At Access Play, our stated goal is to establish Adventure Playgrounds in our local area and beyond. But what is an Adventure Playground and why do kids need them? We thought this description From Clare C. Cooper answers this question beautifully!
“Most people, talking of their happiest childhood experiences, will describe places that were wild, overgrown, mysterious, hidden from adult eyes; trees where they built houses, undergrowth where they created smugglers’ passages, dumps where they could find scraps of wood and empty boxes. Rarely if ever will their treasured memories revolve around schoolyards or parks or other formal places provided for play. An adventure playground is a recreational space where children are permitted and encouraged to build their own play environment under adult supervision. The ground surface is left in its natural state. In the early 1930s a Danish landscape architect, C. T. Sorenson, who had designed many conventional playgrounds, noticed that children seemed to enjoy playing with the construction materials on the playground sites after workmen had left.”
Clare C. Cooper, “Adventure Playgrounds” – Alternative Learning Environments
Anarchy Zone Adventure Playground, Ithaca New York