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Loading Glossary… Mike Brennan Nov 19 2025 at 1:19PM on page 14
Suggestion
After looking at the survey results, the biggest conflict I see is the adults wanting clean sightlines, while the kids want places to hide. As a parent, it can be nice knowing where your kids are at all times, but if you watch kids play here, as I have with my 3 kids, you'll see that they're not just using a slide to slide. They're escaping a friend while playing tag. They're not just climbing for the sake of climbing, they're looking for the perfect hiding spot for hide& seek. Keep in mind it's for the kids and they need places to independently explore. The new playground doesn't need to be for helicopter parenting. It's ok if there's a few places where parents can't fit or see from any given direction.
Likewise, as a parent I don't like the sandbox and cleaning sand out of shoes, but the kids love it and could spend hours there. It's ok if parents don't love every part of a playground. Kids love options.
Finally, I would be hesitant to add water or electronic features. They sound fun and great for aesthetics, but put some deep thought into who will maintain these features that are exposed to high foot traffic, exposed to weather and the elements, and must survive cold winters. A recirculating stream must use a pump. What happens when that pump burns out, or the return drain gets clogged? If something breaks in an underground pipe, do you have to destroy playground features to dig it up? Or, will it just become a retired feature that doesn't work anymore like so many of the current relics? For electronic stations, who changes the batteries or maintains the power source? Will it still flash lights and sounds a few years after surviving outdoors? You need a real commitment from whoever will be responsible for maintaining these things as they are high maintenance features. They need to endure beyond their first few years of use. Currently, we can barely maintain broken sand toys scattered about. These features will take much more effort than that for ongoing maintenance. I'm not saying to not build these features, but if you do, have a serious long term plan beyond opening day.
Likewise, as a parent I don't like the sandbox and cleaning sand out of shoes, but the kids love it and could spend hours there. It's ok if parents don't love every part of a playground. Kids love options.
Finally, I would be hesitant to add water or electronic features. They sound fun and great for aesthetics, but put some deep thought into who will maintain these features that are exposed to high foot traffic, exposed to weather and the elements, and must survive cold winters. A recirculating stream must use a pump. What happens when that pump burns out, or the return drain gets clogged? If something breaks in an underground pipe, do you have to destroy playground features to dig it up? Or, will it just become a retired feature that doesn't work anymore like so many of the current relics? For electronic stations, who changes the batteries or maintains the power source? Will it still flash lights and sounds a few years after surviving outdoors? You need a real commitment from whoever will be responsible for maintaining these things as they are high maintenance features. They need to endure beyond their first few years of use. Currently, we can barely maintain broken sand toys scattered about. These features will take much more effort than that for ongoing maintenance. I'm not saying to not build these features, but if you do, have a serious long term plan beyond opening day.
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