Remember when you were a kid and all you needed to have fun was a cardboard box and some markers? Or a tree to climb and a Kingdom to defend? Even though it feels like the times have changed for our kids, especially in the digital world they live in, there still is Adventure in their little lives. I see it when my son picks up a stick and turns it into a sword or a bow and arrow, and out of nowhere fends off an army of zombies or when he pretends to drive a racecar when I am driving him to school. (No I don’t drive that crazy)
Like I said, Adventure is out there! It’s our responsibility to nurture children’s creative little minds and help them to create the scene.
As playground innovators, we are always trying to push the limits and design playgrounds that not only have high play value, but playgrounds that kids can choose what kind of Adventure to have. Here are some examples of features and concepts that we are using the break out of the box and create play environments that are inspiring to the creative mind. However, the ideas don’t have to stop here. We would love to hear your ideas and work with you to make adventure play the best that it can be!
The DNA Climber is a twisted experience! As Kids climb up the twisted feature they have to climb over the component to keep going. This helps kids with balance provides a challenge.
Rocks & Ropes Adventure Playgrounds bring nature into schools and playgrounds, encouraging movement and physical challenges. Nature-inspired fun expands the appeal of the playground, and Rocks & Ropes– a UPC Parks company based in Northern California– designs exciting natural elements, creatures and play themes that are built to last.
Kids run and hop across rocks and log Roamers, climb up towering Monoliths, and traverse across challenging Rope Bridges. It’s real movement and exercise with climbing, hopping and swinging that all links together in a complete course.
Rocks & Ropes can also be used to connect with Post & Deck equipment, expanding the appeal and play value of any playground. It’s nature-inspired fun with the benefits of modern design and materials, authentic play value, affordability, low maintenance, and natural aesthetics everyone can enjoy.
It is a part of nature play, where kids can naturally move and exercise the same way they are inspired to do out in nature, crossing over fallen logs, hopping from rock-to-rock across a stream, swinging from tree branches, and using every muscle in their body to achieve the ultimate success……reaching the top of that rock!
Topography is a great way to add play value and adventure to a playground site. Children will use their creative minds to turn the hills into mountains. Kids can crawl under it or over it to get to the top of the hill, where they can fly down an embankment slide or a Whitewater slide. Or, they can take the zip line down the hill and over the valley of water or hot lava that lies below.
Integrating Netscapes into Nature
Our netscapes offer children of all ages plenty of space for climbing, crawling, balancing and other physical activities.
These highly accessible components are also the ideal place to become engaged in imaginative play or just to hang around and relax. Thanks to the transparent design, our natural netscapes and their young users are easily supervised.
The range of rope accessories can turn any space into a netscape. Whether straight or sloping, there is always space for a two dimensional net or a hand-over-hand climbing component. And if a tree should be in the way, we simply integrate it and make it the focal point of your play world. Net play works great on its own, or linked to other types of play equipment.
With the integration of some of these concepts, we can create play environments that truly inspire children to use their wonderful, creative minds. With all of the modern day technology and stimulation, we have to “up” the level of excitement to keep up and to entice children to break away from “the screen” and get the exercise and human interaction that is essential to their development. At Miracle Playsystems, this is our passion. Let us know how we can work with you to make play environments the best that they can be!