From The Publisher September 1998 Ain't Playing Around . . . . Ask my four year old son if he had a busy day and most likely he'll say . . . "Yeah" Then ask him what he did that day, and he'll give an equally enthusiastic . . . "Played" And you know . . . for a four year old or a forty year old (OK so I turn forty this September 19th . . . I may be old but at least I'm going Bald . . . ) a day of play can surely be exhausting. That's right, playing all day is hard work! Of course for a forty-something, play is much different than the play of a four year old. For the older group a day of play could be water skiing, surfing, hiking, biking, fishing or even sitting around the pool and wishing there were more days to do those things. For the Four Year old, however, a day of play is rolling in the dirt, climbing a tree, running through a park, searching for bugs (ours is definitely a future entomologist), swinging or sliding down the castle wall, but never includes sitting around thinking of the future. For the Forty Year old, the amount of enjoyment is sometimes directly equivalent to the amount of danger involved . . . . Climbing a mountain, bungee jumping, parachuting et.al. For the younger players perceived risk can be fun, but as there is a total lack of realistic thinking true risk has to be minimized and for the parents of such energy units, risk is the last thing you want to think about, let alone allow to be a factor. This is why the planning of playgrounds and parks is such a critical and time consuming endeavor. An endeavor that cannot be left in the hands of a non professional. In a recent LASN survey to which there were 1,400 respondents 52% said that they design their playgrounds in-house, while 39% rely on vendors to help with the play structures, and 9% bring in consultant. Which ever group you are in playground design is one of the most challenging elements of any project. First there are the aesthetic considerations . . . making the playground enjoyable to the casual passerby and excitedly inviting to the wanna be in their crowd. Regardless of how the project looks, however, it must be a safe place to play. Sharp angles, exposed metal bolts and compacted sand surfaces are not safe options. High fall areas, concrete curbing and swinging metal objects are also on the no-no list. Unfortunately, though, almost everywhere I look (and I look everywhere I go) I find these kinds of elements at, in or around areas where children play. Playgrounds are no place to design as an afterthought, and form has no right to exist other than in a safety-oriented context. At any park you have to assume that every tree will be climbed, every wall will be jumped off of and every corner will be the abrupt meeting place of a child's stumble. Maybe I'm just getting old, or maybe the fact that we just produced our third child (Tiffany Elizabeth was born 7/28/98. 5lbs 10 oz, 17.75") but I cringe when I go to a park and see a great play structure centered in a sand pit, rimmed with a concrete border, filled with pushing, shoving and otherwise playing four year olds. So . . whether you're a Landscape Architect, a city park manager, a hotel operator or a parent, when contemplating your next playground, spend the time to play the child and play the parent and take the time to show your client why you are the expert in planning the playground. . . . I told you . .. a good day of play is hard work . . . . See you next month in Portland . . . . . - George PS . . . . It's Show Season Again!!! This year you can find LASN at the Southwest Hort show in Phoenix, The NRPA Show in Miami, The ASLA Show in Portland Oregon, the Southern California Turfgrass Show in Costa Mesa, CA, and the IA Show in San Diego.