Wooden playgrounds: what is interesting to children and how to implement it?

The playground where children will play is an equally important attribute of any neighborhood or just a yard than shops, schools, and other objects. No wonder the sale of real estate on it focuses, along with other elements. But to make things right is more difficult than it seems, you need to take into account many nuances and subtleties.

We are talking about the fundamental points that must be ensured in any case. It doesn't matter if the ground is being prepared:

• for giving;
• for the courtyard of an apartment building;
• for a large neighborhood;
• for urban cottage;
• for a country house.

With all the apparent ease and simplicity of the upcoming work can not shy away from drafting projects. It is much easier to correct slips on paper or in a special computer program, rather than after construction. The "three whales" for the playground are:

• security;
• maximum functionality;
• Convenience and compliance with the requirements, the needs of kids (in that order).

Since children themselves cannot fully ensure their own safety, a lot depends on adults, on their timely help in some cases. And because the playground should be as accessible as possible for review. Ideally, it should be made fully observable from all places where adults or even adolescents will be systematically located. Usually such places are the windows of the nearest house and rooms hiding behind them. But many dangers can be foreseen and eliminated in advance.

It is not recommended to place playgrounds:

• near the garages;
• directly at the roadway;
• on the banks of rivers, lakes, marshes;
• near transformer booths, power lines, railway and tram tracks, gas cylinders and gas stations.

Falling during active games is absolutely inevitable, and the harder the coverage, the more dangerous the area for children. When drafting a project, it is necessary to indicate not only the details themselves, which will stand in certain places, but also their dimensions.

The limitation of wooden structures is quite reasonable: they can be made with their own hands completely. At the same time, the tree allows to satisfy the request of children of any age. Almost every site is equipped with:

• sandbox;
• swings;
• a hill.

Younger preschoolers, learning to move on their own, prefer themed games. They can be either collective or singlebut in any case, focused on the development of fine motor skills, concentration. Accordingly, the circle of the most popular elements includes:

• "Fabulous houses";
• sandboxes;
• other designs that allow to gain experience in interacting with the outside world.

But in 7-9 years, the priorities are already completely different: climbing walls, high-altitude slides, and other attractions, designed strictly for active leisure, are required. As children grow older, the filling of game objects becomes more complicated.

Teenagers already need obstacle lines, horizontal bars, punching bags, basketball courts, places for playing hockey and football, and tennis courts. In houses where a large family lives, as well as for neighborhoods or even individual city courtyards, elements designed for different ages should be installed. This is exactly what architects do when planning a territory for a new development.

In addition to these objects, the allocation of a part for leisure is quite widely practiced. There are gazebos and sheds, awnings are tied up. In a simpler case, they are limited to the breakdown of flower beds next to the benches. Regardless of these decisions, it is recommended to think about the same degree of comfort for adults and children. Of the additional parts, a sports obstacle course and a board game area can bring considerable benefits.

With the help of rocking balancers, it is easy to please children from 3 to 7 years. But it is important to understand that not all of them are safe enough. It is necessary to purchase only those products that are equipped with proper handrails. Spring rocking will suit as early as 2-3 years, preference should be given to products of unusual shape and bright, juicy color. It contributes to the retention of attention and the development of fantasy.

Although swings are sometimes considered to be a somewhat patterned element, they should be necessary. They will be happy to take advantage of children of any age. For visitors to the kindergarten, it is necessary to install a low structure, the seat of which is fenced.Later, a different solution is required: with an open seat, with a high lift and significant swing. In the courtyard of an apartment building, a double swing or a selection of several different elements are put, then everyone can use the improvised attraction.

If you have to equip the territory for teenagers, it is very important to create complex structures for climbing. This complexity will only benefit, helping to improve the musculoskeletal system and orientation in space, to train flexibility and endurance. The higher and steeper the slide, the older should be its users. It is necessary to take into account that a safety plot is created around each attraction. You cannot occupy it with other entertainment products or use it otherwise.

Consider how to put into practice a wooden playground.

It is not enough to prepare drawings, even with the exact dimensions of concrete attractions and single parts. It is important to consider the subtleties in the selection of territory. Partly about this speech already came, but, besides safety, it is necessary to pay attention to other moments.So, building a sandbox under the canopy of trees or tall bushes is irrational. From there, various garbage will fall.

It is also worth avoiding the placement of playgrounds near steep cliffs, official and unregistered dumps (garbage dumps). In private homes and cottages, “areas of exclusion” are places close to wells, toilets and septic tanks. During the day, the area should be illuminated by the sun for at least a few hours, and optimally when it happens in the morning. In the area of ​​12 hours at least part of the site should be covered with a shadow. In the same place where there will be no shadow, it is correct to place the pool in order to warm up the water in it faster.

The size of the allotted area should allow the free movement of children without losing each other from view. Therefore, ideally, it is necessary to think about the fact that from any point of the site you can see the rest of it. Of all the varieties of wood to create decorative elements best suited pine. It carries a good active contact with moisture. In addition, this breed:

• does not fade or little fade in the sun;
• weakly subject to temperature jerks;
• extremely rarely becomes a breeding ground for pathological microorganisms (which is important for bumps and injuries).

Clearly, coverage for the playground must ensure safety in all respects. In the event of a fall or just hit, injury is not allowed. An indirect consequence of this requirement is mandatory dryness and no slip. It is very important that the site can be easily cleaned. Grass and sand are not very suitable, because they quickly pick up leaves, street garbage, twigs and many other contaminants (sometimes very dangerous).

Therefore, it is recommended to give preference to artificial surfaces. Certified rubber or flawless plastic is characterized by total chemical inertness. Even prolonged contact with open skin will not harm.

Important: use of tires and their parts for flooring on the playground is impossible. Pretty soon the tires will be erased, a sharp steel cord will be exposed. Contrary to the assurances of manufacturers, it is difficult to consider artificial grass as a soft material. In addition to increased rigidity, such a coating is easily saturated with dirt. As for rubber coatings, their external similarity does not mean common characteristics.

When forming the scheme there is hard rules:

• sandbox put closest to the house or to the entrance to the site;
• the path of movement of the swing and the descent from the slide should not be directed towards the sandbox;
• if the previous point cannot be met, a gap of at least 3 m is required;
• It is forbidden to orient all descents from the hills and swings in the direction of roads and driveways.

Undesirable division of space inside the fences. After all, children will inevitably seek to get where they are not allowed. Curiosity is a very strong incentive for this. From the shore of the reservoir, park, economic yard and similar hazardous places it is better to fence off with fence. They combine high strength, resistance to wind, excellent aesthetic properties, positively perceived by children (not as a strict ban).

The sandbox is made by digging into the ground specially selected boards or sawn logs. Start work by taking off the land; then the base is filled with a drainage layer.It is advisable to equip the slide with a slope of plastic, which is stronger than plywood and has excellent friction. You can make the simplest rope swings using a pair of racks and a fairly strong branch of a tree. Racks are buried in the ground by 90 cm, fill the pit with brick battle, and then poured concrete.

Next, the rack must be connected with a transverse structure, it is best to additionally reinforce it with a steel strip. As for the houses, the simplest option is a folding fabric tent. Slightly more reliable frame made of wood. His curtain is the same matter.

• Playgrounds made of wood can be made like this - this is an example of the original combination of a house, a slide and several sports equipment. It is extremely important that the design takes up minimal space.
• The developers of this site were also able to realize these functions, but already delivering them in the key of the knight’s castle.
• And here a bet on a variety of devices for the descent. This place is more likely for young children who are not yet keen on sports.

How to create a wooden playground with your own hands, see the next video.