Balancing in Santa Maria play ship

Five steps to an active outdoor area for all ages

Are you designing an activity area? Here are the best five tips to consider, when starting the design work.

Published: 22 February 2023, edited: 15 May 2023
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An inclusive design makes a good starting point for planning

An inclusive design makes a good starting point for planning

1. Inclusivity

A natural way to design playgrounds and other outdoor activity areas should be to make them inclusive.

Children and adults with different physiques and abilities need to be considered in all design aspects, whether they are cultural or motoric.

2. Activate also the adults

If the parents thrive and have fun in the park – so will the children.

Adults don’t always need their own set of sports equipment at the local playground, but it helps. In some countries, they use QR signage with traditional play equipment with a sort of personal online trainer who helps adults start their outdoor training sessions.

Help parents be a good example to their children by designing areas that make grownups active!

Swinging with the family

Swinging with the family

Play functions used in themed playground equipment are the same as in standard products.

Play functions used in themed playground equipment are the same as in standard products.

3. Think outside the box

It is easy to just place different play and sports equipment in a park, but is that all that is needed for an inspiring time together with friends? Give room for imagination and other types of play too!

Make the safety surface blue and design it to look like waves on a stormy day. Implement nature within the park with rocks, trees, and natural surfaces like real grass. Make the whole park a gigantic board game where the player is the pawn, or hide educational Easter eggs in the area.

And the two most important steps?

4. Spinning for success

Don’t be afraid of carousels and other fast-running or spinning equipment.

Spinning till you get sick is (especially for kids) one of the most joyful experiences in the park.

It is even good for their brains and the evolvement of their sense of balance.

Children spinning in the Xroll carousel

Children spinning in the Xroll carousel

Girl climbing the spinning ladders

Girl climbing the spinning ladders

5. Include challenges

The same goes for heights!

What is scary for one child, might not even be a challenge for the other. Don’t dull the playground out in fear of risks as it will probably make the area less attractive and fun.

What gives a better feeling of accomplishment both to a child and adult than overcoming a challenge and conquering a fear?

Jens Lindgren
Author Profile

Jens Lindgren

Jens Lindgren is the managing director of Lappset Sweden AB, a company dedicated to building innovative and active meeting points in Sweden - from playgrounds to sports areas and more. With over 20 years of experience in the landscape design and contracting business, Jens is an authority in his field, having led countless successful projects. He has a strong focus on customer-centric development, always striving to create the highest quality spaces. He is also well versed in safety protocols and playground/sports area designs

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