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Why do we need more natural play spaces in Canada? A natural play space is essentially a playground with is built mostly with elements either from nature or inspired by nature. Natural play spaces often use natural landscapes and materials in creative and interactive ways for child play and exploration. Materials like tree trunks, stones, logs are common appearances in these play spaces.
A research by the University of British Columbia shows that populating a playground with natural elements that feature sand, grass, and water can help reduce signs of depression in children. Researchers noted that many of the children appeared to be at a loss while filling their free time in conventional playgrounds, largely consisting of concrete play areas and lacking green features.
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Apart from the studies, there is a range of known benefits that natural playgrounds provide: Enhanced creativity: Children need a constructive play that involves the manipulation of material to create things. It includes activities like creating sand structures, using logs for different kinds of play, finding their way across equipment like castle rock, etc. This imparts necessary skills and develops the creative ability. Aesthetics: Natural playground equipment tends to be pleasing to the eye. So it induces vitality in children and encourages them to spend time playing outdoors. Improved physical fitness: Climbing boulders, jumping on stump transfer and hanging on tree rocks are activities that influence children’s fitness. Cognitive development: Natural equipment makes children find their way around and pretend play. This in turn aids in cognitive development. Risk-taking: Natural play areas present elements of risk to children due to climbing and jumping challenges. Despite that, they balance the risk with adequate safety measures such as soft landing surfaces and generally softer equipment. Educational: Creative natural playground equipment, such as dinosaur digs, proves to be educational for children. They impart knowledge about various things such as fossils, history, and biology.
Henderson Recreation offers a whole playground line called “Nature Inspired Play” which includes various nature-inspired equipment like: Utah Climber
The Utah Climber was cast from a real rock in Utah. It provides an unprecedented real rock like climbing experience children will enjoy.
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Hollow Log Climber
What’s better than climbing on a log? Climbing through one! The hollow log provides a 360° climbing experience. A must for any nature-inspired playground environment.
Log Steppers
Log Steppers are an essential natural play element that children love to traverse. Use them as an access climber to playgrounds or freestanding.
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Stump Transfer
The Stump Transfer can be used as a climber, bench or ADA transfer point to a point on PlaySteel MAX or PlaySteel Fit, which are other playground offerings at Henderson Recreation.
Other creative options include: • • • • • • • •
Tree Rock Rattle Snake Point Dinosaur Digs & Climbers Nature Adventure Climber Log Beam Log Bench Large Boulder and Small Boulder Castle Rock
The story of while his nights were spent dreaming of a playground business of his own. As a second-generation playground maker, Henderson had the right mix of experience, skill and enthusiasm to make a playground business work. On top of that, he had the benefit of a brother who worked by his side building playground equipment, and the legacy of their deceased father, Charlie, who had made playground building his life’s work. Before long, Henderson recognized an opportunity in the market. He could see that customers were eager for new play equipment options that went beyond the freestanding
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slides and swing sets typical of playgrounds in the 1960s and 70s.In 1971 Henderson’s dream was realized when he began building playground equipment in the big green workshop behind his family home in Oakland, Ontario. Henderson Recreation Equipment began over 47 years ago in small-town Ontario, Canada. Gordon Henderson, company patriarch, was a new father to the first of his three boys. His days were spent hard at work as plant manager for the Paris Playgrounds, Information Presented by :Henderson Recreation. 11 Gilbertson Drive, Ontario, Simcoe, N3Y 4K8 http://hendersonplay.com/ Call: 1-800-265-5462 sales@hendersonplay.com