Playgrounds are the child's domain, where castles, pirate ships, and airplanes form the backdrops for play. As technology and play-centered research develops, playgrounds have become increasingly immersive, introducing children to worlds entirely different from the one sitting just beyond the fence. With so many creative ways to engage the imagination, LASN felt compelled to highlight elements from various playgrounds that aim to immerse users of all ages in a fictional or real environment.

Elm Grove Elementary
Elm Grove Elementary in Kingwood, TX wanted to take nature-inspired play to a whole new level. A big challenge in a design-heavy playground project like this one is making sure that the designs continually flow around equipment use zones to keep children moving, which increases the durability and longevity of the safety system. Playground designers were able to overlay the playground plan with the surfacing design to ensure that the two presented as a cohesive unit and a truly immersive space. From the top of the treehouse in the 5-12 playground, adventurous students are rewarded with amazing views of the "forest floor" below. Both the 5-12 and 2-12 playgrounds feature an intricate, poured-in-place safety surfacing design by DuraPlay filled with motifs of flowers, leaves, and a fish-filled stream. The goal for the surfacing was to continue the immersive play experience at ground level, as this is an element of ADA regulations that keeps the
playground inclusive.

Rick Gomez Park
When the City of Buena Park, California designed their first new park in over 25 years, they felt it appropriate to name it after Rick Gomez, a true hometown hero who had served the community for almost three decades as a Park & Recreation Commissioner and coach for the children's baseball and flag football programs. Long after his own children aged out of these programs, Gomez's energy and enthusiasm made him a popular coach up to his passing in 2019. In 2022, Rick Gomez Park was opened, featuring a baseball theme that hits it out of the park. The theme arose from a Community Workshop hosted by the city in 2019 where residents and the Gomez family collaborated with David Volz Design, a landscape architecture firm from Costa Mesa, California. Their input made the park unique, with traditional playground structures and fitness equipment as well as climbable, larger-than-life baseball gear placed atop safety surfacing designed to look like a baseball diamond. Other touches include foul poles and real stadium seats from the Anaheim Angels' and L.A. Dodgers' stadiums that draw both users and observers into the themed space.

 

O'Day Park
Sitting at the boundary line between urban and rural, O'Day Park in O'Fallon, Missouri celebrates the site's natural character and creates a multitude of user experiences. With a total of 57 acres, O'Day Park is home to what is considered the area's first adventure playground. One of the playground's most unique elements is a large water feature that follows the topography and cascades over stone steppers made of native limestone. As a modern interpretation of typical Missouri rock outcroppings, the water feature allows children to safely play in an area that reflects their surroundings. The lower basin is connected to a meandering runnel that mimics a Missouri creek with exposed, regional aggregate finishes and embedded boulders. The boulders add obstacles to the water flow patterns and enhance engagement as children float boats, leaves, or sticks down the runnel. Various obstacles throughout the water feature teach children how to safely engage with the natural environment by challenging their motor skills and forcing them to pay attention their surroundings. Ultimately, this increases each child's confidence and equips them to interact with the wild 'playgrounds' they will find in the natural world. SWT Design, a landscape architecture firm from nearby St. Louis, Missouri, served as the prime consultant and led the design process through to construction.

Wellfield Botanic Children's Garden
Nestled within the Wellfield Botanic Garden in Elkhart, Indiana, the Children's Garden was meticulously crafted to offer a natural playscape that seamlessly blends fun, education, and accessibility. Utilizing both passive and active play elements, the space designed by landscape architecture firm Jones Petrie Rafinski creates an area where imagination knows no bounds and children can directly engage with the natural world.

At the heart of the garden is a flowing stream with three tributaries and a series of waterfalls. Each of the three valves located at the top of the stream controls a different flow point, allowing children to manipulate the intensity of the waterfalls by turning the valves. A nearby, zig-zag boardwalk features two Gravity Cannons?,,? by Water Odyssey that can swing over 180 degrees and send water more than 15 feet out into the pond, making them the garden's most popular feature. The cannons are also 40 inches tall, making them accessible to those in wheelchairs. This interaction provides water sensory play and helps children develop hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills.

Water controllers were included in the garden's design to give children the empowering ability to interact with and influence the flow and direction of water - providing visitors a tangible connection to nature. The water features placed throughout the campus are intended to mimic nearby Christiana Creek, reinforcing a connection with the local natural environment.

Liberty Park
When the Town of Mooresville's Parks and Recreation Department in North Carolina set out to update one of its oldest parks, they wanted to create a memorable, interactive experience that would inspire people of all ages to participate in outdoor activities. The sloping landscape on the proposed site offered a great challenge, but the team embraced the opportunity and included a signature element that would take play at the park to the next level: The Hyperloop.

According to Tory Roff, Hyperloop designer at Landscape Structures, Inc., "The focus was on creating play on every square inch, so everything loops back on itself in a series of three-dimensional circuits. This also means creating a rich variety of ways to engage the climber that allow children to practice important developmental benchmarks like core strength, balance, coordination, overhead strength, climbing, and planning."

To make the playground's various tiers a cohesive unit, a tilted rope bridge was added between the large tower at the top of the park and the Hyperloop towards the middle and bottom. The playground has been a success, with feedback often mentioning that its design has given children of all ages - even older ones - a challenge through play. Liberty Park immerses users in the natural shape of their surrounding environment and encourages them to interact with children in different age groups.

Kherson Park
In 2013, the city of Kent, Washington began dreaming of a space-themed park that would combine education, play, and the town's history with space exploration. One of the most impressive structures is a to-scale, realistic replica of the lunar rover originally created by local Boeing engineers with realistic knobs, buttons, and switches that activate various lights and sounds tied to educational activities and physical play. The interactive mission control panel is also based on a real-life NASA mission control room and features a memory game and intercom connected to the nearby lunar lander, allowing children to talk back and forth about their mission to the moon. Another unique feature is Space for Kidz, a free smart phone app funded by Boeing that uses augmented reality to promote STEM education. Kids can launch a rocket, drive a lunar rover, or plant a flag on the moon, immersing them in a physical and virtual environment. Seattle-based landscape architecture firm J.A. Brennan Associates was hired to design the park, and Cre8Play was contracted to design and build the playground structures. With this park, Kent has embarked on a mission to encourage children to consider paths in aerospace and space exploration.