About us
Here is some of our current thinking
"Play For All Everywhere" is the defining goal of Play Advisers, a community of play experts. Although it seems impossible, we will show that this goal is eminently achievable and will also scale massively. And while Play Advisers are advocates for children’s right to play in general, this paper addresses the concern for “playgrounds”, those spaces specifically designed for kid’s play. Over the last forty years, with the goal of improving safety, nearly every park and school playground site has been equipped with new playground equipment. The vast majority of the new apparatus is comprised of post-and-deck composite structures. Consider the investment communities have made over this time. If we use some rough estimates, the total cost of this "the old paradigm" is one to two million dollars per site when the land value is considered. Each such playground serves approximately 1000 residents. Several studies have shown that these playgrounds increase the value of the surrounding homes by 20%, which means that the return on investment for the community is substantial.The investment would have been worth it if playgrounds were being well used. While this was true initially, these old paradigm playgrounds must be attended better today. During the school year, park playgrounds are mostly barren of children. In the summer, school playgrounds are vacant. This seasonal use pattern reduces the benefits to the community of the playgrounds by at least half.The New Paradigm The vision of a Play Advisers recommended playspace is to be as close to nature as possible. Typical physical features of this vision include:• Loose PartsWe have identified one way to provide loose parts in public playgrounds with our Toys-in-a-Container concept: an enclosure with openings that allow children to access the toys contained, but these are too large to be removed. While this idea is a great start, much more can be done to provide loose part play in public spaces. For example, sand is one of the best loose parts. However, sand has all but disappeared from playgrounds because of the emphasis on ADA access, sanitation, and low maintenance. There are very workable solutions for these three issues.o Access will be provided through ADA-accessible paths of travel within the sand area. While this is good, the Play Advisers goal of inclusive play will be accomplished by adding features that concentrate the play where it is most accessible. For example, elevated surfaces that simulate a kitchen can be provided. This sand play area will tend to concentrate the play when water is made available. o Sand can also contribute to safety. During our work on the Play For All Handbook, we determined that some types of sand can attenuate a fall of four feet. Since most features of a Play Advisers play space are at ground level, this sand can now be used in much of the play space.o One safety concern with sand is cats. A feature of a Play Advisers is it will be a cat exclusion zone. Feral cats kill billions of birds. One-third of the 800 native bird species in the U.S. are endangered or have significantly declined due to cats. Once the environmental impact of feral cats is appreciated, it is foreseeable that communities will require that cats, like dogs, must be contained. The Play Advisers system will provide various technical solutions that will act to exclude cats from the play space. o Because Play Advisers focuses on replicating nature, its maintenance will be lower than in the old paradigm. A good example is barring blowers since any leaves that fall will remain on the ground, becoming overwintering areas for insects and soil amendment. • Shadeo Too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause sunburn, skin and eye damage, and skin cancer. Overexposure to UV during childhood and adolescence is a major factor in determining future skin cancer risk. A key Play Advisers program will provide apparel patterns and fabric sources so the community can make sun-appropriate clothing cheaply. o The old post-and-deck paradigm uses umbrellas on play structures, which results in the shade being in the wrong place at the wrong time and is generally far too small because of cost. The Play Advisers solution combines solar panels and deployable shade cloth. The solar panel support system provides the primary structural basis of a Play Advisers enclosure. The fabric will be supported like that of plant nurseries, where huge areas protect growing plants. • Watero Few features are more appealing or necessary for a Play Advisers than the presence of water. Playspace water can be as simple as installing misters or standard sprinklers. However, a fountain is a distinct possibility since a Play Advisers with solar panels will have electricity. Since there will be no cats, a Play Advisers will become a bird sanctuary.o Yes, the old concern about sanitation is a real issue, but robust solutions exist, and readily available, well-understood methods of protecting children's health exist.• Securityo These days, residential and commercial security systems are ubiquitous. Such systems will provide the foundation of a Play Advisers solution. The key technology is based on the fact that most people, including many children ten and older, will carry a smart device. Upon entering a Play Advisers, they only need to pull up an app on their phone to connect with the Play Advisers security system. Such a system can be configured in infinite capabilities to suit the community consensus of safety versus privacy. • Cost Benefitso The Play Advisers site with existing apparatus will be retrofitted to retain the value of the old paradigm playground it incorporates. Attendance will be documented to help support the investment, and community sustainability goals will be advanced.
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- Joining Play Adviser Cooperative has been a game changer for my career in creating the best play spaces★ ★ ★ ★ ★Jay BeckwithI'm amazed by the level of expertise and the supportive community at Play Adviser Cooperative.★ ★ ★ ★ ★John DoePlay Adviser Cooperative provides a valuable platform for collaboration and learning in the field of play.★ ★ ★ ★ ★Emily Johnson
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