Many children today have what is termed a “nature deficit disorder”. They don’t spend as much time outdoors as they did back when we were all growing up. Instead of climbing trees, walking through creeks, and hunting for bugs, children today stay indoors playing video games and watching TV.
There are a growing number of research studies that show that spending time outdoors could improve trends we’ve seen in childhood obesity, ADHD, and depression.
In addition, spending time outdoors is a great educational opportunity for children. They not only learn more about their environment and the world around them but they also learn more about themselves. They can experience the use of all five of their senses when they spend time with nature. They can use their imagination and creativity, or just sit under the stars and dream. I have tons of research showing how beneficial this is to children’s emotional and intellectual development.
One of the most obvious things that children like to do outdoors is to play with their friends at a local park. Other nearby communities such as Highland Village and Coppell have phenomenal fort-like wooden playground structures that children from Flower Mound flock to because they are so different and “cool”.
These playgrounds have a more natural feel than the metal and plastic playgrounds that are usually found in Flower Mound. They feel like forts or castles which children absolutely love. They include mazes, tunnels, bridges, and wonderful interactive play stations throughout. They encourage creative play as the children run through the fort playing superhero games or hide and seek with each other. You just can’t play like that on any of the playgrounds that we currently have in Flower Mound.
Based on the Economic Development profile on the Flower Mound website, our town’s population is made up of 33.2% of children ages 0-17. We really need to look at what we can do as a community to get our children spending more time outdoors – to reconnect them with nature and their environment. There are great opportunities for this with the fabulous new playground at Heritage Park.
There should be an educational focus towards nature in the playground. Part of this can be achieved simply through the materials used. Wood or composite material that has a more natural feel to it as compared to metal and plastic.
Here are some pictures from Kids Country playground at Andrew Brown Jr Community Park in Coppell.
A playground in Mesquite built by Leathers.
Here are some pictures from Kids Kastle at Unity Park in Highland Village.
Some wood or composite material can be used and integrated with plastic as is done at Adventure World playground at Cross Timbers Park in North Richland Hills. This playground is handicap accessible.
I have provided the town of Flower Mound with a $5,000 grant from Pantene to specifically to go towards putting up educational components of some kind in a local park to help children learn about nature.
Interactive stations throughout the park similar to what you find along the
boardwalk at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens would be wonderful.
Here are some examples:
Poster of local birds that the children might see at a park with buttons next to each picture that they can press to hear the song that the particular bird sings. Then they can lift a board to actually see a picture of that bird.
Interactive exhibit that teaches children about insects vs. insect imposters.
Station that teaches how to recognize different animal tracks. Outside flaps show an animal track. Children lift the flap to see the name and picture of the animal that made that track.
Learning to identify bird eggs. There is an encased egg and above the egg is a flap with a picture of a the nest that the egg would be found in. Children lift the flap to see a picture and name of the bird that would have the nest and egg.
Looking at different leaves then lifting up flap to see picture of whole tree and learn the name of the tree.
It is also nice to find tree identification markers around the area such as these. Older kids can learn about trees in the area on their own (or adults can read these to younger children). These are nice because the actual tree is right there in front of them so they can see the bark, leaves, etc for themselves.
Notice the braille on this sign below. I love little touches like this that make nature education all inclusive.
Animals tracks or leaves imprinted in concrete makes for a wonderful sensory way to learn.
Natural settings with simple rocks to play on and explore are great.
Here are some other great ideas that kids love to find at playgrounds...
Children love sandboxes! They are great for creativity as kids can make roads for their toy cars, build sand castles, bury and dig for treasure, etc.
This is a large sandbox at Kids Country playground in Coppell.
Playhouse type structures are so much fun and great for creative play. We all know kids love playing inside cardboard boxes!
Imitation hollow log for kids to climb through at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens in Fort Worth.
This is a bird blind at TRAC in Dallas. Simple wooden structure, easy to build but so much fun for kids!
Play fire truck at Parr Park in Grapevine.
Tunnels at Adventure World, Cross Timbers Park in North Richland Hills.
Other unique structures from other playgrounds in the area that kids really love:
Good for older kids - Giant climbing web at Heritage Park next to Grapevine Botanic Gardens in Grapevine.
Good for older kids - This is a really unique circuit of activities in which children can start at one end and completely work their way around without ever touching the ground. Great exercise and challenging. This is at Parr Park in Grapevine.
Real tank at Liberty Park in Plano. Yes, what kid wouldn't think this was super cool to have at their community playground?
Unique climbing structures at Kids Country in Coppell.
Tires at Mesquite fort playground
and tires at Kids Country Coppell.
Hippo at Central Park in Lewisville.
Ride on spring toy at a playground on Old Orchard in Lewisville.
Climbing rings at Kids Kastle
Other interactive stations at Kids Kastle in Highland Village
Other recommended features for the playground:
1. restrooms, preferably inside or at the very edge of the playground area, so that a
parent does not have to round up all the children and trek 1/2 a mile for one
small bladder--or diaper change. Either port-a-potty style facilities, so that
the door opens directly to the playground (one person per door--easy to watch
both the child using the facilities and the other child playing), or a couple of
family-style restrooms (so that a mom or dad can accompany one or more children
inside, including children of the opposite gender).
2. drinking fountains - tall and short
3. enclosure around playground with only one entrance to help parents keep up with wandering toddlers or when they are having to watch multiple children. Kids Kastle and Kids Country are designed this way.
4. lots of benches and picnic tables for caregivers, preferably in the shade. Many located near the entrance of the playground
5. no gravel or stone mulch. It is terrible to walk in. Gravel or even the chunky rubber or wood mulch gets in your shoes, especially sandals in the warmer weather. A big favorite is the solid surface rubber padding. It is clean and neat and easy for everyone to walk on. This would also be ideal for helping children who need assisted devices to get around because a wheelchair can’t roll well over regular mulch. Dove park in Grapevine is handicap accessible and has this type of ground protection.
6. shaded play areas for children. Some of our kids spend hours at a time, multiple days a week at a playground. Sunscreen is important to moms but shade also helps to reduce sunburns but it also provides some cooler temperatures during the heat of our Texas summers.
7. slides
8. a few in ground water sprays are a big attraction for kids, especially during the hot summer.
9. tire swing
The community will help in building this incredible park both in fundraising and manual work. Please consider some acknowledgements of this throughout the playground.
Tiles at Kids Kastle in Highland Village.
Wooden slats at Kids Country in Coppell.
Plaques on structures donated by families or businesses.
Heritage Park will be a beautiful park that children from all over this area will be drawn to. We hope that it will be fun for young children as well as tweens, have accessible parts for special needs children, and teach a little something to children about the great outdoors.
If you have any other suggestions for features of this playground, please feel free to leave comments below or email me at kim@kimberlychance.com.
