The major playground manufacturers in the US today work almost entirely on an “exclusive representative” basis. They have a manufacturing and distribution system and promise the representative or dealer that their territory or region will be theirs alone. What this means to you as the consumer is usually less choice but greater commitment. The representative that you choose to work with can authorize purchases only from that manufacturer – and turn, the manufacturer warranties those items with the representative as the go-between should problems arise. To the extent that the play equipment looks alike, has similar materials, and similar play activities, and – here’s the key point – meets many of the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs of the children, then the system works fairly well. What has been increasingly true for the past twenty years, however, is that, not unlike many other industries, with tighter and tighter safety restrictions, the manufacturers tend to copy each other – so the choices for the consumer become even less.
From the time up to and including the 1960s in the United States, “playgrounds” have meant public parks and schoolyards with metal free-standing items like tall slides, merry-go-rounds, and swings – with no fall surfaces underneath except grass, dirt, or – yes – concrete (Frost, 1990). In the 1970s and early 1980s, innovators began to construct composite play structures that fostered a greater variety of physical and social play experiences. What is missing in these outdoor spaces for children are the eco-systems and habitats of insects, birds, and animals that used to be present because of the rural nature of towns and even neighborhoods in cities, but ironically are now almost completely missing (Frost, others/).
While we don’t yet know the full consequences of such a void in our children’s lives, there is evidence that the easy familiarity that children of earlier generations have had with the natural world has been broken, and issues such as global warming, air and water pollution, and loss of habitat has ceased to invoke the emotionally-laden memories that existed previously. There are many of us around the world who are working to repair that tear in the fabric of our children’s lives, and Nature's Playscapes is a part of that effort. We seek whenever possible to educate about the importance of plants and landscaping to create habitats that children can experience, and to design outdoor spaces that accommodate them. To accomplish this, Halcyon and the team at Nature's Playscapes recognize that the interest in more creative playgrounds often arises out of this felt yearning to create outdoor spaces for children that meet deeper, spiritual and emotional needs than can be met through play equipment only. It is a foot in the door, a way to enter in the larger discussion, “What kinds of experiences do you want to foster in your playground?”
Our Background Halcyon has been a playground designer and manufacturer’s Learn More…
Playground Design Creating wonderful outdoor spaces for children starts with a well-considered plan. The plan will range from simple to complex Read More…
Professional Training
Where programs are interested, we offer in addition to playground design and sales, various types of training workshops for directors, staff, and parents. More…
