https://www.zerotothree.org/ https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/tips-on-playin

https://www.zerotothree.org/
https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/tips-on-playing-with-babies-and-toddlers/
our assignment about critiquing a playground and designing your own is due on Thurs., Oct. 10 at 11:59 pm. You can give us some ideas about what is important to you regarding your own playground/play day. It is okay if you would rather not post what you will be writing in the assignment itself, but you can still give us ideas of what you would include in your own play day. Have fun sharing.
Post your discussions by Fri., 10/4 at 12:00 noon.
examples:
For my playground, I would want it to be located somewhere safe for preschoolers and their families. While safety would be my number one priority, I would also want it to be a place where children can express their creativity and imaginations. My playground would include the basics like a swing, slide, monkey bars, and rock climbing walls as well as an apparatus. I remember going to a variety of parks when I was little and the playgrounds always had different things to play with. Some playgrounds had these large puzzles on the sides. My favorite one was where you had to match 3 different characters to their parts. An example would be like a mermaid, a pirate, and sailor. You would spin the little blocks to match it to the characters. I would sometimes mess around and make a character with a pirate hat, sailor body, and mermaid tail. Although there was a clear right and wrong answer, you still could make whatever you wanted to make. I would definitely want one of those in my playground. Another thing I loved about the playground was they had little instruments built in to make sounds. It would have little keys and make different sounds. Children can use playground equipment like that to express themselves and experiment with music. Another thing I would like my playground to have is those speakers where if you speak from one end you can hear it from the other end. I remember how my friends and I would pretend to be spies on secret missions and used it as a radio. I want to include all these aspects because children will be able to experiment and play with the equipment however they see fit. The equipment will help them explore their imaginations and creativity and teach them how to express themselves. For safety, I would want the playground to have a soft rubber floor, so the children can’t hurt themselves. I would also want it to be in a gated area with benches around, so their parents can supervise from afar. I would also want there to be rails, so the children can’t fall off or have something to hold on to if they are scared of falling.
example:
What’s most important to me is safety but also having fun. The age range would be anywhere from preschoolers up to those in elementary school. When it comes to having my own playground, I would want the floors to be that bouncy/cushiony rubber floor instead of concrete just to ensure safety in case someone were to fall. I’d like this to be a huge playground with some fencing around the perimeter to make sure small children don’t wander off. I’d also like it to be inclusive to those who aren’t able to physically play, so I’d include sensory tables such as a water table with toys and a sandbox/table with buckets and shovels. Another way to be inclusive is to have playground equipment that are meant for those who are disabled. For example, I’ve seen different images of wheelchair accessible swings, where you can secure the base of the swing onto the wheelchair. I’ve also seen merry-go-rounds that are big enough to have those in wheelchairs to experience it. I’d also include more ramps in the playground rather than stairs because they’re more accessible to almost everyone. I’d like to add different elements other than sensory such as simulation/roleplay equipment such as the fake cars in playgrounds, or even the music equipment such as toy drums or the small metal piano keys that are always out of tune. I remember when I was little, I loved riding tricycles in my school playground. I would follow the track that was drawn onto the floor and would do multiple laps.