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In recent years, with the support of the Japanese government, playgrounds in Japan are gradually moving towards a more inclusive direction. This study focuses on the specific question of how Momochi Central Park in Fukuoka City can be transformed from a conventional playground to an inclusive one that meets the needs of children with disabilities. The renewal strategy involved a series of public-centric workshops, citizen working sessions, and on-site investigations using journey maps to actively engage stakeholders. A user-centric approach was maintained throughout six activities, from initial sketches to iterative design improvements, leading to a comprehensive transformation plan. At first, this study identified 12 key inclusivity points across 7 park types from 17 advanced cases, which were used to evaluate Momochi Central Park before and after its renewal. Additionally, based on the journey map’s statistical results, the updated plan was also assessed to determine whether it meets participants’ preferences across four key areas: physical play, mental play, social play, and access. Results show that the renewal strategy effectively meets the 12 inclusivity points and largely aligns with the preferences identified in the journey map analysis. Key findings highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the renewal process, offering valuable practical insights for transforming other conventional playgrounds into inclusive ones.

Current Australian legislation promotes playground inclusion for all children, and playgrounds serve as local, safe, and vital spaces for children of all ages to play. The World Health Organisation International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, Children and Youth Version states that play is a key activity to engage children with disability in various areas of their lives, and there is no doubt that playgrounds can promote community and social engagement for all children. Consequently, accessible playgrounds are important because they can offer motor, psychological, and social skill development in a fun-filled environment. Nonetheless, some children encounter challenges in playground settings. Surprisingly, very little research has been conducted in Australia on the experiences of children with disabilities in public playgrounds. According to the National Autism Strategy announced by the Australian Government in 2022, there is a growing number of Australians on the autism spectrum. For many individuals with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), life outcomes in education, health, and family functioning are worse than they should be. Consequently, while this paper addresses a general perspective of inclusive playground experience for children with disabilities, there is also a focus on the experiences of children with ASD in playgrounds. As a result, this literature review begins with an introduction to the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorder and its associated characteristics. It presents existing research on play, examining various playground factors that impact the experiences of children with disabilities, including ASD. In addition, the role of parents/carers in influencing the outdoor experiences of children with disability is also explored. In conclusion, this paper summarises key findings and proposes relevant research questions to address these gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current Australian legislation promotes playground inclusion for all children, and playgrounds serve as local, safe, and vital spaces for children of all ages to play. The World Health Organisation International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, Children and Youth Version states that play is a key activity to engage children with disability in various areas of their lives, and there is no doubt that playgrounds can promote community and social engagement for all children. Consequently, accessible playgrounds are important because they can offer motor, psychological, and social skill development in a fun-filled environment. Nonetheless, some children encounter challenges in playground settings. Surprisingly, very little research has been conducted in Australia on the experiences of children with disabilities in public playgrounds. According to the National Autism Strategy announced by the Australian Government in 2022, there is a growing number of Australians on the autism spectrum. For many individuals with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), life outcomes in education, health, and family functioning are worse than they should be. Consequently, while this paper addresses a general perspective of inclusive playground experience for children with disabilities, there is also a focus on the experiences of children with ASD in playgrounds. As a result, this literature review begins with an introduction to the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorder and its associated characteristics. It presents existing research on play, examining various playground factors that impact the experiences of children with disabilities, including ASD. In addition, the role of parents/carers in influencing the outdoor experiences of children with disability is also explored. In conclusion, this paper summarises key findings and proposes relevant research questions to address these gaps.

Play is an essential part of childhood, and growing attention has focused on the potential health benefits of 'risky' or 'thrill-seeking' play. Such play behavior is readily observed on any playground, where it can sometimes lead to injuries––most often from fall impacts––that require medical attention. Monkey bars account for ~7% of childhood arm fractures in the USA, an alarming statistic that raises difficult questions over its costs and benefits. Many authors view monkey bars as a public health hazard, but it is plausible that our childhood impulse toward thrill-seeking play is a result of selective pressures throughout our primate evolutionary history. Indeed, emerging evidence suggests that the developmental benefits of thrill-seeking play extend into adulthood, outweighing the occasional costs of injury. Disparate and consequential, these dueling perspectives have fueled debate among health professionals and policymakers, but with little attention to the work of biological anthropologists. Here we call attention to the hominin fossil record and play behaviors of non-human primates, providing a novel perspective that bolsters arguments for the adaptive significance of thrill-seeking play. The moment for such a review is timely, for it commemorates the centennial anniversaries of two playground icons: the jungle gym and monkey bars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Çocuk oyun alanları çocukların çevre ile ilk tanıştıkları, sosyal iletişim kurdukları ve çocuğun erken gelişimi açısından önemli katkılar sunan kentsel mekanlardır. Bundan dolayı çocuk oyun alanlarının ve içerisindeki öğelerin nicelik ve nitelik açısından yeterli düzeyde olması, standartlara uygun olarak tasarlanması çocuk gelişimi için oldukça önemlidir. Bu çalışmada Bursa Kestel İlçesinde yer alan 42 mevcut çocuk oyun alanını; oyun elemanları, donatı elemanları, zemin döşemesi, oyun elemanlarının malzemesi, arazi yapısı, çocuk oyun alanının tipi, bitkisel tasarım ve güvenlik kriterleri doğrultusunda irdelenerek her çocuk oyun alanı için mevcut durum analizinin gerçekleştirilmesi ve ilçedeki çocuk başına düşen çocuk oyun alanı miktarının hesaplanması amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla ilçedeki çocuk oyun alanlarının mevcut durumunun saptanmasına yönelik arazi çalışmaları yapılarak çocuk oyun alanları değerlendirilmiştir. Sonuç olarak ilçedeki çocuk oyun alanlarının genel olarak nicelik ve nitelik açısından yetersiz düzeyde olduğu ve önemli eksikliklerinin bulunduğu tespit edilmiştir. İlçedeki çocuk başına düşen çocuk oyun alanı miktarı ise 5.41 m2/çocuk olarak hesaplanmıştır.

Universal design (UD) is an approach that acknowledges the diversity of an individual's needs and aims to design products and indoor/outdoor environments that are useable by the majority of the population (Center for UD, 1997). UD for learning is a framework that provides teachers with guidance on how to support to children with diverse needs in the general education classroom with the goal to promote inclusion of all children. For playgrounds, UD means building playgrounds that are usable by a wide range of individuals, regardless of age, gender, size, race/ethnicity, culture, or ability. The current study explored UD in playground design and builds. Specifically, the overall impact of a sensory maze on children's preference levels as measured by adult and child surveys, and observations. Three sources of data collection were obtained on the sensory maze's effectiveness: adult surveys (N = 431), adult open-ended surveys (N = 366), child surveys (N = 1,182), and observations of the children playing on the playground (N = 21,763 intervals of 10 minutes). Study results demonstrate that the sensory maze is a favorite for children with sensory disabilities (i.e., sensory processing disorder, blind, visual impairment). Study findings suggest that the sensory maze may be a valuable piece of playground equipment on a community playground, be an asset to all individuals, and allow adults to participate in the play with their children. Designing playgrounds with playground equipment that is proven effective through rigorous research should be seen as central in park administration. Park administrators, who build universally designed playgrounds in their communities, will provide a play space that meets the needs of all community residents and allows them to play, engage in the outdoors, and meet other individuals which can lead to fruitful and rewarding peer relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Schools and communities typically design and build playgrounds with little knowledge that the selected playground equipment meets the needs of children, caregivers, and teachers. In this article, the various categories of playgrounds are discussed and analyzed. The focus of this discussion includes an overview of the legal requirements and guidelines for school and community playgrounds, a description of prior research highlighting the inadequacies in currently available playgrounds, and an explanation of the trends in playground design over the years. We relate these topics to the need for universally designed playgrounds and a deeper commitment to designing playgrounds and play equipment that is empirically tested and meets the needs of all children, their teachers, and their families. By discussing practical examples and research findings to illustrate the gap between playground manufacturers and their play equipment and playground consumers, this paper serves as a meaningful resource for teachers and other stakeholders so they have the knowledge to advocate for their students with disabilities in playground endeavors. Taking recent research findings into account, we provide a vision for playground policy change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the circumstances of playground equipment‐related head injuries in children and consider preventive measures based on the associated characteristics. Methods: The survey period was from February 1988 to January 2017. The study participants were children <15 years of age who had been hospitalized for playground equipment‐related head injury. The following factors were investigated retrospectively: age; sex; fall height; material of the surface under the equipment; mechanism and diagnosis of the head injury; neurological signs at admission; and neurological outcome. Results: A total of 42 children (median age, 5 years; M/F: 26/16) were treated for head injuries, which involved a slide in 20 cases (47.6%), a swing in 11 (26.2%), a jungle gym in five (11.9%), monkey bars, iron bars, and a trampoline in one each, and unspecified equipment in six (14.3%). Falls ranged from a height of 1.2 to 2.5 m. Most of the falls occurred on hard soil or concrete. Head injuries depended on the age of the child, the injury mechanisms, and the characteristics of the equipment. Conclusions: The playground equipment‐related head injuries found in the present study involved not only skull fractures and concussions, but also intracranial hemorrhage and surgical cases. Children routinely use playground equipment, so effective strategies to reduce the occurrence of playground equipment‐related head injuries need to be formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To describe the epidemiological profile and cost of hospitalised injuries caused by playground equipment falls of children aged 0-14 years, in New South Wales, Australia.Methods: Linked New South Wales hospitalisation data from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2014 were used to describe the incidence of hospitalisation for playground falls, the age-standardised rate of hospitalisation per year, age group and gender, the characteristics of the injured children and the injury incident. Health outcomes, such as length of stay in hospital, and the hospital costs associated with the injuries were examined by age group. Negative binomial regression assessed the trend in hospitalisation rates over time.Results: There were 7795 hospitalisations of children for playground fall injuries. The highest hospitalisation rate was for the 5-9 year olds (220.7 per 100 000 population) and was higher in males than females (234.2 and 206.3 per 100 000 population, respectively). The majority of these injuries occurred in schools (17.1%) and homes (14.6%), and were as a result of falls from trampolines (34.3%) and climbing apparatuses (28.2%). Over half the playground falls led to fractures of the elbow and wrist (54.7%). The total hospital cost of playground fall-related injuries was $18 million.Conclusion: Rates of hospitalisation of children for playground fall injuries remain high despite implementation of national playground safety standards in Australia. This research highlights where interventions should be targeted to reduce the incidence and burden of injuries following falls from playground equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to document the incidence of falls from playground equipment in the United States over time and to provide a detailed profile of the individuals injured in playground falls using several state and national databases. During the past decade, there has been a steep decline in the number of injuries treated in emergency departments caused by falls from playground equipment in the United States. Males, children between the ages of 5 to 9 years, and individuals from lower economic strata are overrepresented among those suffering an injury. Falls from monkey bars result in the greatest number of injuries (52%). Schools/day care centers and recreation areas each account for approximately 40% of injuries. The incidence of injuries occurring at home playgrounds has declined sharply in recent years. Fracture of the upper limb is the type of injury most often associated with a fall from playground equipment (43%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This field report discusses our experiences with the West Fork Park Playground built in Green Township, Ohio. When designing West Fork Playground, we strived for a playground that was versatile, exceeded accessibility guidelines, and was usable by all populations of children. Our overall goal was to develop a playground that meets the principles of universal design, where every child, regardless of ability or disability, is welcomed and benefits physically, developmentally, and socially from the playground environment. The field report describes our prior research, playground equipment specifics, and the overall experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to examine outdoor environments to understand whether or not young children had access to play materials and loose parts to enhance their playful experiences. This study sought to gather the availability of SAFE and quality play opportunities in early childhood outdoor environments. The study took place in one state of the United States. The study found 75% of outdoor spaces had a playground structure that including a place for children to climb and slide down. The study found 83% of programs had appropriate surfacing materials provided in the outdoor play environment. Loose parts, such as toys, balls, and action figures were also included in the outdoor play and learning environment. The significance of play that this study shows is outdoor environments have an abundant opportunities to support the developmental characteristics of children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]