Think about the playgrounds we enjoyed as children. Concrete flooring, metal bars and dangerous equipment didn’t stop us from having fun, though they were something of a health and safety hazard!
CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article written by Barry Leahey, MBE.
Today’s playgrounds are a bit different and are built with far more social consideration. They have far better safety credentials, are much more sustainable and teach valuable lessons beyond the playgrounds of yesteryear.
However, the number of public playgrounds in the UK is declining at an alarming rate. In this piece, Barry Leahey MBE, discusses the green credentials of today’s playgrounds, the sustainability lessons our children can learn and what the future of playground sustainability might look like.
Why Are Outdoor Spaces Important?
Given the growing importance of technology in the lives of today’s children, maintaining dedicated spaces where children can enjoy active play outside of the constraints of digital media is vital. Outdoor play spaces, like public parks, give our youth the chance to develop their social skills and forge friendships, while honing important physical attributes like gross motor skills.
This is part of why events like Love Parks Week are so important – recognising the time and effort that goes into maintaining public parks helps highlight exactly why these spaces are needed. By making sustainability a cornerstone when designing parks, we can help create environmentally conscious children and ensure they have access to the places they need.
Balancing Safety and Sustainability
The good news is that, with a bit of consideration, sustainability can be easily built into modern playgrounds without the need to sacrifice safety or play value. Use of sustainably sourced timber from well-managed forests with FSC® or PEFC accreditations means that playground favourites like climbing frames can still be built to last, but with a minimal impact on the planet.
From a safety perspective, sustainable flooring materials like wood chips have been used in playgrounds for many years, creating a softer surface to break children’s falls. However, this isn’t particularly accessible for wheelchair users. Instead, recycled rubber mulch can create flooring that’s sustainable, safe and wheelchair friendly.
Lessons From Nature
Outdoor play in general does a great job of teaching children the value of spending time in nature – young minds are taught to be inquisitive by interacting with the world around them, mud and all! Natural materials in playground design provide a tactile, sensory experience for children and encourage a deeper level of understanding into how our world’s natural resources are supporting their play spaces.
Using sustainable materials wherever possible seems obvious, but this may not always be possible. We consider how we can limit the emissions attached to a playground install: packaging products efficiently, limiting waste, using locally based installation teams and minimising use of on-site machinery all help to make playground installations more sustainable than ever.
Public budgets for parks have been slashed repeatedly in recent years, meaning that schools and local councils are looking to get plenty of bang for their buck. Park budgets fell by £350m between 2012 and 2023, so there’s less funding to go round. Those looking to build a park need to ensure the long lifespan of their build.
Sustainable materials like timber and stainless-steel age gracefully and do a great job of retaining their look and feel for many years after the first installation. Little maintenance is required in comparison to painted metal alternatives, which may chip and peel with exposure to the elements – meaning a lower overall cost over the lifespan of the equipment.
The future of playground sustainability holds promise as manufacturers in the play industry increasingly focus on sourcing sustainable materials. This shift towards eco-friendly practices is a significant stride towards fortifying playground sustainability globally.
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