05-24-84 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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trots are very similar. This has increased grounds contain events which require which the features and benefits of vaFious safety and made the rental car industry motor coordination,balance ability, tlexi- systems can be contrasted would be use- possible. But such uniformity has not pre- bility and strength. ful. vented the creation of a very wide assort- DEVELOPMENTAL: Playgrounds Product comparisons are always of ment of autos. should offer events which will challenge limited value because the products keep As buyers and specifiers of playground a wide range of skills and ages. changing,the person doing the rating can- equipment we have a great deal of power SAFE: Modern playgrounds must con- not be totally objective,and your specific to influence the features and options form to the Consumer Product Safety application may not be fully examined.• which will be available in the future. It Commission's guidelines. The safe play- However limited, ratings do help clarify is an important responsibility to apply cri- ground not only has fewer accidents,but our thinking and provide a model on teria to our purchases which will support also encourages more inventive and crea- which we can build our own evaluations. the emergence of effective and excellent tive play because the children are able to Given that the following information will products. take greater risks with less fear of injury. be something less than the whole story, In my article on playgrounds, "It's These six principles, when applied to let us examine a variety of products along Time for Creative Play"(Parks and Ret.- playground design,produce environments the criteria we have determined as offer- realinn, September 1982) I pointed out in which the children play longer, show ing improved benefits. The products se- ttee need for creative play experiences for less aggressive and more cooperative be- lected for comparison are those available children and the quality a good play- havior,have improved self-concepts,de- nationally and manufactured by com- ground should exhibit. Those attributes velop better language skills, and engage panies established more than five years. can be briefly summarized as: in more novel and physically demanding While other manufacturers may offer COMPLEX: The environment should motor activity than on traditional play- similar products, their long term perfor- contain as many different types of experi- grounds. mance is not known and their availability ences as possible. To the six principles we must add a and support are problematical. LINKED: Playevents should be con- seventh requirement: Durability. Play- nected to create a natural"flow"of play ground equipment has to be nearly inde- PLAYEVENT CHART activity. structible. This is imperative not only be- In our six criteria we listed complexity, SOCIAL: The total environment cause most agencies have limited mainte- challenge and development as positive should foster interaction between children nancc capacity, but also because equip- qualities. A complete analysis of each and playevents should be designed for ment failure may lead to injury and all product would be impossible in this short group use. its negative consequences. article. Instead we can only evaluate the FLEXIBLE: Playground flexibility can types of playevents each system offers be both mechanical, i.e., equipment APPLYING THE STANDARDS with the assumption that an environment mounted on springs, or functional, i.e., Currently there are several products which presents many different types of events which can be used in many differ- which are so similar that it is difficult to play activities will tend to offer complexi- ent ways. be certain that your selections are the very ty and challenges appropriate to a variety CHALLENGING: Creative play- best possible. Thus some method by of ages. 41/ *PLAYEVENT CHART SWINGS SLIDES CLIMBERS STRENGTH BALANCE OTHER u a u N 00 ' -o p ed t!+. y v E el e „'W WA :°vv u.t urn, xi 8.o= E mi e tv m��'4v co OtJUA, , , c v� o'3v D'NEnFA�o `uv' U E... EU.... me c '- u'H u u o F' ° z, ra tr.,,, , o >`3^A' 'OUtU cq „c., '.0 . C.E•s mu C �.iy'.g Ge 04 °3 .'z'I C 1... o.- x 0-- `°'is,o., o ,u u o o.� o:4 a o.^ 1 ' �a"'3 0 t° ro'R B O F-.1-.w in33rnxwwt-- a2Q�..thaFe. t—Vn.Xc2 - mv)mco..1x6� xocar:, t-, Manufacturer/Product Game Time DuraScapes X X X X X X X X X 9 Timb"R"Scapes X 4. X X X OX X X XXXX X X O O X X 19 Mod"U"Logs X X` X XX X 0 XXX X XXXX X X O X X X 21 Landscape Structures Playstructures X X X XX XX XXX X X X XX XXXX X XX 22 Mexico Forge PlayBoosters XXX XX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX OX XXXX 31 Miracle Mark IV XX X XX X X X 8 Natureville X X XXXX X X XX X X 0 X X 15 Steelville X XXXX X X XXX X X X 0 X 15 Northwest Design Products BigToys X X X 0 X X X X X X X 11 Schoolyard BigToys X X X 0 XXX XX X X XXXXX XXX 0 X X X 23 Timberform Play Towers X 0 X X X X X Play Areas X XOX X XX X XX XX X Play Platforms X X X X X X X X X X X 11110 'Data taken from 1982/83 Catalogs