Course:KIN355/2020 Projects/Adventure Playground
Force creation and stability at the time of projection
Defining the Concept and Its Importance
Adventure playgrounds is a specific type of playground that is designed to provide opportunities for free play which is an expression of child agency (Rorabaugh, 2018). Originally called “junkyard playgrounds”, adventure playgrounds are a free space composed of wood, scrap and other construction materials that children can use for play (Staempfli, 2008). Children are free and can make their own choices with the use any element of junk and materials that is laying around in their environment for play that is not condoned in any other places (i.e., building their own structure to play on). Adventure playgrounds are not limited by prebuilt structures and fixed equipment like conventional playgrounds to engage in play, rather, children can build their own structures and create their own games using the materials around them (Staempfli, 2008). This enhances the opportunity for children to participate in with different types of play as it allows the child to experience, explore, commit to risk, learn about themselves, objects within it and the environment (Bredin, 2020). This promotes strong movement and developmental experiences for children that are unique.
Adventure playgrounds are important for the development of movement experience for young children. It provides children with the opportunities to develop their physical, motor, cognitive and affective domains within the environment (Bredin, 2020). Adventure playgrounds are unique as it gives children the opportunity to develop new skills that traditional playgrounds can not. Specifically, adventure playgrounds offer a full range of play opportunities where children constantly create and adapt to challenges pertaining to movement development. This can be building an obstacle course for their friends to compete in or building a structure that they can use for play. These structures like building an obstacle course can help child movement experiences by developing skills such as stretching their physical abilities to improve confidence in movements that they can’t develop anywhere else (Staempfli, 2008). An important development aspect of adventure playgrounds is creativity. Studies suggest that when you are involved in a free space where you can do and play with what you want to inspires creativity of children as they can freely make their own choices (Staempfli, 2008). Being physically diverse and offering a wealth of materials, the child can create new opportunities of play. Creativity also improves the number of skills a child can learn. This can help the development of the child as they progress through the stages of life.
Role in Childhood Development and Contemporary Considerations
Adventure playgrounds are natural environments where children can experience and capitalize on the opportunity to test their boundaries, and explore risk on things which they could not do in a traditional playground setting (Staempfli, 2008). Children playing on adventure playgrounds get a very unique experience and this transfers over to childhood development. A key aspect that adventure playgrounds provide is risky play. When a child engages in risky play, they learn more about themselves; exploring can help a child understand their limits and capabilities in space (Ripat & Becker, 2012). They might do this by trying to balance on something or building something that requires more skill. Using the materials in the adventure playground to build and play can teach children a lot about themselves through risk. This can be learned when a child makes a mistake or when a child thinks and weighs the risks before acting (Ripat & Becker, 2012).
Although risky play is good for child development, there are some safety concerns related to risk. For some parents, the danger of allowing access to this kind of play environment is too great to ever consider putting their child in these adventure playgrounds. That is why the popularity of these playgrounds are declining, as public play on adventure playgrounds is considered to be too dangerous (Staempfli, 2008). The amount of risk a child can be exposed to is based on society’s views, values and beliefs surrounding early children development. In some societies, the risks outweigh the benefits of allowing children to create freely within the bounds of an adventure playground. Also, the fear of endangering children through injury or negative experiences while playing on natural and unstructured play areas is up for debate (Morrongiello & Kane, 2015). Society has continually evolved to prioritize safety as the number one concern in keeping young children safe and healthy (Staempfli, 2008). Although risky play on adventure playgrounds is beneficial for the cognitive development of children, negative experiences associated with risk while playing are just as harmful (Staempfli, 2008). Injuries sustained while carrying out risky play behavior can reduce the likelihood that the child will continue to take chances in the future, and limit positive development associated with risk-taking (Morrongiello & Kane, 2015). The child may think twice about taking a risk if they have encountered a bad experience with that type of behaviour in the past. This can reduce the development of skills risky play can offer. Sometimes when a child takes a risk on adventure playgrounds and suffers minor injuries or trauma, this will help them in understanding the extent of their abilities (Morrongiello & Kane, 2015). If a child doesn’t take risks, they will not learn and explore their limits and capabilities. There needs to be a balance between positive risk and injury (Staempfli, 2008).
Adventure playgrounds have also been associated with building cognitive function; studies have found that adventure playgrounds are important for imagination play development (Ripat & Becker, 2012). Kids can run around and build anything they can imagine, which helps them to visualize and manipulate structures that they have built and use them for play (Ripat & Becker, 2012). Also, adventure playgrounds are viewed as part of the social and family experience (Ripat & Becker, 2012). This can help develop a child’s communication skills as they can recruit other children to help them build a structure or use them for play. Being in a social environment, social networking is also important to develop without the support of parent supervision. This tests the ability of children to be more independent.
It's important for educators, teachers or grassroots coaches to understand that adventure playgrounds are an option to help develop child movement experience. The issue of risk and benefit is debatable as it improves motor and cognitive development, it can also give a child a bad experience making it harder for risky behavior in the future. The environment of adventure playgrounds offers the potential for child development.
Practical Applications
There are many games and activities that can be carried out in an adventure playground setting which benefit movement developments in children. The following will explore some of these games.
Capture The Flag
OVERVIEW: To play this game on an adventure playground, equipment needed will include one flag for each of two teams, as well as a base for each of the two teams. The game requires a large group of children to divide into the aforementioned two groups, and the object of the game is for each team to attempt to capture the opposing team's flag, bringing it back to their own base. Further, the individual who catches the flag must get it back to their base without being tagged by a member of the opposing team. Should the person get tagged, they will be placed in a "jail" where they watch the events of the game but no longer participate.
EQUIPMENT: Two flags will be needed. Two bases will be needed, which could be a round disc, a hula hoop, or a baseball base. Cones are necessary to divide the playing area. Two different colours of jerseys would be optional, but helpful to identify team members.
INSTRUCTIONS: The game begins with each team on opposite sides of the play area. When the start of the game is announced, both teams will run towards the flag of the other team, attempting to capture it and bring it back to their own base. This must be done without being tagged by a member of the opposing team, or the person who is tagged will be placed in "jail". The way to get out of jail is for another member of the same team to come and bring you out of jail by grabbing your hand and bringing you back to your own side. To win the game, the flag must be captured and brought back to the base successfully.
MODIFICATIONS: While this game is often played on an open field, it can be modified to be played on an adventure playground. This gives the advantage of allowing players to hide behind apparatuses in order to avoid being tagged.
AGE: The target age for this activity is those aged 7-11.
Treasure Hunt
OVERVIEW: This game allows for children to get creative on the adventure playground. An adventure playground is ideal for a treasure hunt since there are many places that are optimal for hiding items. The game is played by having one or multiple people hide items around the adventure playground, while the participants have to find those items.
EQUIPMENT: Specific equipment is not needed, while the adventure playground is the ideal setting to play this game. The only equipment needed is the items which will be hidden, as well as a list of clues/hints, which is fun and optional.
INSTRUCTIONS: The designated individual(s) will look for locations to hide items, set up the playground with hidden items, and the game will begin after. Children can be instructed to collect as many items as possible. Alternatively, the children can all be provided with a list of the hidden items that are to be found. The participant who has collected the most hidden items wins the game.
AGE: The target age for this activity is those aged 5-10.
Grounders
OVERVIEW: This game is similar to the game of tag, with some key differences involved. Firstly, the player who is "it" (the player tagging other people) has their eyes shut at all times. When this person shouts out "grounders", any player who is on the ground and not on the playground apparatuses becomes "it". Participants want to avoid the player who is "it".
EQUIPMENT: The equipment needed is the apparatuses on the adventure playground. The surrounding area will also be used.
INSTRUCTIONS: Participants must stay within the limits of the adventure playground, aiming to avoid the player who is "it". The "it" player will try to tag the other players, making them the "it" player. Further, the "it" player may only shout out "grounders" a limited amount of times; which could be every 5 seconds or every 10 seconds. The player on the ground at this moment would become "it", and if there are multiple players on the ground, there can be multiple "it" players.
AGE: The target age for this activity is those aged 6-11.
Summary
In summary, adventure playgrounds are not as common in toady’s world because most parents consider these playgrounds to be too dangerous, as the society today has evolved to prioritize safety as the number one concern (Staempfli, 2008). Besides the risk factor and the safety concerns associated with playing on adventure playgrounds, it has many benefits as well. Children get a unique experience that’s different from a conventional playground as they get to build their own structures, their engagement in risky play allows them to explore and test their limits and capabilities (Ripat & Becker, 2012), and children are able to be creative and expand on their imagination (Ripat & Becker, 2012). Although most parents are not willing to take the risk of allow their child to play freely in an adventure playgrounds, it is still important for coaches, teachers, and educators to keep in mind that it could be an option for developing movement experiences in young children.
References
Bredin, S (2020). Module 3: Playspaces. KIN 355 Movement Experiences for Young Children, School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia
Morrongiello, B. A., & Kane, A. (2015). An evaluation of the cool 2 be safe program: an evidence-based community-disseminated program to positively impact children’s beliefs about injury risk on playgrounds. Prevention Science, 16(1), 61-69.
Ripat, J., & Becker, P. (2012). Playground usability: What do playground users say?. Occupational Therapy International, 19(3), 144-153.
Rorabaugh, S. (2019). Flexible futures: children’s agency on the adventure playground. Cities & Health, 3(1-2), 111-126.
Staempfli, M. B. (2009). Reintroducing adventure into children's outdoor play environments. Environment and Behavior , 41(2), 268-280.