooden ships, boats and racecars galore.

"The kids down here, their dads are really into Nascar racing," laughs Eva Faircloth, a coordinator with the Kids Park project. "And they want to be like their daddies."

Kathryn L. Marshall, a teacher at Washington Elementary in Sedalia, MO has developed another solution that has yet to be tested with students: She created an integrated math and writing learning activity designed for students in grades 4-5. In a computer-based application called "Update the Playground," students working in pairs are told they are needed to help update the school playground "so recess can be fun everyday." The exercise begins with the following dialogue:

Angela: I am beginning to find recess boring. There has to be something else to do at recess than to play basketball everyday. Do you find the playground blah too?

Eric: Yes, I began to find recess boring last year when I was in fourth grade. I don't like the play equipment on our playground. It is really boring!

Angela: Do you remember when we were younger and had so much fun at recess?

Eric: Yes, I remember having fun going around and around on this small merry-go-round. I am too big to play on that anymore.

Angela: Why aren't there any fun pieces of play equipment for us older kids?

Under Marshall's plan, students are asked to collect data on elements that make a good playground, types of playground installations and surfaces, and prices of playground equipment. Then, children are instructed to draw a scale drawing of their playground design, based on the shape and size of their current school playground. As a final part of the project, students write a persuasive letter to the PTA complete with a simple budget for their playground design.

While this is just a pilot lesson plan, Marshall is hopeful that it could be of use to teachers around the U.S. who want to increase their students' math and reading scores and help kids understand what it takes to make a safe playground. In fact, Marshall says that a Web site has already contacted her about utilizing this idea as an Internet-based application for students to design their own plans. "It's important to let kids know that these are their playgrounds," concludes Faircloth. "It gives them a sense of pride."

Rob Capriccioso is a former staff writer for Connect for Kids.