Play Structures

Play structures have recently enjoyed a complete turn-around over the past century in the playgrounds of today's children in comparison to what once was available to the public. Purchasing playground equipment has quickly become a major industry in the United States, with options involving purchases of polyethylene bedway, plastisol-coated steel steps and deck, or galvanized steep pipes as compared to old wood and rusty metal. Bright and new colors shine across the playground in reds, blues or yellows, along with aqua, lavender and yellow or pink.

Playgrounds with new play structures involve children of all ages—toddlers, preschoolers, primary and intermediate children of several developmental stages. These stages require different play structures for ages 2-5 and also for ages 5-12. And for these two age groups, a different play structure will need to focus on the develop of that particular age group:

Ages 2 To 3

• These children like to ride on things, such as the little animals with springs.
  
• Social activity is extremely important at this age
  
• Little girls play hop-scotch and chalk games
  

Ages 3 To 4

• Variety of sport ball games: soccer, kickball, bounce ball, or soccer.
  
• Likes to enjoy talking to her friends
  

Ages 4 To 5

• Enjoys riding a monkey bar
  
• Interacts with others, climbing gyms with slides and ladders
  

All developmental stages affect a child's physical, cognitive, or operational abilities. What looks like nonsense going on with the playground is actually the education of various forms of play for different age groups. But also the playground has to have safe play structures as most of the children are in the lower developmental stages, which is when most accidents will occur due to low motor skills.

A new form of playground and play structures is beginning to be utilized, with its entrance as the First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church that is located in Fort Worth, Texas. Their new playground is designed with special play equipment that tells what the Seven Unitarian Universalist Principles consist of.

Play structures such as seven stepping-stones represent the Seven Principles, with Christian music playing on musical chimes—talking tubes, wooden flaming chalice, tire tunnels, and wooden stages. Based on the New Hampshire church, Learning Structures, the playground was built in four days, after researching for quite awhile on what they wanted. This led to a "web of life theme" that spoke of life and how it enterchanged with everything.