Playgrounds provide the perfect opportunity for the entire family to have fun and increase their physical activity. According to Active Living Research, within the 20,000 individual parks nationwide, people are usually more physically active in playgrounds, trails, and inside sports facilities. Natural playgrounds provide many benefits besides physical activity. This article will review all the […]
When it’s time to go outside with your children, something that you may not take into consideration is the importance of a playground design company. They’re the reason that your child has a place to play that is safe without removing a child’s ability to use their imagination. According to the CDC, children should have […]
The Learning Landscapes Design team is always striving to create more inspiring spaces for learning and play. Addressing school stormwater is a great way to achieve this goal. Often schoolyards are filled with lawn and asphalt, large climbers and swings (if you are lucky). These spaces are low cost and easy to install and maintain. […]
We have long understood the value of play in child development. Recess is not just a a time for students to blow off steam. They build important social connections, reset their body from sitting for long periods of the day, and get a chance to destress and disconnect for a bit. School Districts understand the […]
Communities are often the driver behind the playground improvements at their community school. Community engagement in inclusive playground design is critical. This post provides a list of tools that School Districts can provide to communities as part of their inclusive playground guidelines that will create community advocates for universally accessible play areas at district wide […]
We would like to introduce Missy Harmon, our new intern at Learning Landscapes Design. Her philosophy and views on play really spoke to the work we do. We are happy to have her as part of the team. You can learning more about her in her own words below! “My childhood was filled […]
Some schools and districts are turning to outdoor learning during covi, by creating spaces where students are socially distanced and fresh air and sunlight greatly reduce the potential virus spread. Covid Outdoor classrooms offer many health benefits of leaning outside and give students the chance to have a collective laugh, relate to one another and […]
Check out our elementary school green schoolyard tour. These school grounds have been upgraded to include outdoor gathering, learning gardens, nature play and more! Utilizing school grounds for small group learning could help us as education shifts to address current global health concerns. Throughout each of these examples are spaces where teachers could meet with […]
Parkour, ParWHAT? Have you ever been downtown and seen people jumping on hand rails or vaulting low retaining walls, or creatively traversing playgrounds by jumping, climbing, or other acrobatic techniques? Believe it or not, this has a name: Parkour. Parkour is the act of moving from point “A” to point “B” while navigating obstacles along […]
We have been doing a little research as we are working on a boat playground or two. At Learning Landscapes Design we design on lots of scales and for lots of different audiences. We thought each of these concepts hits a little different part of the clientele we work for. Take a look, one of these […]
I have a fierce commitment to getting more loose parts into kid’s hands because I regularly see their immense value. But how do we effectively manage loose parts for play? I am also a parent who has a strong desire to stop picking up (and stepping on) these loose parts. Even with all their play […]
Who does loose parts play well? This post outlines our list of loose parts rock stars, their foci, and a glimpse into the resulting play. The activities are self chosen, the materials are flexible, the play and learning is inevitable. Anji Play Hold onto your hats THIS is amazing! Anji Play is an approach to […]
Check out this new related loose parts post and cool info graphic. “So what can be done now? After this discussion of the importance of free play in the outdoors you may be wondering how you can bring back play for children in your life. There are two things to support you in doing so: […]
Natural loose parts are by far the easiest to come by and most beautiful . The seasonal variety is amazing. They can cost very little if you are a good hunter. Colors, shapes and patterns are endless. They are also less precious so if something gets broken, ends up in a pocket, or moves into […]
One of the most amazing aspects of loose parts in play is that they are ever changing. Children can literally create the setting for their play. Along with this comes some; physics, conflict resolution, upper body strengthening, imagination, and trail and error. Westmoreland Park in Portland OR has offered loose part fort building since it […]
We all like to be in charge of our environment. Play is about choice, spontaneity, and action without serious purpose. Being able to change the environment with loose parts allows users to change the activities, setting, story line, and characters of their play. Loose parts are universal, they can be fun for all ages and […]
With all the fallen branches from our winter storms we are seeing so many amazing stick forts!
The Rise of Community Loved Third Spaces This is a phenomenon that we have seen a lot of in Portland and I assume your communities have seen the same. The rise of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and friendly meetings in park and plazas. Third space is an informal shared public space that is not home (first […]
We were blessed with a little sun last week for the Sabin School Natural Playground opening. You could tell by all the people in attendance that the space is already well loved by the community. The playground sits on the north side of the school surrounded by the learning garden, three large existing Oak trees and […]
I love the idea of rain play. Maybe it is because I live in Oregon. Maybe it is because I think we miss out of so many outdoor experiences because the weather is not what we hoped. These rain drums at Cedar River Watershed Education Center combine a lot of fun concepts. They would be a […]
I ran across this amazing play space today. It looks like an Italian installation by the firm Ilia Estudio. The spiderweb play installation looks amazingly fun, relatively easy to install, and low on the potential risks. I like how it is free form and attracts older kids as much as younger kids. The use of slack-line […]
The Sabin School community has been working hard to develop and build a natural playscape for their school. Portland Public Schools has put together this video showing all the work they have been doing. Here at Learning Landscapes we have enjoyed working on this project with the school and community. It takes lots of hands, […]
I hear a lot of people talk about bringing games to playgrounds. Some manufacturers have even tried to make digital games part of their equipment. The ones I have seen are seldom used, suffer from simple issues such as glare and lack the graphics of today’s technological savvy world. Until I saw this. pvi collective’s […]
Kids need a place to play, to connect with their neighbors and just be kids. In our urban centers it is harder and harder to find places that are for kids besides the neighborhood playground. But, we believe we can do better. That play can be around the corner to every child even in urban areas. […]
I love how the Westmoreland Park Nature Play Area is bound on one side by giant sequoia trees. Kids will often play in this area because it has a great sense of place. It is open and calm. I think it helps them connect play on the nature play build environment and play in a natural […]
I met with a client that recently completed their playscape construction. (More photos on that soon.) We were out watching the kids enjoy the area and everything looks beautiful. Maybe even too beautiful! We both knew that the project needed a layer of loose parts. Let the kids be creative. Let them build and mix and imagine. […]
We are happy to announce this unique kickstarter opportunity. The Franciscan Earth Montessori School is building their Cosmic Earth Path and looking for you to join their team. We had a lot of fun helping with this unique design. It will be such an asset for the school and surrounding neighborhood.
