Inclusive playgrounds are popping up all over the country. They’re topics of conversation among city residents, and they’re even becoming more prevalent in schools. More and more, people from all walks of life are realizing that shared play spaces need to be inviting and accessible to children of all abilities. These play structures, sandboxes, water features, and more don’t just benefit kids with disabilities. They benefit families across the nation. Here’s how:
They Foster Skills for All Kids
If you follow one kid on a playground over the course of their childhood, you might see that kid develop a specific set of skills on swing sets, structures, or slides. The more kids you add to that playground, the more skills each kid will develop. This is because kids learn from each other. Older kids learn leadership and empathy by working with younger kids. Younger kids learn from their older peers, both the lessons and the modeled kindness and leadership.
Now, make those playgrounds diverse and inclusive by placing them in centralized locations and adding ADA-compliant equipment and features for kids with varying abilities and sensitivities. This way, you foster social, developmental, and cognitive skills for every kid in that space. Kids with sensory challenges learn to have a higher tolerance. Children in wheelchairs learn to push themselves to do more with their strengths. And able-bodied kids learn to see from different perspectives.
They Challenge Stigma
This universal skill development leads directly into the next point, which is the power of inclusive playgrounds to challenge stigma. It’s incredibly easy to form prejudices and “other” people who are different from you when you never spend time with those people. Kids will determine that their peers who look or behave differently from them are “weird.” Without regular exposure and shared play, they may grow up with a discriminatory mindset.
Inclusive playgrounds help eliminate discrimination and prejudice by bringing all these kids together. When able-bodied kids see kids with disabilities or other kids different from them on a regular basis, they see that they’re not that different after all. Kids in wheelchairs still want to race and play. Children with sensitivities to space and sound still want to participate in shared activities. Play spaces that welcome all children often see kids who were once complete strangers become friends. And this becomes a lesson for life.
They Reduce Isolation
One of the biggest problems with stigma, prejudice, and discrimination is that it leads to isolation. People start to fear those who are different from them, so they surround themselves with only people they perceive as the same. People who are rejected, like those with different abilities or from different backgrounds, tend to feel rejected and mistrusted. The result is a community, city, state, or country divided.
Inclusive playgrounds are a small sample of how to unite people who would otherwise isolate themselves. They can’t solve all the world’s problems, but they can teach kids to play together, see each other as fellow humans and citizens of the world, and learn to collaborate. Kids and parents alike on a diverse playground tend to find common ground, start conversations, and offer and ask for help. And the world becomes a little less lonely.
They Encourage Independence
While playgrounds in general are often heralded as opportunities to play, burn off energy, and take refuge from busy life, not enough is said about how they’re also beacons of independence. Without playgrounds, many kids rely on parents, caregivers, and teachers to do things for them. It’s a natural inclination in adults to help little kids, of course. But at some point, those kids need to learn to take the initiative and take on challenges to gain the independence they’ll need for adulthood.
Inclusive play structures, slides, swings, and other shared play spaces are great at leveling the playing field for kids of all abilities. All kids won’t grow at the same pace, but in learning to take on new challenges that make sense for their abilities, they will grow. They can become more physically capable, develop leadership qualities, and learn to try something before asking for help. The more independent they become, the more they’ll be willing to try, and that’s another great lesson for life.
They Create Welcoming Community Hubs
Finally, playgrounds and parks that meet the needs and abilities of everyone in the community truly become hubs that invite everyone in. Traditional playgrounds can be off-putting for many families. If the surfaces won’t accommodate wheelchairs, or if the play spaces are too big, loud, and overwhelming, many families simply won’t visit. This leaves a significant portion of the neighborhood and city without community.
But inclusive playgrounds create space for families of all abilities. With wide platforms, sectioned off zones for quiet time, and water features and musical instruments, you have a playground for every child. Plus, once parents know they can bring their kids to play, they’re more likely to relax and spend time getting to know other adults in the park. This can lead to long-term friendships and residents willing to participate more in the activities of their city.
In the end, planning for and designing inclusive playgrounds is a community service. These shared play spaces welcome all families, kids, and adults into a local sanctuary where they can develop skills, find social engagement, and play freely. People will be more likely to leave their homes and their bubbles, open their minds, and see themselves and their neighbors in a more positive light. In short, inclusive playgrounds can be a microcosm of how to create a more diverse, loving world.
