white paper
Play value - the influence of playground equipment
How playground equipment can influence children
Research from the KOMPAN Play Institute shows that playground equipment influences preschooler’s development positively.
Important developmental domains such as social, cognitive, and language development are not the usual center of attention in playground research. So the KOMPAN Play Institute set out to investigate to what extent play structures with a wide variety of activity panels influence these important developmental domains. Play panels provide extra play value and can be used to advance the growth of children’s social-emotional and cognitive development. Read the findings of the KOMPAN Play Institute to know more about what kind of playground equipment educators and park planners should invest in for their particular user groups, and why.
Definitions of cognitive play behaviours
Functional play: Play which centers around enjoying the physical sensation that a certain activity provides, e.g. sliding
Constructive play: Manipulating objects to create something, e.g. building with Lega
Explorative play: Focused examination of an object, e.g. examining stones on the ground
Dramatic play: Symbolic, pretend play, e.g. playing doctor
Games: Paying games that have ruled, e.g. hide-and-seek
Webinars and white papers about play
A Design Checklist for Success with Inclusive Playgrounds
Equality in play – Survey on playground use in children with disabilities
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