Grant Writing for Play: Get Funding for Your Playground

Author: Austin Stanfel

New playground equipment is very expensive. Many child care centers want to build great spaces, but they do not have the cash. Grant writing for play is a smart way to get the money you need.

Fall Zone Geometry: Essential Playground Safety Rules

Author: Austin Stanfel

When you visit a playground, you likely focus on the tallest slide or the fastest swing. However, the most important part of the park is actually the empty space around the equipment. Safety experts use fall zone

Green Play: Why Bio-Based Binders are the Future of Parks

Author: Austin Stanfel

When you run across a bouncy, colorful playground, you are likely standing on "poured-in-place" rubber. For years, the glue holding that rubber together came from oil. Today, a new invention is changing the game: bio-based binders. These

How Playground Layouts Help Toddlers with Parallel Play

Author: Austin Stanfel

Have you ever seen two toddlers playing right next to each other but not talking? This might look like they are ignoring each other, but they are actually learning. Experts call this parallel play. It is a

Designing Play Spaces for Digital Native Toddlers

Author: Austin Stanfel

Today’s toddlers are "digital natives." This means they have used tablets and phones since they were babies. Because they love screens, traditional playgrounds can sometimes feel a bit slow. Building a screen-to-sandpit bridge helps these kids transition

Emergency Access: Designing Safe Playground Entries

Author: Austin Stanfel

Playgrounds are places for joy and adventure. Sometimes, however, accidents happen that require more than a simple bandage. In these moments, emergency access becomes the most important part of the playground design. We must ensure that paramedics