The weather’s too nice to stay inside. Go to a park with a playground! Here is some playground physics for tykes. This webpage has more about the physics underlying playground equipment. Here is a Simple Machine Playground Challenge. This article, Swings and Slides has more about the physics underlying swings and slides. Go play! Go home and Design a Playground. Discuss the physics, forces, and simple machines at the playground. Create a model. How much would the play equipment cost? Is it safe? Is it accessible? Most of all, is it fun? Would you like to design the ideal playground for your home or dream bigger?
Decide if you want to make this project a math challenge, a mini-model, playground physics, or a civics proposal. Your family may have strong ideas about renovating, adding, or creating a new playground. What are you thinking? Your home, your neighborhood? Your town? You might ask your neighborhood HOA to sponsor a tot lot. (Ours has a slide, set of two swings, two bouncy toys, and a picnic table. Our tot lot is fenced—which might make an excellent small project.).
Make it a big project for your family. Use a spreadsheet to compute costs. Use software below to create scaled graphics. Create a slide deck with sample images or inspirational photos. Write your proposal. First, visit several playgrounds for personal experience and inspiration. Willowmere Park, Stafford recently renovated their play area. The cost was nearly $400,000. The budget included a splash pad. Dream big! There is no reason your family can’t submit a proposal to the local council or Board of Supervisors. Wouldn’t a playground project make an excellent elective? Think of all the fun doing the research!
Resources:
1. Natural Playground Toolkit and Nature Based Playground Equipment
5. Commercial Playground Equipment
Here is an accessible park for inspiration, too!
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