TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND FINE ARTS

ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 7

COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESGN

PLAYGROUNDS PLANNING AND DESIGN

SUBMITTED TO:
AR. RAYMOND VILLA
INSTRUCTOR

SUBMITTED BY:
REYES, ANA MAY L.
BSA 4-B
 PLAYGROUND

A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play,
typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people with
disabilities. A playground might exclude children below (or above) a certain age.

OUTDOOR PLAY AREA FUNCTION BY AGES

o Toddler = 6 – 23 months

o Early Childhood = 2 to 5 years old

o School age = 5 to 12 years old

o Teen and Adult = 13 and above

INFANTS AND TODDLERS

Infants and toddlers up to 2 years old display varying levels of mobility. At this age, children will crawl, scoot, pull-up, and walk
around their environment. Kids at this age are very interested in exploring their surroundings and rely heavily on sensory exploration
using their eyes, feet, hands, and mouths. They require the space to explore, but they also need to be watched closely.

Activities:

• Tunnel mazes

• Activity panels

• Small slides

• Ramps

• Low climbing equipment

• Bucket seat swings

AGES 2 TO 5 YEARS OLD

Like infants and toddlers, preschool-aged children should have a space of their own that is sized appropriately but also a little
physically challenging. Play should promote the development of their fine motor skills and socialization. Because this age group
tends to imitate older peers and take risks, they need to be monitored closely.

Activities:

At this age, kids move quickly from activity to activity as they tend to have limited attention spans. They enjoy activities that involve
climbing, imitation, and dramatic play. A few age-appropriate activities for preschoolers age two to five include:

• Crawl tunnels

• Activity panels

• Slides

• Spring riders

• Climbers

• Sandboxes

• Ramps

• Stairways

• Rung ladders

• Swings

AGES 5-12
Skills vary greatly among school-aged children as they quickly learn and build their skills. Play in this age range becomes
increasingly complex, and kids continually seek bigger physical challenges. Children around 12 years old are usually twice the size
of the younger kids in this group and have almost eight times the amount of grip strength

Activities:
Kids in this age range are developing and honing their coordination, balance, strength, and gross and fine motor skills. They need to
be challenged to stay engaged physically and mentally.

A few age-appropriate activities for children in this age range include:

 • Swings

• Spinners

• Slides

• Ramps

• Climbers

• Ladders

• Stairways

• Basketball

• Tetherball

• Chain/cable walks

• Merry-go-rounds

• Vertical poles

• Overhead rings

Ages 9 and older

Adolescents and adults can all benefit from using playgrounds. Elementary school students aren’t the only ones who need a break
during the day to let out excess energy and briefly rest their minds. Adolescents may not necessarily want to use the monkey bars
or play tag, but they may benefit a lot from a break during the day that allows them to get some fresh air and physical activity and
engage in socialization outside of the classroom. Anxiety and depression have increased sharply among teens in the past decade,
and one in every five students from ages 6 to 19 are considered obese, so adding breaks for physical activity on a playground may
help with adolescents’ mental and physical health.

Activities:

With fitness playgrounds, adults don’t just have to sit on the sidelines and watch the children have fun. Adults can have fun and get
active at the playground, too. At Playworld, we’re proud to be a premier manufacturer and designer of outdoor fitness playgrounds
and equipment, and we offer many products to incorporate in your playground:

• Arm & Shoulder Circles: This Stretch & Go activity requires using the handles to turn the disks, working the muscles in
your upper back and shoulders. Stretching is important for beginning any physical activity, so a Stretch & Go activity is the
best place to start.

• Recumbent Bike: This Stretch & Go activity is ergonomically friendly for your lower back and is built in a reclining
position to target leg and glute muscles.

• Shoulder Slide: This Stretch & Go activity involves holding a slider in either hand and sliding them, stretching your
shoulder and back muscles.

• The Twister: For this Stretch & Go activity, you’ll step onto a disk, grab onto the bar above and twist your torso. This will
stretch your obliques and lower back.

• Energi Station 2: Our five Energi stations feature multiple exercises. This station features a total of 24 exercises that
include chin-up, pull-up, hurdle jumps and hurdle dips. This station has a capacity of seven participants.

• Energi Station 3: This Energi station features 24 exercises that include push-up, triceps dip, balance beam, v-sit, squat
and single-leg squat. To ensure your safety, the balance bar has a non-slip, textured surface.
 • LifeTrail Station 2: Our LifeTrail stations also feature multiple activities. This station includes push-up exercises, wobble
board exercises and hip lift and thigh exercises.

THEMED PLAY AREA

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENTS AND ITS STANDARD DIMENSION
INNOVATIVE MODERN PLAYGROUND IDEAS

Modern playgrounds often have recreational equipment such as the seesaw, merry-go-round, swingset, slide, jungle gym, chin-up
bars, sandbox, spring rider, trapeze rings, playhouses, and mazes, many of which help children develop physical coordination,
strength, and flexibility, as well as providing recreation and enjoyment and supporting social and emotional development. Common
in modern playgrounds are play structures that link many different pieces of equipment.

To keep things fresh, playground designers and architects are always looking for innovative ways to promote health, wellness,
community, and acceptance. A playground becomes a destination when it combine creativity, color, adventure, and a fun,
upbeat atmosphere.

5 top trends for modern playgrounds

Modern playgrounds are the ultimate multi-taskers. In an urbanised, digitised and overweight world, they promote health, childhood
development and community when we need it more than ever – and in ways we’ve never seen before.

As ‘play professionals’, we’re excited to be part of the revolution. Here are five big trends we’re seeing as playgrounds evolve for the
future.

High-tech, high-energy outdoor play

Anyone desperate to get screen-obsessed kids outside can rejoice. The latest outdoor play equipment integrates technology and
physical activity to create an exhilarating playground experience with lights, sounds, sequences, games and activities. For
example, Electronic Interactive Play uses multi-sensory equipment that’s just like a huge outdoor computer game. They test
reflexes, speed, coordination – and encourage social interaction as well as fine and gross motor skills. Learn more about
Playground Centre’s e-wall.

The ‘destination playground’

Combine adventure, variety, ‘out of the box’ design and a social atmosphere: and you have a destination playground. Often themed
and usually embracing all ages and abilities, destination playgrounds draw local community and tourists alike. Here in New Zealand,
our client Hamilton City Council has a Playgrounds of the Future plan, with the goal of developing 15 destination playgrounds before
2029. With seven already completed, the city is fast earning them the reputation of having the best playgrounds in the country!

Play for all

Smart communities are creating spaces for all ages and abilities to come together for healthy, active recreation. It might be adding
fitness equipment or exercise stations – or including swings, zip lines, climbing nets and slides that can accommodate or be
adjusted for adult bodies. To really help the generations see ‘eye to eye’, the Expressions Swing Seat features two connected seats
so an adult and under-five can swing facing each other!

No longer an afterthought, inclusive play equipment is also becoming more innovative and engaging, with everything from electronic
play panels to motorised carousels and trampolines for wheelchairs.

Making sense

Activities that stimulate a child’s senses, or sensory play, is crucial to cognitive development and creativity. And it’s more
sophisticated than ever – with intriguing tactile experiences, outdoor musical instruments, water features, play panels, spring and
rotating equipment … and even interactive bridges with bells!

Adventure

Research shows that challenge and risk are important for children, helping them learn to navigate the world confidently,
independently and safely. Kids don’t want to be wrapped in cotton wool – and, increasingly, adults understand why they shouldn’t
be. For us, that means introducing age-appropriate adventure – like flying foxes, wobbly bridges, giant slides and sky-high climbing
nests – with strict safety standards built in.

Types of Modern Playground Equipment

At MRC, we work with the best partners to offer modern playground equipment, specifically towers and cubes. Here are more
specific details on each:

Play Towers
For play towers, we have many pre-configured options and can even help you create your tower entirely from scratch. Some of our
more popular towers worth noting are made from sustainable wood. Our gorgeous Nordic wood towers are made with a strong focus
on modern architectural design, appealing to young and old. They feature numerous adaptation possibilities, paneling options that
bring pops of color, or transparent panels that allow greater access to the visibility of the inside. These functional landmarks appeal
to nature, blending harmoniously with trees and flora. Our wood is harvested with sustainability as a priority, making the natural
appeal more than an aesthetic. Our line of Flora play pieces are made with curved shapes and edges that mimic the atmosphere of
the forest. Most importantly, the trees that our wood comes from are from PEFC-certified forests!

You can opt for our Atlus Towers if you want something more traditional or completely customized. Your Atlus Tower can exist in a
small footprint or be built into a vast multi-tower project! Start with a standard configuration, then choose your panels, roofs, slides,
stairs, and climbers in vibrant colors and styles. We also have pre-configured types provided for your convenience. You can even
add a theme inspired by your community. We create hand-molded custom artwork with our design team, so your modern space is
sure to dazzle.
Play Cubes
We partner with Lappset to offer modern play cubes called “Halo.” Halo Cubic play towers and cubes are award-winning and highly
functional. Cubic modules are designed to match gracefully and are made with only the highest quality pine, steel, plastics, and
laminates. If visibility is a concern, see-through panels can be used on the sides of cubes. Or, you can mix transparent paneling with
opaque colored panels or wood panels. Wooden play cubes, like our play towers, are made from tight-grain Finnish wood from
PEFC-certified forests and stand up to harsh winters to the southern sun and humid coastlines. They also make it feel as if you’re
playing in a forest!

The Halo Diamond play cubes introduce an entirely new, fascinating play experience. Everyone who tries it says you must climb
inside to understand it yourself. This unique play cube is not sitting flat on the ground. It is standing on one of its corner tips! Your
ability to balance and navigate is tested, providing one of the most challenging and fun play experiences you’ll ever get.
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o https://mrcrec.com/blog/tall-towers-exciting-architectural-play-environments
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