Though efforts to improve playground safety are consistent and ongoing, there has been no significant reduction in the rate of serious injuries. The article lists factors to consider when designing a safe playground, emphasizing the risk-taking inherent in children's play. (SM)

A well-developed playground in a park or school setting can greatly enhance childen's overall development, making playgrounds more than just fun. Playgrounds offer children opportunities to develop physically, mentally, and socially, improving academic readiness as well as overall health. The paper discusses the importance of movement, how…

This article explains how recreational staff, educators, and community groups can work together to make parks into environments for learning as well as play. Use of unusual resources such as old gas works parts, dairy equipment, outdoor camps, and mobile crafts units for educational activities in parks is described. (PP)

Champaign Park District in Illinois initiated a test run of an experimental summer playground program called the "Adventure Playground." (Editors/JA)

The concept of Adventure Playgrounds, adult-supervised spaces with raw materials which children can use to design their own play areas, is explained. California Adventure Playgrounds at Huntington Beach and Irvine are described. Costs, equipment requirements, and the need for community participation are discussed. (PP)

This article offers guidelines for the development of adventure parks drawn from experience with the Champaign Park District's project. (JA)

The backyard playground is making a comeback in New York's Bedford Stuyvesant section. (Editors)

At the Milpitas City-School Recreation Department's "adventure playground," piles of scrap wood, cardboard, and other building materials are provided for building at the youngsters' inclinations. (MB)

Playgrounds should be diverse and flexible so that children have many different opportunities for natural, creative play. Equipment should encourage group activities, challenge children at different levels of development, and enhance physical fitness. Such playgrounds could receive enthusiastic public support. (PP)

Substantive, cost-sensitive guidelines are offered for determining basic playground needs, performance specifications, and site location, as well as construction techniques, for playgrounds servicing multi-family dwellings. (MJB)

This article describes a research study that compared the success of the "adventure playground" to that of a conventional playground. (JA)

A description is given of design plans for a park to be used by handicapped as well as nonhandicapped children. (JD)

Supervision is the weak link in safety upgrading programs for playgrounds. A strong educational thrust on safe playing is needed for parents of pre-school children. Adults must understand how children behave at play and what playground equipment means to a child user. (JD0)

Seventy percent of all playground accidents result from falls from equipment onto the underlying surface. This article reviews some types of surfaces commonly found in playgrounds and how each fared under National Bureau of Standards guidelines. (MT)

Guidelines for a safe playground are discussed, beginning with the ages and numbers of users. Separation of equipment and surfacing materials are emphasized. (MT)