Laserfiche WebLink
INTRODUCON <br /> Today's playground designs continue to adapt in order to meet the <br /> needs of their com m unities' and end-users. At their inception in <br /> the United States over 130 years ago, there was very little concern <br /> for playground safety. In the 1970's and 1980's, injury related to <br /> playgrounds saw dramatic rise. By the 1990's program swEre <br /> formed focusing on "risk" of playground injuries from unsafe <br /> surfaces. Due to this focus and also an increase in injury-related <br /> lawsuits, many city planners looked to make playgrounds "risk- <br /> proof." How wer, new studies show that risk-aversion in parenting, <br /> educating and even playground development might not be best for <br /> children. Today, w eve com efull circle and realize that free <br /> and creative outdoor play is essential for children's <br /> health and development. <br /> And, w Me safety is still param ount in today's playgrounds, <br /> designers understand that safety m ust be integrated seam lessly <br /> into their designs w ithout lim iting play or m inim izing children's play <br /> activities or time spent outdoors. Safer and w dl-maintained play <br /> structures are a major contributor to today's playground designs, <br /> but safety surfaces underneath and surrounding play structures are <br /> just as or possibly even more important than the play structures <br /> themselves. In fact, many playground designers are evolving <br /> the w a/they approach design by using synthetic turf as a play <br /> element, itself, to create safer, cleaner and more comfortable play <br /> , <br /> environments. <br /> This w lite paper recaps the evolution of playground safety surface29 <br /> s 1� <br /> and w it w as critical that the evolved and im roved. We w iI <br /> rN Y p � F..- <br /> describe the various safety surfaces along the evolutionary path and <br /> outline the pros and cons of each through technical performance �r <br /> data as wdl as target audience and end-user perceptions. <br /> ry <br /> Through data and insights uncovered from secondary and primary <br /> g 9 Y p Y tsY .•••{, ,'r.,y t 1%4• :F .. • � <br /> qualitative research undertaken for this initiative, w ew it show w by r ,� ,f� Y�' . '� 0 <br /> Synthetic Turf is the best surface overall for playground safety today N <br /> and, further, why ForeverLaw If Synthetic Playground GrassT"" is the <br /> superior choice in the category. '�'� <br /> C•qs <br /> o <br /> "ForeV!rLawd <br /> L <br />