Outlines basic considerations about playground safety and accessibility. Proposes playgrounds to be constructed for children in inner-city neighborhoods that would be carefully supervised, be easily accessible to the community, and provide children with a range of activities and experiences. (MLF)

Presents a pre-installation checklist to enable Head Start programs to meet guidelines for safe playgrounds established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Includes questions relating to age-appropriateness of equipment, manufacturer's compliance with current safety guidelines, selection of metal or wood play structures, no-encroachment…

Research at the National Program for Playground Safety shows good playground policies can be summed up by the acronym SAFE: supervising the playground equipment; choosing age-appropriate playground equipment; cushioning falls; and maintaining equipment and surfaces. Sidebars include a playground safety quiz and information sources. (MLF)

Discusses the changing field of educational specifications and facility planning, community partnerships, changing school technology, and the role of playgrounds in education. Also discussed are the accomplishments and role of the Council of Educational Facilities Planners. (GR)

Presents suggestions for designing playgrounds for preschool children. Includes information on evaluating existing conditions, obtaining a safety audit for equipment and surfacing; and designing the playground. Design considerations include the role of the natural world, adequate space to move and create, opportunities for various movement types,…

This study examined 187 playground injuries and 13 fatalities that resulted in lawsuits between 1981 and 1995, taken from the files of two expert witnesses on playground safety who testified in the cases. The data are presented by geographic location, nature of injuries, cause of injuries/fatalities, playground equipment implicated, location of…

While it is our responsibility as adults to protect our children from hazards that would inflict injury, it is also our responsibility to provide children with a safe play environment providing challenging opportunities to explore, practice, and reach personal levels of competence. Children learn their own play abilities and limitations through…

Advocates of children's right to play are caught between the need to provide developmentally appropriate and challenging places for play and restrictions that result from fears of liability. It may be that implementation of the suggestions of research on playground safety has resulted in the creation of playgrounds that are colorful, cute, and…

Offers suggestions for the careful purchase or construction of swimming pools, playground equipment and tents, and for their safe use and maintenance in order to prevent serious injuries or fatalities in young children. (ED)

Describes a remodeling plan for the University of Minnesota stadium and a special education playground at Madison School in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. (Author/MLF)

Guidelines for organizing parents, school staff, and community members for the purpose of building or redesigning a playground are provided in this document. After brief discussions of needs assessment and what to do in the first planning meeting, the paper focuses on the responsibilities and activities associated with three committees: planning,…

The author describes the conceptualization, planning, and construction of a creative playground at the Glendaal Elementary School in Scotia, New York. Imaginative use of second-hand materials (tires, railroad ties, wood spools, drainage pipes) and volunteer labor enabled costs of the project to be kept well under $300.00. Careful planning resulted…

This bilingual publication deals with the characteristics of the young child, the importance of play to the development of the young child and the design criteria for play spaces that cater to the preschooler's special needs. Included are detailed suggestions regarding location and features that encourage various types of play. The relationship…

The purpose of these Federal safety guidelines is to reduce the severity and frequency of injury associated with public playground equipment under conditions of normal use and reasonably foreseeable misuse. Safety guidelines regarding: (1) assembly, installation, maintenance instructions and identification; (2) materials of manufacture and…

This comprehensive guidebook (written in both English and German), pertains to various aspects of planning and designing playgrounds and community centers. The introductory chapter discusses the educational and formative aspects of playgrounds, city planning prerequisites, and the effects of sociological conditions before initial planning is…