Creating Outdoor Classrooms
By: Eric Strickland and James Dempsey

As we, playground designers, were making our presentation of the playground plan to a church playground committee, I could see we were losing one of the members. The ever-present "we didn't need that when I was a kid" member clearly was not impressed with the various items and play areas we were describing.
             
I was saying, "And the dramatic play area also features a simulated firehouse and village façade, as well as simulated traffic signs for the tricycle track. The outdoor classroom area has an art easel, a water table, and…"

"Excuse me," he winced. "What is an outdoor classroom, and why do we even need a water table on a playground? When I was a boy, all we had…"

I missed the end of his all-too-familiar objection.                      

"Imagine this," I said boldly. "You put about an inch of water in the pan and invite all the kids to try to put their hands together and push the water out of the middle of the water pan, dry the pan and keep the water from flowing back from the sides to the cover the entire bottom of the water table pan."

 "Well, they couldn't do that in a hundred years," he said dryly.

"No, they couldn't," I commented, with my voice rising in my best teacher impression. "But imagine this: We worship a God who did that in a split second with a whole sea and only used his voice to make it happen…and that's why we need a water table on a playground."  

After a long pause, the older committee member nodded his head in acceptance and eventually became our biggest supporter.
           
While I've taken a liberty or two in retelling this true story, it serves to point out a perspective that is critical for children's healthy development and essential in creating "good" playgrounds: Children learn about self, others, the physical world and even the spiritual realm of life through play.

The outdoor environment is ideal for children as a place to play and to learn. Think a minute about the natural behavior of children, particularly those younger than eight years of age: They're noisy, messy and very active. For these three characteristics alone, the outdoor environment is particularly suited to children. The outdoors gives them the freedom to be loud, make a mess, run, jump or climb to their heart's content. And teachers don't have to restrict these behaviors outdoors like they must in the classroom.  Teachers can watch for the opportunity to assist children at the water play table, maybe even to illustrate the power of God at the Red Sea.

Some learning will occur as children use the open spaces and interact with other children, even on bad playgrounds. Some will occur as children use playground equipment and play components, even poor ones. But optimal learning will occur only when the outdoor environment is designed and equipped to help children see the lessons God has for them (and us) to learn in everyday situations on the playground.

James Hymes, one of America's most influential educators, coined the phrase "teachable moment" to refer to that exquisite moment when a child's curiosity and a teacher's experience come together. A teacher must be observant enough to see a teachable moment, plus quick-witted and knowledgeable enough to use it. If you think about it, Jesus did this through parables. Many lessons from Scripture can become playful teachable moments, but how?

How do we build environments that make teachable moments common?

Like any other successful venture, creating teachable moments takes planning. Moreover, with young children, the most important planning involves the environment.

Planning a "Teachable Moment" Playground
When children are curious and exploring the world around them, half the battle is won in creating teachable moments. Good playgrounds incite curiosity and exploration by giving children a chance to choose among many appropriate alternatives to meet their needs at the moment. It is helpful to think of children's needs for play in four categories, or types of play: Exercise Play, Construction Play, Dramatic Play, and Games with Rules.  Researchers have long acknowledged these four types as common in the early years. 

1. Exercise Play
Since young children can't sit and learn from lectures, they need to be moving, using their hands and bodies to experience life. Young children require many options for this high-energy activity, and climbers and swings serve to satisfy their need to move.

The best climbers for children are "complex"-- they have several ways up and several ways down with multiple climbing options and several slides. The best equipment possesses a range of difficulty levels. This means that a complex climber with four climbing options includes at least one easy way up (stairs, for example) and at least one difficult way up (a vertical climbing wall with imitation rock grips, as an example). Each climbing option should challenge a different part of the child's body (arms/ back, shoulders, calf muscles, etc.).

As you consider the purchase of playground equipment, consider variety of climbers and slides, and how each challenges the child. If you have room for more than one slide, choose multiple styles, including straight wave slide, curved slide, double wide slide or perhaps a spiral slide.

Swings are important for several reasons--the social skills shared, the development of the inner ear and balance through the rocking and pumping motion, and the sheer fun of swinging  Many uninformed buyers assume swings are unsafe, but swings built and placed correctly (not too tall and placed out of the way of children's traffic) are both safe and fun.

What can be learned through exercise play?

First, children learn self-reliance by learning to master their own bodies in motion. Coordinated and healthy children are more active than awkward, fearful children.  Feeling confident in one's ability to get along in the world allows the child to look outside themselves, appreciate the world around them, and ask questions about the world. 

A questioning child is a curious child. While this may seem like simple emotional health, the basics of intellectual skills like understanding space around us comes from crawling over, under, through, and around things. This awareness of space is the foundation of geometry.  Many other basic understandings have their roots in the child's experience of their world (God's world) through active play.

2. Construction Play
Children need opportunities for planning building, creating, and interacting with various media (paint, sand, blocks, etc.) in the creation process. The outdoor environment provides access to sand for sand play, surfaces to paint (sidewalks are great for water painting), and space to build great block creations. 

Good outdoor environments provide these media in abundance, in areas designed to make this type of play fun for kids and not too much trouble for teachers. One way to achieve this balance is by providing storage near each type of media: sand cubbies or cabinets for toys that support sand play; bins for paper, paint, and brushes near an outdoor art easel or a table with a smooth plastic surface for painting; a storage building for large outdoor blocks, trikes, and other important movable parts.

While parents are concerned about what their children bring home (the product), children show that they are more concerned with the process of creating. They may be momentarily impressed with their artwork, but most often, they are quickly off to the next challenge, and the importance of the event is the experience itself.

As they master the process at one level, they learn to plan, judge results, and start over to achieve a particular end. How better to imitate our Creator than to learn to appreciate and experience creativity?

3. Dramatic Play
Dramatic play transports children from the present time and situation into worlds of fantasy and opportunity. Children playing together and pretending to be something else (cowboys, astronauts, pro athletes, teachers—anything of interest) must learn to negotiate roles, share materials, make their ideas clear to others, and appreciate others. Some children gain leadership skills by convincing others to join in. Language, social skills, and general knowledge are developed through this wonderful play behavior. 

Three key components support dramatic play on a playground: tricycles with accompanying trike track; a playhouse; and loose parts (balls, blocks and dolls) to serve as props. Other supports--like thematic facades, store fronts and gas stations--serve to embellish the dramatic play area and allow more children to engage simultaneously in this important form of play. 

Bible themes can easily be integrated into the dramatic play area, prompting children to experience Bible stories previously only told or read to them.  One such Bible story that is easily dramatized on the playground is the Nativity. A typical playhouse can be stocked with hay and a manger, while decorations can represent the animal characters in the story. A doll can serve as baby Jesus, and the children can fill the various roles in this wondrous drama. 

4. Games with Rules
Particularly suited to children ages six and up, "games with rules" play involves rule-oriented games. Children need open spaces for the traditional games of baseball, kickball, soccer or football. Fences keep children from running into the street to chase a ball, and they also serve to keep unauthorized or unsupervised visitors out.

Children learn to think, strategize and cooperate while playing games. They also learn to win and lose, to handle success, and to respond to defeat. Good teachers help children to learn both lessons, while also watching out for danger and enforcing rules of fair play.

Good playgrounds provide variety and balance in a setting that promotes a healthy lifestyle of activity and curiosity. Churches with good playgrounds help children to experience God's creation and the loving care of adults in a learning setting perfectly suited for the active child.

Eric Strickland is founder and owner of Grounds for Play, www.groundsforplay.com. James Dempsey is owner-partner and senior vice president of sales for Grounds for Play.

Product Roundup

Play Mart Playgrounds
Play Mart Playgrounds offer play equipment made from 100% Recycled Structural Plastic (RSP). Play Mart offers: 
* Mini systems
* Mega systems
* Fitness systems for older children and adults
* Swings
* ADA accessible components
Play Mart's CPSI-certified sales representatives and installers offer site inspections.
www.playmart.com

GameTime
Whether users prefer a small play area for children or a large daycare-focused unit, GameTime can easily customize a play system to meet a church's needs. The company also helps with:
* Phasing plans
* Site evaluation
* Fundraising ideas
* Grant resources
* Organizing an installation by volunteers
GameTime can provide everything from systems to surfacing.
www.gametime.com

Ultra Play
Ultra Play Inc. has been manufacturing "fun" playground and sports equipment for more than 20 years. The company can add color and excitement to a playground at a reasonable price with components like:
* Slides
* Swings
* Climbers
* Physical fitness pieces
Ultra Play Inc. also manufactures thermoplastic coated steel tables, benches and trash receptacles.
www.ultraplay.com

Rock 'n Cross by BigToys
BigToys' Rock 'n Cross solves the challenge of limited space and big expectations. The Rock 'n Cross redefines the seesaw by:
* Combining a multi-rider teeter-totter with a dynamic overhead activity
* Eliminating the pinch points
* Eliminating sudden stops with an internal spring assisted action
* Fitting in a total space of 26 feet by 17 feet
The Rock 'n Cross provides children with physical and social development in a fun and exciting piece of equipment.
www.bigtoys.com

Elements EDGE by Kompan
Kompan Elements EDGE brings kids to the edge of play by challenging their skills while making the most of the playground. Unique features:
* Give everything on EDGE structures a play purpose
* Allow children to access each part of the structure without touching the ground
* Let kids push their play to the edge safely
* Allow children to discover new ways to navigate up and around  
By having access to every part of a structure, each part of Elements EDGE becomes a play event.
www.kompan.com

American Swing Products
American Swing Products is offering new complete sets that are great for small areas.  They provide hours of fun with a range of activities. American Swing products are:
* Are made of durable plastic that is very strong and safe
* Come in bright, non fading colors that last and last
* Are available in several different configurations to fit any size or need.
www.americanswing.com

Apex by Park Structures
Park Structures introduces the Apex, a new innovation reaching great heights in climbing.  The Apex features:
* Lateral links and attachments to provide endless climbing possibilities
* Non-defined gripping areas that encourage children to use creativity in finding routes either laterally from deck to deck or up and over to the other side
* Format that mimics a natural rock climb, with a different path every time
For little climbers, the Apex climbing attachment provides full body support that developing young children need.  For older children, the Apex provides a completely new challenge when configured as a lateral climber. 
www.parkstructures.com

PLAYSAFE
Offering a wide variety of products and backed by some of the largest manufacturers in the business, PLAYSAFE, Inc. offers solutions for any church playground need.  PLAYSAFE can provide:
* Large play structures
* Swing sets
* Individual play units
* Safety surface materials
www.playsafe-inc.com

Infinity Web by Little Tikes Commercial
At Little Tikes Commercial, engineers and designers are bent on discovering new and better ways to provide the fun, stimulation and development kids require. The new Infinity Web features:
* Web design to entice kids of all ages
* Challenging components for more physical play and theme play systems
* Design that encourage kids to exercise their imaginations
* Confidence-building play possibilities
The Infinity Web is sure to challenge kids on the playground.  It creates a whole new dimension for climbing and fantasy play.
www.littletikescommercial.com

BCI Burke's Circuit Play
BCI Burke's Circuit Play builds muscles while building minds and transforms the concept of play. Circuit Play is an innovative play system that develops:
* Physical strength
* Stamina
* Balance
* Agility
* Creativity
Design layouts use play components placed in a circuit to encourage children to challenge themselves and their friends.
www.bciburke.com

International Play Company
The creative theming and interactive events from International Play Company offer fun and excitement for all ages. The company offers:
* Outdoor playgrounds
* Interactive games
* Obstacle courses
* Sport courts
 * Arenas
International Play Company works with churches to create a playground that meets their needs and budgets from design to installation. 
www.iplayco.com

Miracle Recreation
Miracle Recreation Equipment Company has designed and manufactured state-of-the art play systems and environments that consistently raise the bar for fun while setting new standards for:
* Safety
* Innovation
* Quality
* All-around excellence
The company offers a range of modular, kid-pleasing play systems and versatile, compatible components that can be mixed and matched in limitless ways.
www.miracle-recreation.com

Ballocity from Prime Play
Prime Play's Ballocity Interactive Ball Play engages users in an exciting interactive environment filled with thousands of foam balls. Ballocity offers different options for a variety of budgets and space requirements. Ballocity was designed to exacting standards, ensuring
* Durability
* Safety
* Low maintenance
* Ease of installation
 These systems are available in standard or custom designs.
www.primeplay.com

SofSURFACES
SofTILE KrosLOCK has been engineered and thoroughly tested to meet the stringent requirements of today' s most sophisticated safety surfacing consumer.  Surfaces feature:
* Enhanced locking design, ensuring that SofTILE locks in place and stays in place
* Increased density that achieves superior attenuation ratings
* 10-year warranty for materials and workmanship
SofSURFACES impact attenuation performance complies with the latest standards for 10 years.  
www.sofsurfaces.com

DINOFLEX
DINOFLEX has manufactured rubber playground surfacing tiles since 1989. High standards coupled with consistency in production, yields high quality tile. DINOFLEX Playground Surfacing Tiles feature:
* Superior impact absorption
* 100% recycled tire rubber (black) and new EPDM rubber granules (to add color) construction
* Unique, self-aligning interlocking system
The tiles turn playgrounds into accessible play areas that promote learning, creativity, interactive play and fun. 
www.dinoflex.com

VeggieTales Playgrounds
VeggieTales playgrounds offer a unique look for your church playground with the characters your children know and love. Custom designs with themed VeggieTales characters in the following designs provide great street appeal:
* Music
* Sports
* Western
* Traditional
VeggieTales are the creation of Big Idea, Inc., a family media company committed to providing entertaining stories that help parents teach today's children important life lessons.  
www.wowplaygrounds.com

Abacus Sports Installations
Abacus Sports Installations has introduced Playguard and Playguard Ultra Tiles. These resilient playground-surfacing systems combine:
* Strength
* Durability
* Eye appeal
Abacus finds importance in providing slip resistance and safety to the nation's children and creating a playground surface that can be accessed and enjoyed by more children at all ability levels.
www.abacussurfaces.com

Pint-Size Play from Progressive Design
Progressive Design Playgrounds has introduced Pint-Size Play, a new line of recycled plastic play structures for the early childhood market. These structures:
* Are perfect for the budget-minded buyer
* Are ideal for limited space
* Require no in-ground installation
www.pdplay.com