About this course

The way that a schoolyard playground operates is different than that of a community playground. For one, a schoolyard playground receives a large group of children playing at one time (i.e. recess). In addition, a schoolyard playground may have a limited maintenance staff compared to a community playground. When designing a schoolyard playground, we must take these differences into account.

In this course, Mara Kaplan of Let Kids Play will discuss the many benefits of recess on children’s development. In addition, she’ll outline nine key factors to consider when designing a schoolyard playground.

1. Proprioceptive Experiences: This sensory system can be engaged through climbing, hanging, jumping, pushing and pulling, crawling, and heavy work.
2. Vestibular Experiences: Activities like swings, spinners, and slides help children figure out where they are in relation to space.
3. Engaging Many Students: Include as many students as possible with high capacity structures, group swings, and rotating net climbers.
4. Interaction with Nature: Let children interact with nature with activities like a mud kitchen, tree fort, or outdoor classroom.
5. Places for Games: Include opportunities for games with rules, as well as games where children create their own rules.
6. Raising Heart Rates: Use obstacle courses or surfacing designs to get kids moving, increasing their heart rate and endurance.
7. Storage for Loose Parts: Outdoor storage units for items like art supplies, building blocks, balls, or jump ropes.
8. Gathering and Resting: Provide places where children can take a break, such as hammocks, benches, or under playground decks.
9. Inclusivity and Accessibility: Make sure that your schoolyard playground is accessible to future students who may have special needs.

Mara Kaplan is the Founder of Let Kids Play, a consulting firm that partners with manufacturers, communities, and parents to develop projects and strategies that provide optimal play opportunities for children.

Recognized nationally as an expert in designing play spaces, Mara is a committed advocate for inclusive play. As an educator and parent to a child with a disability, she holds a 25-year track record in designing, building, and managing both indoor and outdoor play environments. Her expertise also extends to play spaces and toys for children with and without disabilities.

In 1995, Mara, and five other parents raising children with disabilities, identified the significance of play in their children’s learning. They were determined to build a space where children of varying abilities could play together, leading to the founding of the Center for Creative Play. Mara served as its Executive Director for seven years before embarking on her journey with Let Kids Play.

Mara’s educational background includes a degree in elementary education and a minor in gifted education from Indiana University (Bloomington, IN). She later acquired her MBA, specializing in non-profit management, from Boston University.

Mara’s endeavors have earned her the Shore-Whitehill award for her efforts in enhancing the lives of people with special needs. Her work has been showcased in publications such as First30days.com, the Wall Street Journal, Be the Change, and the Social Enterprise Reporter.

The great thing about our courses is that they’re designed for all levels of experience. Whether you’re a parent on a PAC planning your first playground, or a landscape architect with decades of experience, there’s always something new to learn. Plus, our courses offer a quick way to stay up to date with the most recent trends in playground design.

Our courses take into account multiple groups and audiences, all of whom have different needs for their playground. A few groups that will benefit from taking our courses include:

• Parents: Parent volunteers will learn the most important aspects to consider when planning their playground project.
• Teachers: Teachers will learn about the educational benefits of play and how to incorporate them on the playground.
• Landscape Architects: Architects will learn innovative design ideas that they may use in their upcoming projects.
• Parks & Recreation: Parks professionals will learn about recent advances in safety, inclusion, and sustainability.
• Property Managers: Property managers will learn how playgrounds can attract families to live in their neighbourhood.