The Origin and Development of Amusement Facilities—The Development History of Children’s Playgrounds in the United States

Indoor children's parks have been gradually gaining popularity in Japan, the United States and other countries since indoor playground birthday party emergence in the last century. Kidzone indoor playground are known for their playability and educational value, like indoor playground ball pit,indoor playground rockwall  and jump indoor playground,which have been scientifically recognized. After years of development, indoor children's parks have become increasingly popular because of their educational advantages that other educational toys cannot match. With society's rapid development, the available spaces for children's play are shrinking while parents' work schedules are getting busier, leading to the rise of parent-child indoor children's playgrounds.

In Europe and the United States, the design of children's playground has undergone significant changes from simple game equipment in the past to diverse playground today,preschool indoor playground playing an important role in the landscape history, especially in the United States. American outdoor playgrounds for children are now more mature and perfect, inspiring the development of outdoor playgrounds for children in China. To better understand the children's amusement industry, let's review the development history of children's playgrounds in the United States.

During the early stages of children's outdoor playground development (1866-1930), Preschool outdoor playground equipments were closely related to pre-school construction and management. In 1868, the first outdoor children's playground was built in a public elementary school in Boston, USA, to meet the needs of children's daily activities. Later, a preschool in the city built a small sand pool paradise with simple swings, seesaws, and other recreational facilities that could only satisfy children's physical activities. With the urban park movement, children's playgrounds appeared along with the development of parks. Large-scale urban parks were built across the country, attracting attractions and entertainment venues like the Sino British Park's playground and the children's playground in Franklin Park.

In 1887, New York City passed legislation for the construction of small parks containing children's playground equipment, gradually introducing the concept of park systems into playground design. During this stage, children's playgrounds were small and had limited facilities with a focus on physical activities only.

To summarize:

- Children's playground development was initially related to school construction and management, with the first outdoor playground built in a public elementary school in Boston.

- A small sand pool paradise was built in a children's home that satisfied children's physical activities.

- The urban park movement led to the emergence of large-scale urban parks with attractions and entertainment venues.

- In 1887, New York City passed legislation for the construction of small parks containing children's playground equipment.

- Children's playgrounds were small and had limited facilities with a focus on physical activities only.

 

During the period of 1930-1970, there was the emergence and development of fixed models of kid’s playgrounds in the United States. This period was also known as the Roosevelt era, which saw the construction of many national parks, small parks, and playgrounds. The design of playgrounds adopted a fixed pattern with the installation of kid's play facilities like three-dimensional climbing frames, swings, slides, seesaws, and merry-go-rounds that were mainly intended for entertainment and physical activity. These fixed models became popular during this era and evolved into the standard design for playground during this period.

 

In the period of 1970-1980, the McDonald playground model emerged and became popular in the United States. This model was based on pillars and platforms that gradually evolved into major amusement equipment, becoming a adventure park for more kids. At this time, kids amusement parks that imitated natural gardens and used waste material also appeared. These playground are fenced and contained various building material and old industrial equipment, with a shed used to house various tools. These adventure playgrounds usually have full-time staff to lead children in natural activities such as building small houses, walls, planting, digging holes, climbing trees, digging ditches, and raising small animals.

After the 1980s, designers began to conduct in-depth research on children's behavior, psychology, and other aspects, leading to the development of a new concept of outdoor playground design, based on creating an adventure venue for children that does not require restraint. The George and Judy Marcus Children's Magic Mirror Garden, for example, uses mounds, mist, water, and sculptures to create a magical environment. This approach to playground design aims to provide children with a more imaginative, and creative play experience that fosters exploration and innovative thinking.

to summarize：

- In the 1970s-1980s, the McDonald's playground model became popular in the United States.

- Natural-themed adventure playgrounds that used waste materials also emerged, providing children with opportunities to engage in natural activities.

- After the 1980s, outdoor playgrounds began moving towards an adventure venue little tykes outdoor playground