How To Create A Sustainable Playground for Children

Creating a sustainable playground for children requires careful selection of materials and design choices. Here are some tips to help:

1. Material selection (Use recycled materials):
Consider using recycled rubber and plastic which are environmentally friendly and offer durability and safety for children. Some materials to consider include:

- Recycled plastics: Suitable for benches, tables, playground slides, and climbing frames.
- Recycled rubber: Provides soft ground covers, and seamless playing surfaces with rubber floor tiles poured onsite.
- Recycled wood: Ideal for building forts and treehouses, wooden benches, and shade.
- Natural stone: Stone paths or edges, suitable for children to climb boulders.
- Sustainable metals: Swings and other equipment made from recycled or eco-friendly metal or metal art installations.

2. Incorporate nature:
Blend natural elements like wood, stone, and sand materials with artificial structures to enhance children's sensory experiences and promote environmental connections.

3. Green space:
Plant plants, trees, and greenery both inside and outside the playground. They create a green space, absorb carbon dioxide and help fight climate change.

4. Environmental protection facilities:
Place recycling bins within the playgrounds to teach sustainable waste separation and recycling habitudes to children from an early age.

5. Save water:
Use water-saving facilities such as rainwater harvesting systems or drought-resistant plants as an educational experience that conserves water.

6. Eco-friendly paints & finishes:
Use non-toxic and eco-friendly paints, colorants, and coatings that are free from harmful chemicals and VOCs to make playgrounds safer for children and the environment.

Building a sustainable playground is an investment in our children's future, providing them a safe space to play while instilling a sense of environmental responsibility.