The Developmental Benefits of Playgrounds

Movement is at the very center of young children's lives. It is an important facet of all aspects of their development. . . To deny children the opportunity to reap the many benefits of regular, vigorous physical activity is to deny them the opportunity to experience the joy of efficient movement, the health effects of movement, and a lifetime as confident, competent movers.
D. L. Gallahue, 1993.

"Packed from cover-to-cover with practical, applicable recommendations, The Developmental Benefits Of Playgrounds is enthusiastically recommended for anyone responsible for deftly designing a safe and stimulating play area for children."

--Wisconsin Bookwatch, February 2005

In publishing The Developmental Benefits of Playgrounds, ACEI is extending the knowledge base about appropriate playground materials, equipment, and use patterns. The initial chapter focuses on the importance of play, with special attention to contemporary research by neuroscientists that reveals, through the aid of high-tech brain imaging techniques, concrete support for the centuries-old contention of noted philosophers and other academicians that play is critical to children's healthy development. This conclusion, seemingly obvious, has yet to be adopted by many who influence children's opportunities and environments for play. Later chapters identify developmental sequences for children's motor behaviors during their play on several types of playground equipment. Chapter 1 sets the stage for placing these sequences in developmental context by reviewing patterns and stages of play behaviors across the age spans: infant, toddler, preschool, and school age. A primary focus throughout the book is considering individual levels of physical, social, and cognitive development, rather than chronological age, when making decisions about children's play and playgrounds. Although not discussed in this book, play also carries profound therapeutic benefits for all children, especially those who are traumatized, abused, and/or stressed.

Joe L. Frost, Pei-San Brown, John A. Sutterby, and Candra D. Thornton, 2004. 240 pp. ISBN-13 978-0-87173-164-7
No. 1042 $32.50 ($26.00 ACEI members)

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Child Development, Play, and Playgrounds
Chapter 2: Obesity and Changing Lifestyles of Children: Diet and Physical Activity
Chapter 3: The Relevance of Height for Child Development and Playground Safety
Chapter 4: The Developmental Benefits and Use Patterns of Overhead Equipment on Playgrounds
Chapter 5: The Nature and Benefits of Children's Climbing Behaviors
Chapter 6: Functions and Benefits of Playground Swings
Chapter 7: Sand and Water Play
Chapter 8: Playgrounds for the 21st Century
Playground Checklist

Click here to get an order form.

Back to the bookstore.

To ACEI home page.