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WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 3
Contents
Playground Magazine | Volume 14 No. 4 | Winter 2014
8
Features
The Technology of Playgrounds
8
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow By Jay Beckwith
New Equipment Trends Lead to More Inclusive Playgrounds
12
By Mara Kaplan
The Evolution of Playground Surfacing
14
By Walt Henderson
Courtesy of Gametime
12
IPEMA’S Beginnings
18
22
New Materials Make Playgrounds Even More Innovative By Anne-Marie Spencer
24
Courtesy of Landscape Structures
14
26
Strengthening Our Voice about the Importance of Play Playground Equipment and Surfacing Manufacturers
DEPARTMENTS 5 7 30 31
CPSI Course Calendar The Play and Playground Encyclopedia Who’s Talking About Manufacturing? 4 Great Playground Manufacturers
Cover photo: Picture Perfect Playgrounds
Courtesy of Child’s Play, Inc.
4 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
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CPSI Course
Calendar January 7-9
Landover, MD
301-352-7203
12-14
Michigan City, IN
317-573-4035
13-15
Laveen, AZ
602-335-1962
20-22
Lakewood, CA
916-665-2777
20-22
Austin, TX
512-267-5557
February 3-5
Boston, MA
413-568-8356
4-6
Sunrise, FL
850-878-3221
4-6
Hulbert, OK
972-744-4303
11-13
Lansing, MI
517-485-9888
24-26
Gladeville, TN
615-790-0041
25-27
Boise, ID
208-883-7089
March 2-4
Erie, CO
303-231-0943
3-5
Bellevue, WA
888-459-0009
9-11
Shawnee, KS
785-235-6533
10-12
Sacramento, CA
916-66-2777
10-12
Bismarck, ND
701-355-4458
18-20
Plymouth, MN
24-26
St. Charles, MO
763-571-1305 x100 573-636-3828
April 31-2
East Hartford, CT
860-721-0384
1-3
Newport News, VA
804-730-9447
8-10
Las Vegas, NV
702-267-4140
15-17
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
609-356-0480
21-23
Chicago Area, IL
705-588-2287
22-24
Omaha, NE
402-289-0050
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WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 5
Curtis Stoddard - Publisher Publisher Curtis Stoddard
Editor Rita Watts
Advertising Director Lauri Burns
Design Jake Amen Printing Falls Printing
Accounting Evelyn Coolidge Webmaster Jake Amen
Contributing Authors Jay Beckwith Mara Kaplan Walt Henderson Anne-Marie Spencer IPEMA
I love playgrounds, and I love hanging around playgrounds when there are kids there having fun. Having been an independent playground builder for over thirty years has given me first hand knowledge of playground equipment and playground surfacing. I was around at the beginning of the CPSC and ASTM documents, and I have watched as manufacturers have adapted to these guidelines to provide quality, durable, and safe playground equipment. Personally, I am very proud of our industry and the steps we have taken to ensure that parks and play areas receive great options for design, strength, play value, and safety. Today you can choose from thousands of components in dozens of colors produced from a variety of manufacturing materials. Manufactured playgrounds are taller, faster, and more fun than ever before. Arizona has a fifty-foot net climber; there are playgrounds on rooftops in Idaho and underground playgrounds in New York. There are playgrounds that are multiple acres in size and can accommodate hundreds of children of all abilities. Today’s playgrounds are simply awesome. The 1980s were tough times for playground equipment manufacturers. The development of safety specifications resulted in a period of uncertainty about the future of playground equipment and its potential. I remember building boring playgrounds in the late ’80s and wondering if play was actually ruined by implementing manufacturing and safety guidelines. Of course, playground equipment and playground surfacing manufacturers have not ruined play, but in fact they have developed play equipment that moves more, lasts longer, is more affordable, and has better play value than what you or I played on. This gives us cause to celebrate playgrounds and play areas as beneficial to our health and well-being. I am confident that the playground industry will continue to develop and manufacture wonderful play components. If you want to really tease your brain, try visualizing playgrounds fifty years from now. If you have some good ideas, get in touch with a manufacturer and get the idea into your local park! Go play today!
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From the Play & Playground Encyclopedia Playground Movement
www.playgroundprofessionals.com/encyclopedia/p/playground-movement The playground movement in America began as an answer to the industrial revolution realities of crowded cities and long work days. Hand-in-hand with the settlement houses being formed in the late 19th century, the playground movement sought to save the poor, immigrant, and homeless children from unhealthy crowded tenement neighborhoods. The reformers believed that “supervised play could improve the mental, moral, and physical well-being of children.” 1 They also felt that “recreation not only benefited (the) individual but also transformed a nation of alien immigrants, or downtrodden, unhealthy factory workers, into cohesive, healthy, population of citizens working for common good or ready to defend their country.” 2 Though there were scattered attempts at play areas during the 1800s, beginning with a German style outdoor gymnasium in Salem, Massachusetts in 1821, the playground movement did not begin until the sand gardens in Boston in 1885. Dr. Marie Zakrzewska, who was visiting Berlin, wrote to Kate Gannet Wells, the chairman of the executive committee of the Massachusetts Emergency and Hygiene Association, concerning children playing on large piles of sand in public parks. Within the year, Boston had a sand pile, which was enthusiastically received by the local children. 3 The following year two more sand piles, known as sand gardens, were added to church yards. By 1887 there were ten sand gardens with matrons paid to supervise, and tools for digging and blocks for building were provided. Twelve years later in 1899, there were twenty-one sand gardens in Boston, with twenty of those located in school yards. In 1881, prior to the sand gardens, the Boston Parks Department had constructed and operated the Charlesbank Outdoor Gymnasium for boys and men. A decade later they constructed a similar gymnasium for girls and women. With a system of both gymnasiums and sand gardens, Philadelphia, New York, Providence, Brooklyn, Baltimore, Newark, Worcester, Chicago, and Portland sent representatives to Boston prior to 1898 to consult with leaders concerning the development of their own play systems. 4 Soon other cities, such as Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and San Francisco, joined in the movement and playgrounds began to spread across the continent.
At this time the cities were developing “model playgrounds” which were defining what a playground could include. In 1894, Jane Addams' Hull House in Chicago included a supervised playground with sand piles, building blocks, organized sports areas, swings, and a piece of playground equipment called a Giant Stride. In Philadelphia both indoor and outdoor facilities provided year round play with ice skating rinks and a race, hoop, and bicycle track. Boston's Franklin Field and New York's Seward Park included extensive gymnastic equipment. This model playground stage grew into the small parks stage where trees, shrubs, lagoons, walks, grass expanses, and carriage drives were added to the playgrounds. Jacob Riis, a reformer and journalist, called them “breathing places.” 5 By 1900 the playground movement reformers realized that besides creating moral citizens, play and playgrounds had educational value. In the neighborhoods where a supervised playground was located, children were more attentive and diligent in classes, physical health increased, and both truancy and lawless behavior decreased. 6 These positive results encouraged the involvement of schools in creating play spaces. In New York City there were thirty-one school playgrounds, including kindergarten tents and roof gardens. Playgrounds and the playground movement continued to evolve. Beginning in 1905, their purposes expanded to include recreation for all ages. Social, aesthetic, and civic activities were added, such as dances, musical programs, dramatics, public forums, and elections. During this recreation stage, the Playground Association of America was formed in 1906, and it also evolved into the broader focused Playground and Recreation Association of America by the mid-1910s. The “civic art and welfare” stage emerged in 1912. Now the movement expanded to include all recreation activities in the community including the commercial recreation of theaters, pageants, festivals, and concerts. What was once a movement centered on playgrounds now expanded to include all forms of recreation. 7 During World War I the next stage became the “community service” stage in 1918 with the recreational activities of the War Camp Community Service project. More than six
Courtesy of The Library of Congress
hundred communities organized recreational resources for the military and in the process experienced more fully the value of recreation. After the war, these communities desired to continue the recreation opportunities and thus the “neighborhood council” stage emerged by 1920. Citizens became involved in the play and recreation needs of their neighborhoods and were able to continue and expand on the war camp concepts of recreation. As the playground movement matured, it also became more structured. “The trend in the movement was from free play to directed play, from self-selected games to organized games, from a focus on individual satisfaction and rewards to group rewards, including public recognition and team and school trophies.” 8 The impact of the playground movement can be seen in the statistics: in 1909, 336 cities had 1,535 playgrounds; in 1948, 1,917 cities had 13,520 playgrounds – an increase of 880% in less than 40 years. Over the same time period, funding increased from $1,353,114 to $96,000,000 and paid play leaders grew from 3,756 to 48,548. 9
References
1 Bachrach, Julia Sniderman. “Playground Movement.” Encyclopedia of Chicago. < http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/ pages/976.html > 6 April 2012. 2 Anderson, Linnea M. “'the playground of today is the republic of tomorrow': social reform and organized recreation in the USA, 1890-1930's.” infed. < http://www.infed.org/playwork/organized_recreation_and_playwork_1890-1930s. htm > 6 April 2012. 3 Frost, Joe L. A History of Children's Play and Play Environments. New York, NY: Routledge, 2010. p. 94. 4 Op.cit., Frost. p. 96. 5 Op.cit., Frost. p. 97. 6 “The Playground Movement in America and its Relation to Public Education.” Educational Pamphlets, No. 27. London: England, 1913. p. 6. < http://archive.org/details/playgroundmoveme00wood > 6 April 2012. 7 Op.cit., Frost. p. 98. 8 Op.cit., Frost. p.103. 9 Butler, George D. Pioneers in Public Recreation. Minneapolis, MN: Burgess Publishing Company, 1965. p. 99.
The Play & Playground Encyclopedia Research over 600 listings of play and playground related companies, organizations, events, books, magazines, safety, people and blogs.
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WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 7
The Technology of Playgrounds Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
by Jay Beckwith
TWO MAIN ELEMENTS are the primary factors that have determined how playgrounds look and perform: concept and technology. Over the past century we have seen the concept of what a playground is evolve continuously from basic fitness apparatus to expressions of civic identity. An often overlooked factor that has an equal impact on the design of playground apparatus is the application of materials technology.
Courtesy of Elzbieta Sekowska/shutterstock.com
The Pipe Era Until the early ’40s playground apparatus was composed primarily of steel pipe. Tall slides, swings, monkey bars, and teeter totters all were built with pipes. As the nation began to become suburbanized, playground equipment manufacturers began to develop “theme” equipment, such as rocket ships and stagecoaches that added sheet metal forms to their products. These vintage forms have nearly all passed off the scene, but they were exciting in their day.
Timberform, and KOMPAN came into the industry as wooden play system producers. They all faced the same challenges but addressed them with different technologies. The primary obstacle faced by wood producers was durability. While pipe play equipment will last indefinitely without maintenance, wood-based systems were challenged to remain viable for a decade. The main issue with wood is decay. The technologies used to overcome this problem included pressure treating, paraffin coating, redwood or cedar, and metal footings. Paraffin did not prove to be effective at preventing decay. Redwood was somewhat better, but old growth material was becoming difficult and expensive to obtain. In the early years pressure treating was effective, but concerns about the toxicity of the treatment limited its acceptance. It is only recently that treatments have been developed that
are deemed safe, which is ironic now that wood has fallen out of favor with many playground owner/operators.
Thin-wall Tubing In the ’70s Allied Tube & Conduit was in the process of developing and expanding its line of “flo-coat” prefinished thinwall steel tubing. This tubing came in a wide variety of sizes, and their 5-inch tube allowed designers to give play systems the same visual density and appeal as wooden play apparatus. This meant that not only could metal systems do away with small pipe, but they could compete effectively with wood products by adding color and curved elements like arches while giving a tremendous boost to durability over wood. Thin wall aluminum tubing is also used in the playground industry. It has the advantage of greater ductility and also is easier to powder coat than steel, but it is
Wood In the early ’60s wood began to appear in community built playgrounds and in parks designed by landscape architects. The appeal of wood matched the sentiment of the times as it brought a natural element to the playground. It also imparted a visual density that the pipe apparatus lacked. BigToys, Landscape Structures, 8 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
Courtesy of Earthscape-Anita Van Asperdt
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Rotational molding machine - photo: Carousel_CRM3200_Stephan Courtois/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
more difficult to fabricate in some ways and is more expensive than steel.
Courtesy of Mexico Forge
Equipment was one of the first to introduce this technology on playgrounds when they used it for a spring animal form. At this time most spring toys were cast aluminum. The roto-casting innovation allowed for lighter weight animals to replace those on swings, which were becoming recognized as a problem for their battering-ram type impacts to kids. Mexico Forge used roto-casting for panels, tunnels, and slides, which gave the system a very modern look.
Powder Coating Allied Tube uses a process whereby several layers of corrosion protection with both galvanizing and sealers are applied so the tubing is very durable. However, this multi-layer protection proved to be a bit of a problem when it came to applying paint as it is difficult to get anything to adhere to it. Coincidently, a new concept in paint was being developed at this time. Called powder coating, the technology involves applying a fine plastic powder that is adhered electrostatically to the metal, and then baked to essentially melt the plastic coating to the surface. It took some time to figure out how to maintain the Allied coating and apply the powder coat over it, but it was well worth the effort as this process not only makes an incredibly durable surface, but it also removes solvent-based paints from the factory, and all of the safety and health issues related to what comes with paint.
Roto-cast Plastic The other important innovation during this period was rotationally molded plastic, or roto-casting. Miracle Playground www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
with its support frame is generally several times larger than the shape being cast. The casting process begins with the mold being filled with dry plastic powder, bolted together with its supporting frame, and then placed on an arm so it can be inserted into an oven. While in the oven, the mold is rotated so that the melted plastic can uniformly cover the inside. Once the interior is coated, the mold is revolved to another station where it continues to rotate while cooling. Finally, it rotates around to the staging station where the mold is removed and opened and the part set aside in a resting form to hold its shape for final cooling. The overall size of the machines that do roto-casting tend to be enormous since the molding machines have three arms to each station â&#x20AC;&#x201C; unload and load, bake, cool â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which are working simultaneously. For example, a machine that molds a spring animal will be the size of a typical two-story house. Imagine the size of the machine that GameTime has for its triple slide! There are several important engineering decisions that impact on the quality of roto-cast products. The first is wall thickness, the thicker the better. Second, the plastic formulation has to balance competing benefits. There are a host of additives that impart desirable qualities to the basic raw plastic. Color, UV resistance, and static electricity suppressant additives can all be used. However, additives also tend to reduce the strength of the plastic so they need to be used in moderation.
Vinyl Coating Courtesy of Miracle Recreation/PlayPower, Inc.
A huge benefit of rotationally molded plastic is that it allows for the creation of very large pieces with very low material costs. As the volume of plastic parts increased, the manufacturers were able to bring the process into their own plants instead of having to use outside vendors, which further reduced costs. Adding rotational molding technology was not a trivial investment for the manufacturers. First, the molds are very expensive to produce as they include the wood original forms, a cast aluminum mold, and a surrounding frame, called a spider. Bolts are spaced every 3 or 4 inches around the circumference to hold the mold together. These are both set and removed by hand. The resultant mold
Not only did metal replace wooden posts, but it also replaced wooden decks. Unfortunately, metal decks were already being considered a safety concern due to heat buildup, and an alternative needed to be developed. The solution was vinyl coating. The decks are dipped into large tanks that hold liquid polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC). The coated decks are then cured in an oven. Since each PVC tank has to be big enough for the largest part and each color has to have its own tank, you can understand why there are not a lot of deck color options. The initial deck fabrication method was to build a steel frame and weld expanded steel to the frame. Newer designs use punched steel for a flat and strong product. While PVC-coated steel deck technology solved one problem, it created another. WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 9
offerings. Soon, for very little added costs, playgrounds will become extremely expressive and creative. We have already seen this dynamic in the automotive sector with companies like Tesla, and there are dozens of emerging car producers following that path. As with cars, for the past fifty years playgrounds have been a venue for innovation and creativity and they too will be fertile grounds for this digital revolution.
The Internet of Things Currently one of the hottest areas of technology today is the Internet of Things (IoT), where spaces and objects are embedded with tiny radios with sensors and have the ability to communicate with the Internet. The most widely quoted number for the growth of IoT is 25 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2015 and 50 billion by 2020 with a total value of $14.4 trillion for companies and industries worldwide in the next decade. To understand how IoT will impact on playgrounds you need to know a bit about how IoT works. Basically IoT is comprised of three core technologies: smart mobile devices, cloud storage and computing, and Bluetooth low-energy beacons. We don’t need to talk much about smart devices except to note that the capability of these products is exploding exponentially. For example, the iPhone is now the most popular camera. A typical smart phone today has more data processing power than a desktop computer of just five years ago at a fraction of the cost. These smart devices are no longer limited to cellphone connections but also now connect directly to the Internet. With fast connections to the Internet it is no longer necessary for these devices to store all their data on the device. Indeed, even the applications and computing can be run directly off the net. This is what is meant by “cloud” computing. Currently, most of the connection to the Internet that is made via non-cellular connections is by WiFi. WiFi works fairly well but is limited by cost and other factors, so a new technology is emerging that uses small inexpensive digital radios, called beacons, to link smart devices to the Internet. By populating the environment with billions of these beacons so
Courtesy of GameTime
PVC comes in two forms, rigid and flexible. To make PVC soft, plasticizers are added. The problems with the plasticizers were not widely recognized until around 2006 when enough evidence was accumulated to establish that the main plasticizers, phthalates, are endocrine disrupters and a serious health risk. PVC products made with phthalates were in thousands of products including baby pacifiers, medical devices, auto interiors, and home products. Fortunately, the industry responded and there was a serious effort to convert to new formulations. The playground industry is to be congratulated in their response to this issue, as most systems are now phthalates free.
Metal Core Rope Nets on playgrounds have been a perennial favorite with kids. Historically, the problem with rope nets was durability; they could be cut relatively easily and wore out much more rapidly than the structures that supported them. Those issues went away with the advent of metal core combination rope. When it was first introduced, the range of options was limited, but now this product is produced in a myriad of configurations and materials so designers have a great many options. The net systems use several types of net connectors. The main designs are “S” hook style and ball style with both two-part balls and single-part compressible balls. Initially, these three systems had some distinct advantages and disadvantages, but these days most of the disadvantages have been resolved and the systems all perform quite well. The biggest variable amongst net sys10 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
tems now is the amount of flexibility of the nets in each system. While none of the net products begin to replicate the free swinging of rope nets, they vary from being somewhat flexible to being essentially rigid. Flexibility is a product feature that is not apparent from catalog pictures or rope samples, and buyers would be well advised to inspect actual installations to see how they feel about the appeal of flexible vs. rigid net systems.
What Does the Future Hold? Since we can see how profoundly new material options have transformed playgrounds, it is logical to look around to see what technology is emerging currently that may find its way onto the playground.
3-D Printing I’m using the term 3-D printing as a placeholder for a whole range of interrelated technologies that include robots, rapid prototyping, and all sorts of computer technology that enables small-scale production. What we will see in the near future is essentially the digitization of product production, especially in those markets where creativity and uniqueness is highly valued. These days, city planners are embracing the idea of “place making” and retaining local character. The current trends in theme playground products fit right in to this growing movement and are just the beginning of the rise of more unique and artistic playgrounds. As the “digitization” movement gains increasing sophistication and capabilities, we will see start-up companies enter the market with compelling and competitive
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that they are everywhere and on everything, the vision of IoT is that we will soon essentially be living inside a ubiquitous computer rather than accessing the web from outside. While this scenario is terrifying to many, the economies and conveniences of IoT are so compelling that its rapid deployment is inevitable. So what does this mean for the future of playgrounds? At the simplest level it means that the playground will become a wonderful and compelling venue for location-based games. No longer will interactive games reside solely on screens but will now be embedded into the play environment. The result will be to greatly enhance the appeal of playgrounds for older children adding the challenge and excitement that has been largely regulated out of them. This change will be impossible to stop as we begin to more fully understand the role of outdoor active play on children’s health and development and insist our children have more active play. The second, and perhaps more important, change that will result from the deployment of IoT is enhanced personal security. Today, parents are so concerned for their children’s safety that they will trade allowing them to hole up in their rooms and play video games rather than exposing them to the hazards, real or imagined, of being on their own in the neighborhood. As IoT expands, it will return us to a time when we lived in safe neighborhoods where everyone knew everyone else, and if there was something or someone that didn’t belong, it was known and dealt with quickly and effectively. Yes, this means a
loss of privacy, but the whole notion of privacy is just a legacy of the rapid mobility of citizens that has come about in the twentieth century. Privacy is not the norm for humanity nor should it be. This means that within the next decade we will see the return of the “free-range” childhood in many, if not most, communities.
Nature The final current trend that is likely to mature into the basis for the playgrounds of the future is “nature.” Due in large part to the work of Richard Louv and his book Last Child in the Woods, communities and families are increasingly aware of the many benefits to children of spending time in nature digging holes, climbing trees, rolling down hills, etc. One of the earliest proponents of this concept is Robin Moore, Professor of Landscape Architecture at North Carolina State University, where he is currently Director of the Natural Learning Initiative. Through his examples and those of his associates at the landscape design firm MIG in Berkeley, the basic groundwork has been laid to bring increasing amounts of nature-based experiences to playgrounds. Currently, dozens of design firms have begun to specialize in this area, and more and more clients are seeking them out. There are also excellent examples in Europe, especially in Denmark, of extremely successful programs. The main challenge to bringing more nature to playgrounds is not technical. The fact is that current park and playground design and operation has to assume a
“blow and go” style of maintenance, which is the antithesis of natural spaces. Is there a chance that this attitude will change, at least in some communities? I actually believe that such a change will be an inevitable result of the revolution that has to be made to adjust mankind’s treatment of his environment so that it is sustainable and preserves as much as possible of the nature that currently surrounds and nurtures us.
Final Thought When someone says, “visualize the playground of your youth,” each generation will tend to create a picture unique to their generation. For me, it is a pipe playground. My daughter’s vision is a wooden one. Our grandchildren visualize a post and deck play structure. We are in the midst of another new vision for playgrounds. Increasing these will be comprised of natural elements on one hand and of high technology on the other. Where historically “playground” meant a fixed piece of land with apparatus, the next generation of children will bring a big part of their play with them on their smart devices, and the play venue will be wherever they are in the community.
PLAY & PLAYGROUND
Jay Beckwith
• Began designing play environments in 1970. • Has written several books on designing and building play equipment. • Is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector. • Has written publications and developed programs for playground safety. • Has consulted with playground manufacturers in their design process. • Writes a blog at playgroundguru.org. • Completed a comprehensive upgrade of the Gymboree Play and Music apparatus. • Currently developing location based mobile games with the goal of using smartphones in outdoor play. Read More at
Courtesy of Helle Nebelong
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playgroundprofessionals.com WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 11
New Equipment Trends Lead to More Inclusive Playgrounds by Mara Kaplan
INCLUSION OCCURS WHEN children with disabilities unconditionally participate in regular recreation opportunities in their own community. In terms of playgrounds this means that a family who is raising a child with disabilities should be able to go to the park where the neighborhood children are playing. It means they should not have to go to a playground that is designed for “special needs” nor should they have to travel a long distance out of their community to reach a facility that can accommodate their child. Sometimes inclusion feels like a very difficult goal for a parks and recreation department. There is a belief that to be inclusive, a playground must be large and cost a great deal more than other playgrounds. However, some current trends in equipment design will be making this goal more attainable by developing new products that will fit people’s budgets as well as serving all children.
to play. Climb up a climber, run over to the slide, go down, run around to another climber and do it again. When there is a right way and a wrong way to play, children whose bodies do not support that type of play are left out. What if instead of this type of module structure, there are big pieces of equipment that a child looks at and says, “How do you play on that?” The child has to look and explore it and figure out how to play on it, and any way that she finds fun on it is the “right way” to play. When "anyway you play" is the right way to play, it is much easier for a child who plays “differently” to fit in. When watching children on the Rushmore by Playworld Systems, observers found the children creating group games and activities. It was simple and automatic for them to include all of the children.
Open-Ended Play
Swinging has always been a big part of playground play. Often today parks have added an accessible swing seat to their swing sets, automatically opening the swinging experience up to more children. Another easy addition to a playground is a group swing. It was once difficult to find a group swing due to safety concerns in the United States, but they have been around a long time in Europe and Australia.
When most people are asked to describe a neighborhood playground, they describe a module structure that has climbers going up and slides coming down; sometimes there is a theme, monkey bars, or swings to make the playground more interesting. This type of design is very didactic – children know that there is a right way and a wrong way
New Types of Swings and Movement Experiences
Now it is much simpler to find a group swing in America. Examples include the Biggo Swing from Dynamo, the Oodle Swing from Landscape Structures, and the Elephant Swing from Elephant Play. These larger swings allow a child to decide whether they would like to sit up or lie down. It is fairly easy to transfer a child from a mobility device on to the swing, and the design of the swing provides them enough support so that they can swing. They can handle several children at one time or an adult holding a child. According to Bec Ho of Touched by Olivia in Australia, “The Bird Nest swings are loved by all children on our inclusive playgrounds. Children of all abilities get the chance to play and we love that it is a social experience.” These types of swings are not a huge financial investment and realize a great reward in terms of play value. In addition to the “Bird Nest” type of big swing, there is new movement equipment that children of all abilities can easily play on and love. There is the Cruise Line from Playworld Systems, which is something like a combination of a zip line and a big swing. Children play together to get the seat to move, while other children are standing, sitting or lying down enjoying the movement. Landscape Structures has a zip line called the ZipKrooz that comes with a harnessed seat which is great fun.
Courtesy of Xccent Play
setting, making the electronic play an even more positive experience. When given the chance and the right environment, children are creative in devising ways for everyone to play. In one instance at a playground in Ohio, a group of 8-year-olds were playing NEOS when they noticed a girl, Angela, not playing. Angela has cerebral palsy, which affects her ability to move most of her muscles and requires she use a wheelchair to get around. The other children asked Angela if she would like to play. Her eyes lit up and she nodded yes. The kids pushed her right into the middle of the game. Angela added more challenge to the game as the children needed to get around her wheelchair to hit the buttons. Angela watched and laughed and the kids circled around her. It was a case of true inclusion. Courtesy of Landscape Structures
Group Play The module structure that is in many playgrounds today encourages individual play. A child climbs and slides down by himself. He might find a friend and they parallel play, but for the most part it is an individual challenge. See-saws are typically designed for only 2-4 children to play on at one time. Some of the new equipment on the market, encourages groups of children to play together to accomplish a goal. There are now see-saws the support 6-8 children at one time. Recently, Playworld Systems announced the creation of their Teeter Tunnel that can have 20 children play on it at the same time. The Ion X-Wave 2 by Xccent Play can accommodate an entire classroom. Children sit on it and it goes up and down in a wave like motion. On this piece, an adult may need to help support a child with balance issues.
This type of group play is important for children with autism and developmental delays. They often do not know the social cues to play in a group. These pieces of equipment can allow a child to practice being with others in a nonthreatening environment.
Playground manufacturers should be encouraged to continue to push the envelope in playground design. By thinking beyond the typical climber, slide, and swing, they can help communities succeed in creating inclusive environments where everyone benefits.
Electronic Play
Electronic play will not be the solution for every neighborhood park, but for those who can afford the equipment and the space, they can be the most inclusive activity in a park. Games like NEOS 360 from Playworld Systems and Pulse from Landscape Structures attract people of all ages and abilities. In parks with these pieces, it is not unusual to see teenagers playing each other, grandparents playing against their grandchildren, and people using mobility devices actively playing. These games help people create social inclusion, the ability to gain social acceptance in positive interactions with peers. Because they attract people of all ages from toddlers to grandparents, it helps build this social acceptance. People gather around and cheer for the players regardless of their playing ability. It is rare that a child with a disability gets cheered Courtesy of Landscape Structures by their peers in a typical
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Conclusion
PLAY & PLAYGROUND
Mara Kaplan
The driving force behind Let Kids Play, a consulting firm working to ensure that all children have excellent play opportunities. She is an educator, a parent of a child with disabilities, and a season advocate for inclusive play. Mara is the editor of accessibleplayground.net and one of the authors of the Inclusive Play Design Guide. She founded an indoor playspace for children with and without disabilities and was its executive director for over 13 years. Mara has an elementary education degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. She received her MBA, with a concentration in nonprofit management, from Boston University.
Read More at
playgroundprofessionals.com WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 13
Courtesy of Robertson Recreational Surfaces
Courtesy of 3841128876/shutter stock.com
Courtesy of
Courtesy of Ken Kutska
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terstock.com
The Evolution of Playground Surfacing by Walt Henderson HAVE YOU EVER driven by a beautiful new playground and thought “That looks really good. I wonder who made the equipment, and who supplied the surfacing?” It’s easy to forget that the second part of the question, “Who supplied the surfacing?” would, not so long ago, probably have sounded silly. That’s because, with the exception of molded rubber tile used in a few large cities and a limited amount of loose recycled tire rubber, playground surfacing was a local affair. Someone put in the playground equipment, found a nearby source of wood chips, sand, or gravel, and spread it on the playground.
restaurants for their play centers. And the originators of ECORE International’s PlayGuard safety tile, who recognized that the bonded recycled rubber tile installed on playgrounds throughout Europe would work equally well on playgrounds in North America.
Courtesy of Zeager Bros.
The 1980s: Beginnings This changed in the mid-1980s when a group of forward-thinking innovators saw the need for better surfacing and set about developing products to meet this need. They included Robert Heath, the founder of Fibar LLC, who realized that the fibrous wood particles that Fibar was selling to cushion the impact of thoroughbred horses’ hooves could also cushion impacts from playground falls. And David Brantley, founder of No Fault Sport Group, who figured that the polyurethane/rubber surface he was installing on tennis courts and running tracks could, with an additional cushion layer, serve as the resilient, easily maintained safety surface sought by owners of quick service 14 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2014
These innovators began what, at the time, was a novel concept: surfacing material designed and sold specifically for use as a resilient surface under and around playground equipment. In other words, “commercial playground surfacing.” As with any new concept or innovation, there was much resistance in the early days. “Buy surfacing for my playground? I get wood chips for free from the local recycling center!” Or worse, “Resilient surfacing for playgrounds? I grew up playing on asphalt, and I’m none the worse for it!” However, commercial playground surfacing suppliers persevered, and playground designers and operators slowly began to embrace the concept. Then in
the late ’80s and early ’90s a series of events occurred which changed how people thought about playground surfacing and catapulted commercial playground surfacing to prominence.
The 1990s: Surfacing Comes of Age In December 1989, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Directorate for Epidemiology published a study (Playground Equipment-Related Injuries Involving Falls to the Surface, by Deborah Kale Tinsworth and John T. Kramer) which found that falls from playground equipment to the surface below accounted for 60% of all injuries reported. The fact that playground surfacing was a factor in more than half of all playground injuries made surfacing a major playground safety issue and an important consideration when designing a playground. In November of 1991 the Consumer Product Safety Commission published a revised version of The Handbook for Public Playground Safety, defining the critical height of a playground surface as the height below which a life-threatening head injury from a fall to the surface would not be likely to occur. The performancerelated definition of critical height, according to the CPSC and ASTM International (ASTM) F1292, the industry standard containing the test method to determine critical height also published in 2001, was the maximum height from which an instrumented headform can be dropped without www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
exceeding a peak deceleration (Gmax) of 200 and a HIC (a measure of deceleration over time) of 1000 upon impact. Thus in the space of less than 2 years: • falls to the surface were found to be the leading cause of playground injuries, • the CPSC defined a measurable threshold (critical height) for life threatening head injuries, and • a test method to determine the critical height was published. Now the 1991 Handbook also contained a table showing the critical heights of commonly used surfaces like wood mulch, bark mulch, sand, and gravel, which could be sourced locally. However, and here’s the rub, how could a playground operator be sure that the mulch, sand, or gravel installed on their playground was exactly the same as that tested by the CPSC? The answer, of course, is that they couldn’t. Commercial playground surfacing suppliers, on the other hand, could provide laboratory test results documenting that the surface that they were supplying, and which was installed on the playground, met the CPSC and ASTM critical height requirements. Talk about peace of mind! Commercial playground surfacing was off and running! The 1990s were a boom time for commercial playground surfacing (as well as commercial playground equipment) as playground owners replaced obsolete and unsafe equipment and surfacing with the new surfacing almost invariably of the commercial variety.
The Market for Commercial Playground Surfacing - 3rd Edition
Henderson Consulting Services, Inc. has just published the 3rd Edition of The Market for Commercial Playground Surfacing, an in-depth review and analysis of the U.S. market for commercial playground surfacing. (Commercial playground surfacing being defined as material manufactured and sold specifically for use as a resilient playground surface.) The study provides estimates of the total market (in units and dollars) for commercial playground surfacing in 2014; market growth since 2010, when the study was last published; the effects of the great recession on playground surfacing sales; the outlook for these products through the rest of the decade; and changes in the competitive position of the most important playground surfaces and suppliers of these surfaces. The study covers all major commercial playground surfaces including engineered wood fiber, loose-fill rubber, poured-in-place rubber, bonded rubber tile, and synthetic turf surfaces. Detailed analysis of each product category is provided including a description of the product line, the advantages and disadvantages of the product, product pricing, estimated 2014 category sales volume and market share, growth outlook, and major suppliers. Newer surfaces recently introduced to the market are also discussed. More information on the study is available by contacting info@hendersonconsult.com
(BRC) tile was installed on big city playgrounds throughout the country.
Courtesy of drpnncpptak/shutterstock.com
Courtesy of Robertson Recreational Surfaces
Engineered wood fiber (EWF), as the fibrous wood particles sold by Fibar and other suppliers came to be known, covered most North American playgrounds by the end of the decade. Poured-in-place (PIP) surfacing expanded from quick service restaurant playgrounds to amusement parks, family entertainment centers, and park and school playgrounds. Bonded rubber crumb www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
Dozens of new commercial surfacing suppliers entered the business, giving playground designers and operators not only a multitude of surfacing choices but of suppliers as well. Innovation also continued at a brisk pace. EWF suppliers introduced new underlay systems using drain strips, rather than gravel, for more effective and economical drainage. PIP companies added a variety of bright new colors and offered improved color stability. BRC tile producers also introduced vibrant colored top surfaces as well as mechanical fastening systems that reduced or eliminated the need for adhesives and allowed installa-
tion over different sub-bases.
2000-2010: New Challenges, New Surfaces Shortly after the turn of the century, in 2001, the federal government threw US playgrounds a bit of a curve. Those involved with playgrounds had long been aware that the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, which was made law in 1990, affected most playgrounds as they are public facilities. However, how the ADA affected playgrounds was not clear. In November of 2001 the U.S. Access Board, the federal agency tasked with promoting accessibility, placed the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Play Areas in the Federal Register. The guidelines also became effective in November of 2001. In addition to guidelines for play equipment, ADAAG for Play Areas also contained guidelines for playground surfacing. These guidelines, which address the “accessible route” from the playground entrance to the play equipment and between play events, contained requirements for slope, changes in level, and width. Most importantly, however, ground WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 15
surfaces along the accessible route were required to comply with ASTM F1951. ASTM F1951 Standard Specification for Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment uses an instrumented wheelchair to determine the work required to propel the wheelchair across the surface being tested. This work is then compared with the work required to propel the wheelchair up a smooth, hard 1:14 ramp. If the work to traverse the surface is less than that required to go up the ramp, the surface passes F1951.
wood chips, meet ASTM F1951, and thus are not viable options for accessible playgrounds. (Sand, however, is still often used in non-accessible play areas because of its play value.) The new ADA requirements for playground surface accessibility thus provided another boost for commercial playground surfacing.
Courtesy of LTR Products, LLC
Courtesy of Ken Kutska
So, as of 2001, one federal agency (the CPSC) was recommending that playground surfaces be resilient, and another federal agency (the Access Board) was recommending that playground surfaces be the opposite, firm and stable. Who said being a playground surfacing supplier was easy? However, commercial playground surfacing suppliers rose to this new challenge. Engineered wood fiber suppliers determined that, with proper compaction, EWF met the requirements of ASTM F1951. EWF suppliers also added wear mats to their product lines, recommending the use of these mats in high wear areas to prevent displacement of wood fiber and thus maintaining accessibility. Poured-in-place and BRC rubber tile playground surfaces passed ASTM F1951 with flying colors, their top wear surfaces offering little rolling resistance to wheelchairs. (Their lower density bottom layers provided the necessary resilience to meet CPSC shock attenuation guidelines.) However, for non-commercial playground surfaces like wood chips, wood mulch, sand, and gravel (i.e. those shown in the CPSC Handbook table), the ADAAG Play Area guidelines were the final blow. None of these surfaces, with the possible exception of some types of 16 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
The use of commercial playground surfaces continued to grow during the first decade of the new millennium, albeit at a slower pace, as much of the obsolete and unsafe surfacing (and playground equipment) in place in the past had now been replaced. This period also saw the entry of several important new players into the commercial surfacing arena. Rubber nuggets or chips derived from tire recycling had been offered as playground surfaces since the 1970s. However, these black, sometimes dirty (or perceived dirty) products found limited acceptance among playground operators. Then, in the late 1990s, a clever Ohio chemist found a way to coat the rubber particles with colored pigments and, voilà, colored loose-fill rubber playground surfacing (aka rubber mulch) was born. The coloration technique spread rapidly and a number of rubber recyclers soon were supplying the product. The black ugly duckling had become a brightly colored swan! By the middle of the decade, colored rubber playground mulch was going strong. Not only did the product look nice, but it was also resistant to deterioration and offered some of the best shock attenuation available, combining the resilience of rubber with the impact-absorbing properties of a loose-fill surface (due to air voids and displacement on impact). While not nearly as popular as engineered wood fiber, rubber mulch offered buyers another loose-fill option for their playgrounds. The first commercial playground surfaces (i.e. EWF and PIP) came about when suppliers of these surfaces for other applications realized that these surfaces
could also be used on playgrounds. This was the case with another playground surface that rose to prominence in the last decade - artificial turf or artificial grass playground surfaces. Artificial turf has, of course, long been used on sports fields. So, several turf suppliers reasoned, why not on playgrounds? Synthetic playground grass uses the same basic design as that for sports fields – sheets of synthetic turf installed over an impact-absorbing pad and stabilized by a particulate in-fill, with shock attenuation and turf properties appropriate for playground applications. The product offers many of the advantages of unitary rubber surfaces: resilience, low maintenance, and good accessibility. The turf top surface fits well with the trend to nature-themed playgrounds. The comfortable surface is an advantage for playgrounds used by younger children. As a result, artificial grass playgrounds have grown steadily since their introduction in the early 2000s and have become an important unitary commercial playground surface, although much less widely used than poured-in-place surfacing.
2011-2015: Playground Surfacing Today Choosing a surface for one’s playground in 2015 is a far different experience than that of 25 years ago. Instead of heading for the local wood waste recycling facility, landscaping materials center, or building supply dealer to pick up whatever might be available, purchasers are now apt to sit down with a landscape architect or playground equipment and surfacing sales representative to discuss their surfacing needs and the many options available to them. More complicated, sure, but the result is also likely to be much more satisfying. The many playground surfacing choices discussed in this article are all available to today’s buyer, each with its own distinct advantages and drawbacks, as well as numerous suppliers for each type of surface. All commercial playground surfaces have undergone sophisticated testing for shock attenuation and accessibility, with laboratory results available to the customer documenting compliance with relevant safety and accessibility guidelines and standards. There are also productrelated ASTM standards for engineered wood fiber and loose-fill rubber, with one for PIP in the works, specifying requirewww.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
KEEP PLAYTIME SAFE & COMPLIANT America’s Playground Supply House For: · Playground Parts · Surface Repair Kits Burke Playground on Artificial Grass Safety Surfacing with Trike Trail and Shade Canopies by Child’s Play Inc. (top) Curtis Ranch PIP (top-right)
ments for composition, purity, and suitability for use on children’s playgrounds. Furthermore, many suppliers participate in an industry certification program, administered by the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), providing independent laboratory certification that their products meet relevant ASTM standards. While some purists may grouse that playgrounds and playground surfacing have been ruined by bureaucrats and businessmen, it’s hard to argue that today’s playground surfaces are not safer, more accessible, and more reliable than in the days of throwing down whatever was available and hoping for the best. The remarkable innovation that has characterized commercial playground surfacing continues apace with new, more durable polymeric wear surfaces for PIP and BRC tile; topcoats with customized designs, logos, and figures offered on those products; urethane-bonded EWF surfaces offering additional firmness and stability; and more reliable and long lasting installation systems and techniques offered for BRC tile. And new playground surfaces continue to be introduced, the latest of which are www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
the so called “hybrid surfaces,” which feature a loose-fill rubber base covered with polymeric or turf sheet material. These surfaces are said to offer the resiliency of a loose-fill product combined with the accessibility of a unitary surface. Hybrid surfaces are in their infancy, so time will tell how well they are accepted. However, the concept certainly is intriguing. The bottom line is, that as we drive by newly installed playgrounds in the future, the surfacing will still probably give us plenty to talk about!
· Sports Items · Site Amenities · Child Care · Fitness
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888.760.2499
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Walter J. Henderson has been involved with playground safety, playground equipment, and resilient surfacing since 1986. He is the President and Principal Consultant of Henderson Consulting Services, Inc., which provides professional consulting services for suppliers, specifiers, purchasers, and users of play equipment, resilient surfacing, and recycled rubber products. Henderson has played an important role in ASTM standards development for play equipment and surfacing.
WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 17
A History of
IPEMA'S Beginnings CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY is a perennial topic of concern, and (thankfully) we have all witnessed industries and consumer products that have made enormous strides over relatively short periods of time to improve the safety of users, especially so when the primary target users are children. The playground industry is at the forefront of this list, working tirelessly over the last few decades to develop an effective, credible system to help minimize injuries that may occur on playgrounds. The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) is the prominent industry group for playground equipment and surfacing safety and certification, as well as a leading voice to parents and the public about the benefits of free play for children and adults. This article explores IPEMA’s roots, which began over two decades ago, as a result of much-needed clarification, leadership, and consistency for commercial playgrounds. For years, organizations such as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Program for Playground Safety have helped bring playground safety into the public interest. The oft-cited statistic
Curtis Clevland
18 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
(from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a statistically valid injury surveillance system monitored by the CPSC) that over 200,000 children are treated annually in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with outdoor play equipment brought national consumer attention to the ways the industry can improve safety. In 1981, the CPSC published the Handbook for Public Playground Safety, a document designed to provide guidelines for efforts aimed at making playgrounds safer. However, these guidelines failed to include adequate technical requirements needed for a “testable” standard, and therefore, companies were left to interpret the guidelines on their own. To bring order and consistency to the standards, a new approach to playground safety was put in place. IPEMA’s predecessor, the National School Supply and Equipment Association’s (NSSEA) Playground Equipment Section, petitioned the American Society for Testing and Materials (now known as ASTM International)(ASTM) to develop a voluntary standard on playground equipment. IPEMA members, along with the
Randy Watermiller
CPSC, playground professionals, and consumer advocates comprised the ASTM Committee F15 on Consumer products, which developed ASTM Standard F1487, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specifications for Playground Equipment for Public Use. In addition to the written standard, however, lay the crux of the issue – a necessary certification process that would ensure consistency and credibility. For this, a third party would need to be employed. Recognizing this, a working group of 13 of the country’s leading playground equipment and surfacing manufacturers began meeting throughout the summer of 1995, leading to a historical vote in October of that year. The group unanimously voted to form the Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (PEMA) – later to be expanded to include Canada and then to be known as the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association. The group’s immediate goal was to pursue a third-party certification program to ensure consistency to the certification process, and thus help reduce injuries and add credibility to the commercial playground industry.
Richard Hawley
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Additional early goals and objectives for IPEMA were as follows: • Make playgrounds safer and reduce related injuries • Represent and serve a significant majority of manufacturers of play equipment • Provide members with timely, in-depth information on key economic and governmental issues affecting the industry • Promote relationships with other related organizations to enhance the strength and credibility of the marketplace Founding member and past-President Curtis Cleveland remarked on the early meetings, “There were a handful of people there. Each one of us was asked to stand up and state the most important thing to us about this effort and how we would support it as an individual and as a company. I stood and said the certification program was the most important thing to me. We split up responsibilities and started working.” The group quickly undertook the process of formalizing the testing procedures. The work was time consuming, as each piece of equipment needed to be analyzed to determine correct procedures not only for production, but for installation and maintenance. Factors to be evaluated included: improper spacing that may cause entrapment of the head; protruding hardware or railings that could cause lacerations; inadequate guardrails or barriers that could permit inadvertent falls; or slide attachments with gaps that might cause entangled clothing. Detroit Testing Laboratories (DTL) (now TÜV SÜD America) was contracted to be the independent third party valuator for the
Tom Norquist
www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
program. Working closely with DTL, the IPEMA Equipment Certification Program was developed and finalized in 1996. IPEMA met often in the early years – up to 6 times per year – to continue to evolve the certification program and make suggestions to the ASTM standards committees. Founding members were often asked to contribute to the external communication efforts, penning articles for industry publications and speaking on behalf of the group at meetings, conferences, and trade shows. Spreading the word took persistent hard work, but it paid off. IPEMA was making a name for itself, becoming recognized for its certification program just a year or two after launching it. In 1999, IPEMA expanded its equipment certification program to include the Canadian Standards (CSA).
SPECIFICS OF THE PROGRAMS Equipment Certification Program The equipment certification program was designed to make certain the certified products were compliant to ASTM F1487. This was accomplished in the following ways: • The program meets the requirements of ANSI Z34.I-1993, Third Party Certification for Products, Processes and Services • The Equipment Certification Committee oversees its operation. The certification committee has two primary functions: * Run the program and keep it on track and responsive to the needs of the participants * Answer participant questions and
Robert Heath
monitor the consistent application of the standard for the program
Surfacing Certification Program Interest in playground safety surfacing converged around this time as well. Until the early 1990s, sand, pea gravel, and wood chips were the most common playground surfacing materials maintained under and around public playground equipment. Beginning in 1985, playgrounds started to use engineered wood fiber as well as rubber tiles and pouredin-place surfacing under playground equipment. All of these materials came with individual claims about their resiliency and safety protection. In 1991, the CPSC expanded their Handbook for Public Playground Safety to include types of surfacing and their respective fall heights. “Fall height” refers to a critical height value of at least the height of the highest designated play surface on the equipment. With the CPSC’s data, ASTM took it a step further in 1991 by creating ASTM F1292 – Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation Under and Around Playground Equipment. This standard provided a test method for measuring the impact attenuation of the surfacing material to prevent a life debilitating injury. Manufacturers submitted their surfacing products to independent laboratories for testing to the ASTM
List of IPEMA Presidents Jeff Olsen
1996-1997
Mike Hayward
1998-1999
Jack Gonzenbach
2000-2001
Curtis Cleveland
2002-2003
Steve King
2004-2005
Tom Norquist
2006-2007
Tim Ahern
2008-2009
Lloyd Reese
2010-2011
Randy Watermiller
2012-2013
Richard Hawley
2014-2015
WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 19
F1292 Standard and would provide copies of test results to prospective customers to prove their products met or exceeded the ASTM Standard. As IPEMA’s Equipment Certification program was gaining credibility throughout the industry, surfacing manufacturers rallied together under IPEMA’s umbrella and created a similar certification program for manufactured surfacing products. The new program legitimized the surfacing industry as a whole and helped to ensure that participating companies had up-to-date, independently certified test results. As the certification program met the need for providing proof of impact attenuation, it was subsequently combined with the need to eliminate “tramp metals” such as nails, staples, or other metal particles from engineered wood fiber, as tested by ASTM Standard F2075. In addition, the playground industry understood that playground surfacing added much more to a playground than just a surface for kids to play on. Playground surfacing provides play value to children and can be used to enhance a child’s play experience. For example, rubberized tiles and poured-in-place surfacing can be spread in creative ways, with colorful, fantasy designs such as rivers and oceans, jungles, and forests and can even provide life-sized playing boards for various games. Engineered wood fiber provides one of the most natural surfaces for children to play on. Equal thought and effort needs to be put into decisions about playground surfacing as well as playground equipment. Some of the best, most creative playgrounds in the world feature a variety of equipment, natural elements, and different types of surfacing that allow for both maximum creativity and safety. It is extremely important that owner/operators demand all surfacing products and playground equipment they purchase are IPEMA-certified and are installed and maintained according to manufacturers’ directions. Founding IPEMA Member Robert Heath noted, “ASTM started the ball rolling for us in terms of a safety standard for playground surfacing. We all realized the challenges that existed for surfacing because of the multiple manufacturing sites and on-site storage. The IPEMA Surfacing Committee worked hard to formalize the certification process used around the country. There are now more 20 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
than 70 certified playground surfacing companies across the US.” Currently, IPEMA’s certification services provide for the validation of a participant’s certification of conformance to one of the standards referenced below. Both programs are administered by TÜV SÜD America. • ASTM F1487-11, excluding sections 7.1.1, 10 and 12.6.1 – Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use • CAN/CSA-Z614-14 excluding clauses 9.8, 10, and 11 – Children’s Playspaces and Equipment • ASTM F1292-13 – Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment • ASTM F2075-10a – Standard Specification for Engineered Wood Fiber for Use as a Playground Safety Surface Under and Around Playground Equipment Immediate Past President Randy Watermiller added, “IPEMA has made significant progress, and there is still a lot of work yet to be done. During my term as President, we focused on IPEMA’s influence on the industry and the general public related to awareness of playground safety, promotion of IPEMA certified equipment and surfacing, all while stressing the importance of play and its connection to developing a healthy lifestyle.”
Launching IPEMA’s Voice As the organization grew in size and scope, the membership acknowledged a need to expand its public footprint, outside the realm of the certification program, to focus on larger issues surrounding play. The membership wisely recognized that the more knowledge the public and consumers had about the scientifically proven benefits of play, the better the industry would do as a whole. Undoubtedly, the changing demographics of the American public played a role in this decision. The explosion of computer games, social media, and smart phones
converged with dangerous increases in childhood obesity due to lack of physical activity and poor nutrition. At the same time, the American education system turned a laser focus onto its global position, forcing mounting pressure on school systems to find more time for academic assessment – at the sacrifice of time for outdoor recess and play. The growing litigious nature of the (mostly American) public cultivated a society afraid in some cases to offer public services – like community and school playgrounds – for fear of undue legal attention or punishment. It was in this media climate that IPEMA announced the Voice of Play. As Tom Norquist, IPEMA Marketing Committee Chair noted, “There was a desire among members to expand our powerful industry voice for the good of the greater public. Launching the Voice of Play provided a natural opportunity for IPEMA members and our renowned Advisors to share our expertise with the public and to further educate them about the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional benefits of outdoor free play.” Working with an international communications agency, Havas Worldwide, the membership and board launched a marketing and public relations effort to expand its reach beyond traditional industry audiences. Called the Voice of Play, the advocacy initiative (see related article on page 24) has brought the topic of play, its value and credible benefits, to a broader consumer audience and elevated the conversation beyond its early trade channels. By tapping into a well-known group of playground experts to serve on its Board of Advisors, which currently includes industry giants Dr. Stuart Brown, Dr. Joe Frost, Ken Kutska, and Teri Hendy, the Voice of Play continues to spread the scientific research-based evidence about the importance of play from a manufacturerneutral position. Since its launch in early 2007, the Voice of Play has created a consumerfriendly website and blog and an engaged social media audience on Facebook and Twitter, and has helped position IPEMA and its membership as a go-to resource for consumer media and the public about play. By taking a leadership position around industry events and activities such as the U.S. Conference on the Value of Play, National Playground Safety Week, NRPA’s Annual Congress & Exposition, and the Department of Justice’s Americans www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, the effort has garnered more than 70 media articles and more than 993 million media impressions.
IPEMA Today Today, as IPEMA prepares to enter its third decade as a leading playground safety organization, the membership continues to grow. What began as a handful of charter members has now grown to over 230 members in 2014. Members now meet twice annually to discuss membership activities, review industry issues and opportunities, and strategize on continuing outreach on the value of play. “Before IPEMA started, the education and resources the manufacturers had didn’t usually make it to the end consumer,” said Richard Hawley, current IPEMA President. “We are providing a valuable service, and are constantly looking for ways to broaden access to education about playground safety to more people.” “At the end of the day, I find a lot of joy in knowing we’re still in the kid business. It’s not a bad business to be in,” remarked Richard Hawley. “I got into a business where I never had to grow up.”
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• Safety Tiles • Rubber Mulch • Flexible Curbing • Landscaping Stones
• Rubber Walking Trails • Fitness / Gym Tiles • Swing / Slide Mats • Raw Materials
Recycled Safety Products at Their Best! WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 21
New Materials Make Playgrounds Even More Innovative by Anne-Marie Spencer
IT HASN'T BEEN too many decades ago, when playgrounds were made primarily of steel, with some wood accents. Color was rare, and kids of that era will tell you that after a play session, there was usually a red coating on their hands from the oxidized or rusty metal. Although those play spaces may have provided an outlet for physical exercise, they did little to inspire, provoke an aesthetic appeal, or lend comfort to the play experience. Fast forward to the present day, and playgrounds are an inspiring mix of imaginative materials and aesthetic value, with hundreds of design configurations. Unlike the past, there exists a wide variety of raw materials to choose from that allow playground designers the same inspiration and creativity as the children they build environments for. Gone are the days of plain steel and wood frames that looked like they belonged in a prison yard more than the local family park. Fortunately, the days of rust, splinters, and decay are in the past, as modern playground materials are safer, more durable, and environmentally conscious. One of the most dramatic materials to emerge is the use of blended concrete and
fiberglass substrates. When someone mentions fiberglass, it is most common to think of ubiquitous pink insulation, shiny boats, or sporty cars. This is true; fiberglass, which is simply very fine glass fibers, when mixed with a polymer matrix makes the material used to mold a variety of useful objects, including cars and boats. However, when combined in a careful recipe with cement, sand, and other materials, the resulting material is glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC), which can also be molded, and is being utilized to create fantastical stage sets for children's play. Glass fiber reinforced concrete is a proven engineered composite building material. The glass fibers reinforce the concrete, much as steel reinforcing bars do in conventional construction. The glass fiber reinforcement results in a product with much higher flexural strength than normal concrete, allowing its use in thinwall casting applications, allowing it to be sculpted over a traditional playground framework to create anything the imagination can allow. GFRC play spaces are created by spraying a series of layers of polymer-concrete material over a framework, then carving
Courtesy of PlayCore
22 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
the material into the desired shape. Once cured, the resulting component is meticulously hand painted to create a realistic look, then shipped to the installation site to be assembled in a very exacting process that ensures durability and longevity of the overall design. It is not unexpected to find huge castles, trees, or pirate ships, resplendent with all the details found in the finest movie set. GFRC can be utilized to build a play space that tells a story and links a communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage and culture. GFRC has also made a major contribution to historical restoration because of its fine texture, which allows correct replication of building ornamentation. Because of its very low shrinkage, molds can actually be made from existing structural ornamentation, then cast in GFRC to perfectly replicate the original designs. Modern playgrounds are also incorporating science-based technology with angular designs that incorporate nets, light, and sound for an ultra modern look and aesthetic. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play nets, thanks to updated manufacturing specifications, are built to endure and can be found in freestanding elements, as well as twist-
Courtesy of PlayCore
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ing among and through a composite play structure to mimic the feel of high ropes courses in a compliant youth-focused setting. Children find net climbing irresistible, the free form designs allow them to shape their own climbing experience and decide which way to step next, while the flexible feel under hand and foot demonstrate a level of challenge that inspires concentration and skill development. The discovery of clear substrates that withstand outdoor conditions has also resulted in a new mode of play. While exploring the new play space at Freedom Park in Charlotte, NC, children were found to be enjoying this technology to the fullest by way of colorful, transparent roof panels and play components. The panels, while lending an air of beauty to the space, also functioned in a surprising way, casting colorful patterns on the wood surfacing that emerged with the sun as it appeared from behind the clouds. Children discovering this surprise element shrieked with joy and ran to dance and play on the colored patterns cast on the ground. Other complementary elements, like transparent substrate pattern panels, created similar patterns on the ground that children controlled by spinning a dial in the center of the panel. This cause and effect element created a kaleidoscope of shifting color that delighted both the child who manipulated it, and those on the ground who could run around on the shifting pattern. Clear materials are also being used for large play components like climbing walls. Unlike opaque materials, they offer obvi-
Courtesy of Everlast Climbing
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ous supervisory sight lines throughout the component, and help to beautify the space by allowing the natural beauty of the surroundings to show through. Sound is also emerging as a fun, discoverable element on the playground. Sound chips can be embedded in surfacing, encapsulated in play panels, or stationed on an upright to create a new dimension in play. Because many sound components are not obvious, children will suddenly find them when they step on a colored circle in poured in place rubber, for example, or touch their hand to a play panel. The sound components can also be embedded in an obvious visual cue, and with this technology, informal learning can be incorporated into the play environment, for instance sharing information about indigenous animals, local history, or even science-based facts like our solar system. Sound panels are commonly used to reinforce a theme; for example, in a nature-focused space they could be used to teach about plants as sources for food, medicine, and oxygen. Another focus of playground materials, though not new, is the use of recycled materials. From highly resistant plastic that prevents milk jugs from entering the landfill system to steel and aluminum that enjoy an endless ability to recycle (unlike plastics, they don't lose tensile strength with repeated recycling), playgrounds made of recycled material are more common and offer the green-conscious customer a wider selection of attractive, environmentally responsible product to choose from. It’s important to note that playground materials that are growing in popularity aren’t limited to the manmade. Natural materials like plants are increasingly used to add both aesthetic appeal and play value. Plants can be used as natural fences to surround a play space and direct/limit traffic. They can be designed to create fun mazes, using both formal design, like boxwood or privet, or informal design like grass mazes. Plants also are a wonderful source of loose parts for play – stones, nuts, pinecones, leaves, and twigs make great building materials, imaginative props, and play pieces. Including natural plantings in play spaces may also help to foster an appreciation for nature in children, as well as help bring nature to urban areas where it may be lacking. Whatever your design preference in materials, it is important to talk to
Courtesy of Ursula’s Cambridge Garden
your playground representatives about the options, and ask, “What’s new?” Playgrounds are making huge strides in innovation, and as new materials are being incorporated all the time, the wide range of options may not be immediately apparent to those of us whose exposure to play spaces is visiting what already exists. Be sure to do your research and be aware of the many options, so that when it’s time to add a play area, you’ll have all the options at your discretion to help make your community play space the best it can possibly be!
PLAY & PLAYGROUND
Anne-Marie Spencer
Home grown in Seattle, WA, Anne-Marie is the Corporate Vice President of Marketing for PlayCore in Chattanooga TN, and works with the company’s Center for Professional Development. Anne-Marie has presented over 60 national and regional seminars on a variety of topics, including inclusive play, nature play, playground planning, and grant research. During a 20+ year marketing career, she has written 23 books, and authored over 100 articles. Anne-Marie enjoys anything to do with health and fitness, as well as spreading the word about the power of play.
Read More at
playgroundprofessionals.com WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 23
Strengthening Our Voice about the Importance of Play IN EARLY 2006, over ten years after its inception, the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) was gaining the industry’s attention. The equipment and surfacing certification programs, which so many members worked so hard to get up and running, were a success, and membership was growing. The trade organization, through the dedication of its equipment and surfacing companies, had successfully driven forward the credibility of the industry. The communication efforts of members had undoubtedly helped bring visibility to the importance of certified equipment and surfacing, as well as proper installation and maintenance procedures to improve safety and minimize risk. The organization to this point was operating day-to-day under the guidance of its membership and board, and through the leadership of its recently-hired notfor-profit management team, Calabrese Management. By bringing on Calabrese, IPEMA was able to professionalize the policies and procedures for the organization as a whole, as well as take the bulk of the work of managing the growing organizational duties and shift this focus towards the certification programs and the educational outreach on the value of play. IPEMA was eager to spread the word about the good work its membership companies were doing. This task could prove challenging, however, with marketing committee members often too overwhelmed to take on the task of marketing for another organization. IPEMA decided to undertake a communication outreach effort that could further amplify the message about the importance of play, and of ways to ensure improved safety on public playgrounds, to a broader consumer audience. Working with a global communications agency, Havas PR, IPEMA launched the Voice of Play in early 2007. As an education and advocacy initiative, it is designed to educate the public about the scientifically proven benefits of play, along with a critical understanding of practices that can help improve playground safety, 24 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
such as ensuring IPEMA-certified playground equipment and surfacing materials are purchased.
Strengthening Trade Understanding, Educating Consumer Audiences The success of the Voice of Play effort rests on a strong foundation of scientificallybased proof points about the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive benefits of play. Known already to playground industry professionals, the Voice of Play initiative sought to educate parents, caregivers, school administrators and educators, and community groups about these benefits, and elevate the status of play in consumers’ minds from “nice to have” to “necessary.” The Voice of Play quickly dove into active participation and leadership through industry events and activities, helping to bolster the presence of these play activities, such as National Playground Safety Week and the U.S. Conference on the Value of Play. By leveraging the playground safety and play value expertise of IPEMA members in the trade and consumer media, the Voice of Play could create consumer awareness and help build the credibility of the industry overall. Additionally, the Voice of Play enlisted a voluntary Board of Advisors, made up of well-known playground safety and play experts, to help speak on behalf of the organization in a manufacturer-neutral way. The Voice of Play Board of Advisors has been instrumental in bringing credibility to the scientific benefits of play. Board members are: • Dr. Stuart Brown – Founder of the National Institute for Play (NIFP), Dr. Brown has extensive medical background holding the titles of a medical doctor, psychiatrist, and clinical researcher. Throughout his clinical career, he specifically focused on the importance of play within the human life cycle and explored the evolution of human and animal play. Dr. Brown has produced a three-part PBS series, contributed to over 30 publications in the last 40 years, and authored PLAY, How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the
Imagination and Invigorates the Soul – A groundbreaking book on the science of play and its essential role in fueling our intelligence and happiness throughout our lives. It is translated into 12 languages. • Dr. Joe Frost – Known as the contemporary “father of play advocacy,” Dr. Frost has dedicated 34 years to teaching at the University of Texas at Austin. He is recognized around the world for his work in children’s play and play environments, and continues to lead a 30-year-old research program addressed to the field. He is a former president of the Association for Childhood Education International and recently donated an expanding research collection to the University of the Incarnate Word on children’s play and play environments. His most recent book, A History of Children’s Play and Play Environments, Toward a Contemporary Child-Saving Movement, is a must read. • Teresa (Teri) Hendy – President and owner of Site Masters, Inc. (SMI), Hendy has been actively involved as a design and safety consultant to the school, park, and recreation industry for nearly 30 years. Having actively worked with the ASTM subcommittees and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission since 1987, she has extensive knowledge of the standards and guidelines that apply to the playground industry. • Ken Kutska – Currently the Executive Director of the International Playground Safety Group, LLC and President of Children and Recreation Environment, Inc., Kutska has dedicated his career to parks and recreation management including serving as the Director of Parks and Planning for Wheaton Park District. He has also served on numerous playground industry boards and committees including the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IRPA), the National Park and Recreation Association (NRPA), the NRPA’s National Playground Safety Institute, and the ASTM International (ASTM) subcommittee on public playground equipment. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
Bringing Key Issues to the Forefront To better focus consumer attention on protecting and promoting free play, the Voice of Play has also invested in the creation of resources to accompany its public relations effort. Through these resources, which are flexible enough to be used directly by consumers or by industry professionals working with consumers, the initiative seeks to create informed school, parent, and community audiences to prioritize play in their own life and work. Resources include: • The Play Pledge is a downloadable, engaging PDF that encourages parents and children to sign together and post somewhere visible to remind them to commit to play. The Pledge highlights the importance of an hour of outdoor play every day, with examples to spur creativity. • The Encyclopedia on the Science of Play brings various thought leaders in Play Science under one roof. Play is an interdisciplinary subject with entries from fields as diverse as evolutionary biology, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. • The Checklist for Access is a downloadable poster for playground owners/operators that helps increase understanding of the Department of Justice’s updated standards for Accessible Design. The checklist provides everything they need to know about access route dimensions, surfacing requirements, play equipment ramps, and transfer stations for playgrounds of all sizes. • The Surfacing Guide is the outcome of collaboration with those on the frontlines of the playground industry. The guide is a complete source of regulations concerning proper installation and maintenance of all IPEMA-certified playground surfaces, including artificial turf, engineered wood fiber, interlocking tile, poured-in-place, and rubber mulch. In 2014, the Voice of Play undertook a brand and website update designed to increase usability engagement. The new website, launched in October, drives visitors to engage via social media and the blog. Using these tools, and continuing to build on its strong foundation, the Voice of Play has big plans for 2015!
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WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 25
Playground Equipment and Surfacing Manufacturers Visit http://www.playgroundprofessionals.com/encyclopedia to learn more.
ACTIVE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT A Canadian manufacturer of commercial playground equipment committed to sustaining the environment, APE manufactures traditional post and deck equipment, deckless equipment, independent motion-based equipment, outdoor fitness equipment, surfacing, and shade features.
ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND SYSTEMS Based in Houston, Texas, Adventure Playground Systems is a commercial playground equipment manufacturer that has created outdoor play systems, soft play systems, early childhood systems, skate parks, splash pads, fitness equipment, stand-alone structures, and sports equipment as well as shade canopies, shelters, and surfacing.
ATOMIC PLAYGROUNDS Since 1999, Canadian manufacturer Atomic Playgrounds has been delivering themed and unthemed, custom indoor play systems to amusement centers, doctor’s offices, museums, community centers, shopping malls, restaurants, and retail outlets. Atomic also creates custom branding solutions for its clients with logo, character, and artwork development.
BARBARA BUTLER ARTIST-BUILDER Founder of Outer Space Design, Barbara combines play and art in backyard play designs. Most of their play spaces fit one of four standard categories: playhouses, play forts, theaters, and outside structures for grownups. Though the company has traditionally built for families in their backyards, they also offer play structures for public places.
BCI BURKE Founded in 1920, BCI Burke is one of the oldest playground companies in the United States. BCI Burke has consistently been “Reinventing Play™” based on their core values of integrity, respect for people, teamwork, innovation, leadership, and performance. They have built a reputation for having a strong focus on customer service as well as producing high-quality products that last for decades.
BEARS PLAYGROUNDS Danny Bears founded the company in 2000 making natural playgrounds with cedar logs. The natural playgrounds have unique designs, such as log bridges, built-in picnic tables, flexible swing set mounting options, and safety nets instead of bars. They also 26 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
offer the steel post and plastic commercial playgrounds, commercial skateboard parks, and safety surfacing options.
BERLINER SEILFABRIK PLAY EQUIPMENT CORPORATION Beginning in Berlin in 1865 as a manufacturer of steel cables for the Berliner elevator industries, Berliner Seilfabrik entered the playground industry in the 1970s with their world famous ropes made into play climbing structures. More than 3,000 different climbing cable net variations have been designed over the years.
BIGTOYS Since the 1960s, BigToys has been designing and manufacturing playground equipment. Shifting from their original focus with wood structures, BigToys offers architecturally focused, environmentally friendly play systems that are designed for children to be developmentally appropriate for their ages. BigToys is part of the PlayCore family.
BLUE IMP Derived from Blue Implement, a farm implement company founded by S.F. Scott in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Blue Imp became a playground equipment manufacturer in the 1950s. With fitness in mind, Blue Imp features equipment with varying levels of difficulty. Their playground systems use both aerobic and muscle training that is both challenging and fun.
BREWER’S LEDGE
ments for the early childhood and elementary market. They also manufacture free-standing play events, dog park features, ADA ramps, park amenities, and retaining systems for protecting and maintaining safety surfacing.
CLIMBINET Founded in 2010, Climbinet manufactures climbing rope structures with unique technical features that increase durability. Climbinet uses steel core cables to avoid stretching of the cable. Their mast nets offer a freefall prevention system that creates a narrow width between structure ropes, ensuring children cannot fall directly to the ground.
CRE8PLAY Started in Minneapolis in 2005, Cre8Play emphasized creativity in designing commercial playgrounds with nature-themed play structures and custom-built designs. Starting with nature themed products, Cre8Play has grown to include Cre8Spray water features, 3D play sculptures, and site amenities including Cre8Shade.
DOG-ON-IT-PARKS Founded in 2008, Dog-ON-It-Parks designs and manufactures dog exercise equipment, dog park furnishings, and dog park accessories. Their full line of dog park equipment includes agility equipment with ramps, teeter totters, hoops, jump bars, tunnels, and hurdles. Their furnishings include benches, dog watering features, pick-up stations, and shade canopies.
Designing and manufacturing climbing structures for playgrounds, Brewer’s Ledge opened up climbing as a mainstream fitness tool. They offer freestanding and wall-mount climbing walls as well as rotating walls that are self-pacing and automatically match the climber’s personal abilities.
DURAPLAY
CEMROCK
DYNAMO PLAYGROUNDS
A rubber poured-in-place safety surfacing company, DuraPlay provides safe fall surfaces for playgrounds, theme parks, and childcare centers. They also provide poured-in-place surfacing for no fall zone areas, such as pool decks, spray grounds, walkways, and jogging paths.
Founded in 1978, Cemrock Naturalistic Environments constructs, fabricates, and installs concrete landscaping features and realistic exhibits for zoos, aquariums, parks, playgrounds, and museums. Whimsical and durable interactive play sculptures of lifesized or larger animals, insects, and trees, along with boats, planes, buildings, and fantasy creations are all custom designed.
Since 1993, Dynamo has been manufacturing net climbers and rotating climbers for children based on the principles of motion, energy, and teamwork. Their playnets come in many sizes and configurations and can accommodate 180 or more children at the same time on the larger nets. They also manufacture a line of net climbers for children from 2 to 5 years of age.
CHILDFORMS
EAGLE PLAY STRUCTURES
A commercial playground equipment manufacturer, Childforms offers a full line of modular play structures and play environ-
As a division of Sport Systems, Eagle Play Structures manufactures playground equipment offering a wide variety of independent www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
play features that include climbing walls, spinners, fitness courses, and obstacle courses as well as dog parks, site furnishings, and shade shelters. They also manufacture sports surfaces for tennis and basketball courts as well as backboards for sports training.
ELEPHANT®PLAY This Canadian company offers a playground line based on dynamic movement, group play concepts, and accessibility for children of all abilities. All of Elephant®Play’s equipment is designed to accommodate large capacities of kids to encourage social play. Elephant®Play has three main product lines: rotating structures, swinging equipment, and bouncing play structures.
distinct pure tones that blend into soothing sounds suitable for outdoor playgrounds, schools, museums, hospitals, community gardens, and other outdoor settings.
GAMETIME A division of PlayCore, GameTime began operations in 1929 in Michigan. They use research-based design and engineering in manufacturing the company’s playground products. Their independent research studies are conducted by noted experts in the fields of fitness, nature, education, and urban issues, and are used as the foundation when designing their products.
EVERLAST CLIMBING INDUSTRIES As part of the PlayCore family, Everlast Climbing Industries designs and manufactures indoor and outdoor climbing walls for all ages. Everlast makes regular traverse walls, top rope climbing walls, freestanding climbing walls, and specialty climbing walls. Created in 1991, they also manufacture climbing boulders, nature play pieces, and fitness products.
EXPLORATION PLAYGROUNDS Exploration Playgrounds creates playground dinosaur digs, archeological sites, custom playgrounds, and dinosaur climbers. They base their playground designs on actual fossils they have made molds for in museum displays. A plaque next to the embedded bones of a playground dig identifies the individual bones and includes a map for locating them.
FIBAR, INC. Fibar was founded by Robert Heath in 1979 as a wood fiber supplier for equestrian training surfaces. In 1986, the idea of using wood fiber for playgrounds was proposed and researched. After testing, Robert found that wood fiber was substantially better at cushioning children’s falls than sand, grass, dirt, or gravel, which were the current safety surfaces in most places at the time.
FOREVERLAWN Offering advanced simulated grass products, ForeverLawn manufactures products for commercial and residential markets. ForeverLawn creates innovative artificial turfs for specialty markets, such as playgrounds, splash parks, sports fields, golf greens, and kennels. Their products are environmentally friendly and allow rainwater to filter back into the natural water table.
FREENOTES HARMONY PARK Started by Richard Cooke, Freenotes has been influential in combining music with play by creating outdoor musical instruments for playgrounds. Freenotes have created an ensemble of real musical instruments with www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
INTERNATIONAL MULCH COMPANY Founded in 2000, International Mulch Company manufactures and retails 100% recycled rubber nuggets for playgrounds and rubber mulch for landscaping applications. They also offer related rubber products such as playground mats, timbers, landscaping borders, tree rings, splash blocks, and pavers.
INTERNATIONAL PLAY COMPANY A subsidiary of Iplayco Corporation Ltd., their manufacturing plant produces customdesigned indoor and outdoor play structures, which are installed worldwide in family entertainment centers, theme parks, fitness clubs, day care centers, restaurants, museums, zoos, hotels, resorts, shopping malls, municipalities, and not for profit organizations.
JENSEN SWING PRODUCTS
Courtesy of Gametime
GORIC MARKETING GROUP USA Rick Henke, a creator of integrated playscapes and accessible play equipment for children of all abilities, founded Goric in 1994. Goric’s product line includes outdoor play elements that allow children to experience gravity and centrifugal forces, sensory and sound play elements, sand and water play, cable net structures, site furnishings, and protective rubber surfacing.
GROUNDS FOR PLAY A division of Superior Recreational Products, Grounds For Play offers dramatic play components, outdoor classrooms, construction play, panels, climbers, slides, swings, music, and fitness elements. They also have site amenities, storage options, shade structures, safety surfacing, and borders.
HENDERSON RECREATION EQUIPMENT Gordon C. Henderson founded the Henderson Recreation Equipment, Ltd. in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada in 1971. The company offers a full range of playground equipment including playground systems and freestanding play elements, such as swings, spinning events, and spring toys, as well as site amenities.
IMAGINATION PLAYGROUND Based in New York City, Imagination Playground markets loose parts designed by David Rockwell that encourage childdirected, unstructured free play. The giant blue blocks, mats, crates, fabric, and wagons are packaged in storage containers on wheels designed to store and transport the loose play parts. Imagination Playground, LLC is a partnership of Rockwell Group and KaBOOM!
Jensen Swing Products is a wholesale playground equipment company that specializes in swings and swing set parts and accessories. They also offer playground equipment in the style of forts that can contain other elements, such as slides, tunnels, play panels, and climbing structures, as well as teeter totters and spring riders.
KIDSTUFF PLAYSYSTEMS Since the mid-1980s, Kidstuff has been manufacturing playground equipment that includes themed play structures as well as free-standing elements, such as spring riders, see saws, swings, and climbers, fitness elements, and park amenities. Marketed as KidSoft, the company also offers several playground safety surfacing materials.
KOMPAN Begun in Denmark in 1970, the company name is derived from the Danish “kumpan” that means “companion.” Known for their unique and innovative designs, KOMPAN has a network of child development specialists who guide the company’s research and product innovation. KOMPAN designs are inclusive to encourage children of varying abilities to play together.
L.A. STEELCRAFT PRODUCTS INC. For over 60 years L.A. Steelcraft has manufactured outdoor tables, benches, bleachers, bike and scooter racks, flagpoles, site amenities, obstacle courses, fitness equipment, sports equipment, and accessories. Their playground equipment includes swings, slides, climbers, spring riders, funball, and tetherball.
LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES In 1971, Steve King and his wife, Barb, founded Landscape Structures Inc. in Delano, Minnesota, to manufacture playground equipment. Their early innovations have continued WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 27
to expand to include playsystems, naturallooking climbers, inclusive play products, fitness equipment, stand-alone events, skateparks, playground surfacing, and site amenities.
LITTLE TIKES COMMERCIAL A division of PlayPower, Inc., Little Tikes Commercial is a recognized brand of outdoor commercial playground equipment that provides innovative and developmentally appropriate children’s play events. They offer complete play systems, modular play events, free-standing playground equipment, playground surfacing, and playground amenities.
LUCKEY LLC This innovative company designs, manufactures, and installs Luckey Climbers: unique multistoried, three dimensional bespoke climbing sculptures encased in safety nets. Luckey Climbers are “vertical mazes” or “vertical parks” for children’s museums, malls, and other institutions worldwide. With structures reaching 40 and 50 feet tall, children crawl through the structures.
MIRACLE RECREATION EQUIPMENT COMPANY With a history that spans almost 90 years, Miracle Recreation is one of the earliest playground manufacturers. Now a division of PlayPower Inc., they offer complete play systems, modular play events, free-standing playground equipment, sports and outdoor play equipment, pool slides, playground surfacing, and playground amenities.
NICROS A company which has built over one million square feet of climbing wall surface, Nicros, Inc. was founded in 1992 by Nate Postma, who had a love for rock climbing and a background in chemical engineering. Nicros designs and constructs climbing wall systems, playground boulders, handholds, and landing surfaces. Their children’s boulders feature ergonomic sculpted-in handholds.
NOTTS SPORT Headquartered in Leicestershire, England,
Notts Sport has developed their own surfacing products for playgrounds, as well as artificial turf for sports and landscaping. Their synthetic turf serves the different needs of cricket, tennis, soccer, hockey, golf, and multi-sport fields. They have also developed an inclusive play system designed without traditional play equipment.
ORCA COAST PLAYGROUNDS
PLAY MART Beginning with wood play structures, Play Mart moved to using recycled structural plastic and began manufacturing their own recycled plastic lumber for their designs. Play Mart offers play systems, nature play systems, fitness systems, themed designs, swings, site amenities, safety surfacing, and playground border options using recycled structural plastic.
Located in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, Orca Coast designs, manufactures, and installs contained play spaces for family entertainment centers, recreational facilities, daycares, schools, and restaurants in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Australia. Orca Coast designs custom indoor play spaces as well as offering a portfolio of designs.
PLAYCORE
PACIFIC OUTDOOR PRODUCTS
PLAYTOP SAFER SURFACING
Pacific Outdoor Products began as Timber Playsystems, which Samuel Emmons founded in 1981. They offer both wood and steel commercial and residential play equipment, game court equipment, fitness courses, and site amenities. Located in Maple Valley, Washington, Pacific Outdoor Products is a family-owned business.
PDPLAY Originally Progressive Design Playgrounds, PDPlay has been recognized for its environmental leadership in using recycled materials. Their natural playgrounds incorporate sand, water, living plants, grassy hills, play walkways, ponds, foliage mazes, dirt trails, gardens, play acting stages, and reading amphitheaters into their designs. They also manufacture playground equipment and site furnishings.
PERFECT RUBBER MULCH Julie Cole founded Perfect Rubber Mulch in 2000. Their tire recycling manufacturing plants throughout the U.S. take raw tires, extract the radial wire, and form the rubber into nuggets for playground surfaces, landscaping needs, equestrian arena footing, military training PT pits and ballistic rubber traps, and track and field artificial turf rubber infill.
PlayCore is the parent company of several play and recreation companies and is known for their educational research and programming as well as their diverse family of brands. The company believes in building stronger communities by advancing play through research, education, and partnerships. Playtop Safer Surfacing manufactures impact-absorbing wet-pour safety surfacing for play spaces and walkways at children’s playgrounds. Designed to minimize the risk of injury to children who fall in playgrounds, the Playtop surfacing material is a continuous, joint-free, porous material made from rubber granules and polyurethane binders.
PLAYWORLD SYSTEMS Manufacturing since the 1950s, Playworld Systems offers a variety of play systems for children as well as adults. Their products encourage physical activity and fitness, including electronic elements, motion play equipment, climbing boulders, rope bridges, fitness stations, and nature-themed elements. They strive to provide accessibility to children of all abilities.
RECREATION CREATIONS With a commitment to environmental stewardship, Recreation Creations offers creative play structures for early childhood play spaces and school-age children. Their free-standing elements range from slides to spider web climbers, from swings to dome climbers, and from whirls to Rocky Mountain Climbers. They also offer site amenities, such as benches, tables, and bike racks.
RJ THOMAS MANUFACTURING COMPANY INC. The RJ Thomas Manufacturing Company designs and manufactures the Pilot Rock brand of products. They offer outdoor park, landscape, streetscape, recreational facility, and campground furnishings, custom signs and graphics, and wheelchair accessible products for parks and playgrounds.
ROCK-OP CLIMBING BOULDERS
Courtesy of Playworld Systems
28 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
Rock-Op Climbing Boulders designs, cuts, delivers, and installs climbing boulders for playgrounds and water play spaces. These sandstone boulders are customized www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
for different levels of climbing abilities, space requirements, and desired added playground features. Their boulder playgrounds feature sandstone boulders with anchored playground equipment attached.
ROCKCRAFT DESIGNS Designing climbing boulders as well as climbing wall systems, RockCraft Designs has created climbing features that are safe and fun for all ages. The playground boulders are uniquely handcrafted out of glass fiber reinforced concrete with a variety of handholds. Their climbing wall structures include poolside climbing walls.
SOFT PLAY Offering both indoor and outdoor commercial contained play equipment, Soft Play, a division of PlayPower, Inc., features small standard play systems, free-standing play products, toddler designs, and large custom themed play systems. They also offer motion components, age zoned play areas, visual open play, and electronic play rooms in contained play spaces.
SOF’SOLUTIONS Originally known as Sof-Fall, Sof ’Solutions offers a variety of products that meet the needs in several venues. For outdoor playgrounds, they have engineered wood fiber as well as engineered rubber and interlocking play mats. They also have interlocking mats for childcare centers, indoor recreation facilities, and gyms.
SOUND PLAY Courtesy of Anita Van Asperdt
ROCKWERX Rockwerx is a company based in central Massachusetts that designs, manufactures, and installs climbing walls. They offer consulting expertise as well as routesetting programs and routesetting training for climbing gym staff. They also offer mats, flooring and padding; climbing holds; and an auto belay system. They also manufacture playground boulders for younger children.
SAFEPLAY SYSTEMS Safeplay Systems is a commercial playground design, manufacturer, and installation company that offers the EcoPlay products of custom-designed play structures, swings, fitness equipment, surfacing, and site amenities. The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Marietta, Georgia.
SNUG PLAY Snug Play manufactures large-scale, manipulative loose parts for play designed for indoor or outdoor play spaces. Snug Play offers nine play elements: the bump, cone, wave, wall, noodle, spider, pad, mound, and full loop. These tactile elements combine soft and rigid play surfaces that are durable and weather-resistant that can be easily linked together offering open-ended play.
SOFSURFACES INC . SofSURFACES designs, manufactures, distributes, and installs fitness center flooring, roof tops, and playground safety surfacing. Based in Canada, they produce an impact attenuating, interlocking surfacing tile system manufactured from recycled rubber. Their tile system offers durability, fall protection, long term value, and a secure system to eliminate vandalism. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
In 1982, Bond Anderson developed the musical playscape: a permanent outdoor installation of tuned musical instruments built to stand up to the weather and designed for the durability a playground setting requires. The musical instruments designed by Sound Play are designed to be played at parks, school grounds, museums, and backyards.
SURFACE AMERICA As a subsidiary of ECORE International, Surface America installs playground surfacing on approximately 500 playgrounds annually as well as gymnasium flooring, fitness flooring, indoor and outdoor surfacing, and trail and pathway surfacing. They recycle rubber to manufacture poured-in-place surfacing, rubber tiles, and synthetic turf.
SWING-N-SLIDE Founded in 1985 as a company producing do-it-yourself wooden home playground equipment kits, Swing-N-Slide developed over the years to include commercial playground systems. Swing-N-Slide continues to provide families with do-it-yourself options in planning their backyard or community play spaces.
THE 4 KIDS Based in Greenville, Texas, The 4 Kids offers custom play space designing, manufacturing, and installation of interactive play environments and site amenities that extend classroom learning into the fields of paleontology, biology, geology, and the natural sciences. They manufacture the structures from either glass fiber reinforced concrete or glass fiber reinforced polymer.
THE CHIMES COMPANY The Chimes Company offers indoor and outdoor recreational musical instruments and sensory equipment for inclusion in
playgrounds, schools, nature and botanical parks, and rehabilitation and therapy facilities as well as zoos and family entertainment centers. Their note accurate instruments extend the benefits of musical play and music therapy to persons of all abilities.
THEMED CONCEPTS Based in Forest Lake, Minnesota, Themed Concepts creates custom glass fiber reinforced concrete play and nature features for playgrounds, water parks, zoos, museums, aquariums, restaurants, amusement centers, hotels, and religious centers. They also utilize metal work, net barriers, and cargo nets in their designs.
THEMED RECREATION COMPANY Themed Recreation Company creates themed playgrounds, stand-alone play and climbing structures, icon play and brand sculptures, and spray or misting play pieces. Their material of choice to use in the fabrication process is glass fiber reinforced concrete. Their museum quality animal climbing structures are unique and any animal can be replicated.
UPC PARKS As a division of Universal Precast of Redding, California, UPC Parks specializes in linked climbing boulders, rope bridges, and rock and log stepping stones for children’s playgrounds. UPC Parks also offers customized playground designing, sculptured creatures, sand and water play features, and nature themed site furnishings.
WONDERWORX Founded in 2002, WonderWorx designs and manufactures kinetically-activated musical, sensory, and educational playground equipment for play spaces, parks, schools, sensory gardens, and museums. As children move on their swings and seesaws, music is created through the movement. They also have a free-standing musical instrument that generates tones by operating a hand crank.
XCCENT PLAY In 2004, Xccent Play was created to design and manufacture innovative playground equipment that is all about motion. Their play structures can accommodate a large number of children in a small area, while challenging them with moving elements that develop their overall fitness and motor coordination.
ZEAGER BROS INC. Zeager playground surfaces came about initially because of the wasted wood by-products in their sawmill. They began to manufacture landscaping mulch in the 1970s, and engineered wood fiber for playgrounds in the mid-1980s. Zeager offers a range of surfacing products including engineered wood fiber, mats, interlocking tiles, and artificial grass. WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 29
Who’s Talking About Park Equipment Manufacturing? ASTM INTERNATIONAL
www.astm.com
Many organizations and individuals have come together over the past several decades because of a common interest in developing performance requirements for various types of public play equipment that will help reduce life threatening and permanent debilitating injuries to children from 6 months to 12 years of age. ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), has provided the opportunity for various interests to work together in a consensus based process to create industry best practice standards for the public good. ASTM International is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards. Today, some 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance safety, facilitate market access and trade, and build consumer confidence. ASTM’s leadership in international standards development is driven by the contributions of its members: more than 30,000 of the world’s top technical experts and business professionals representing 150 countries. Working in an open and transparent process and using ASTM’s advanced electronic infrastructure, ASTM members deliver the test methods, specifications, guides, and practices that support industries and governments worldwide. An independent, not-for-profit organization, ASTM serves as a forum for producers, users, consumers, and those having a general interest (representatives of government and academia) to meet on common ground and develop voluntary, consensus standards. Among the safety standards that affect children’s playgrounds are: • ASTM F1487-11, excluding sections 7.1.1, 10 and 12.6.1 - Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use • ASTM F1292-13 - Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment • ASTM F2075-10a - Standard Specification for Engineered Wood Fiber for Use as a Playground Safety Surface Under and Around Playground Equipment 30 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
Find others who are talking about manufacturing in The Play and Playground Encyclopedia. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/encyclopedia
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
www.cpsc.gov
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an agency that was created in 1972. The main purpose of this agency is to protect the public from unnecessary harm or death from consumer products. They have thousands of consumer products that are under their jurisdiction. This Agency is headed by five commissioners who are nominated by the President of the U.S. and then confirmed by the Senate. These commissioners set policy for the CPSC. At the present time CPSC has approximately 500 employees who are charged with the responsibility of keeping the consumer safe by checking on the safety of over 15,000 different types of consumer products. As an independent Federal Regulatory Agency, CPSC informs and educates consumers through state and local government, private organizations, and the media and by responding to individuals that report defective products. They continue to develop industry standards voluntarily and conduct research of products that may be hazardous. If there isn’t a feasible standard that adequately protects the public, they issue and enforce a mandatory standard against dangerous consumer products. CPSC also conducts research on potential product hazards. CPSC has jurisdiction over consumer products that are used both in and out of the home, and in sports, recreation, and schools. The agency cannot recommend any specific products or brands. Nor do they test or certify a product before it is sold to the general public. However, they do provide information to consumers on the safety features to look for in a particular product. Recalls are one of the very effective means that the agency uses to keep the public safe. If a product is deemed unsafe, defective, or violates a mandatory standard, CPSC will send a press release about the recall of the particular product to the general public.
TÜV SÜD AMERICA
www.tuv-sud-america.com TÜV SÜD America is a technical inspection company that provides third-party safety testing, inspection, and certification services. In 2010, TÜV SÜD America began to administer the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) thirdparty certification for U.S. and Canadian play equipment and U.S. public play surfacing materials when they bought the certification test activities from Detroit Testing Laboratory, Inc. Besides testing children’s playground equipment, TÜV SÜD America, through their Consumer Product Services division, tests and certifies children's products, children's furniture, and infant care articles as well as battery-powered toys, conventional toys, and children's ride-on vehicles according to national and global safety standards. The German Technischer Überwachungsverein (TÜV) began in the 1870s as a steam boiler inspection association. As independent and regional associations grew, TÜV expanded in the 1900s to include inspecting electrically powered devices, elevators, diesel engines, sprinkler systems, and hydroelectric power plants. As technology advanced even further, TÜV added the motor vehicle industries, transportation industries, and the nuclear energy industry. In Germany, the TÜV certification meant “public safety, quality, and environmental protection.” TÜV SÜD America, a subsidiary of TÜV SÜD AG, was founded in 1987 and serves businesses in America, Canada, and Mexico. Headquartered in Peabody, Massachusetts, they have grown to include industrial services, auditing services, medical services, and testing services as well as programs concerning new or refurbished equipment, renewables, risk solutions, and PetroChem inspections. For companies expanding into the global marketplace, TÜV SÜD America provides both individual country safety certification and international testing necessary for accessing the global market, gaining acceptance internationally, and improving their products.
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4 GREAT
BEST IN SHOW AT NRPA CONGRESS
Playground Manufacturers CLIMBING WITH EASE
The coveted Best in Show prize, is awarded to the most engaging and innovative booth on the floor. Playcraft took home the prize with their popular pirate ship playground.
Climbing is best when challenge and safety unite. Playworld Systems’ playgrounds are built to last, with premium, high quality materials that are playground tough and environmentally safe.
Playcraft Systems www.playcraftsystems.com
Playworld Systems www.playworldsystems.com
FUTURE DESIGNERS TAKE A LOOK
SOFTILE FOR SOFT LANDINGS
Taking a tour of the BCI Burke manufacturing plant, it’s easy to see their 90+ years of experience and core values of integrity, innovation, and performance.
SofSurfaces has been engineering playground surfaces for over 20 years. They are experts at building product that is low maintenance, safe, and durable.
BCI Burke www.bciburke.com
SofSURFACES www.sofsurfaces.com
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WINTER 2014 PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 31
A new kind of dome, for a new kind of kid. Staying connected 24/7 is a given for today’s kids. They’ve never known anything else. So, we’ve re-imagined our new dome to allow them to play together in, on and around this classic structure, like never before. We call it Unity. Visit PlayworldSystems.com/PM4 to experience our full Unity Collection.
ads14SS2625 © 2014 Playworld Systems®, Inc.