Parents know it: finding activities for the little ones during the summer months without spending a fortune is not always easy. Fortunately, there are playgrounds in the parks, capable of occupying the restless offspring for hours. But like in any other field, there are trends, here moving away from simple swings and classic slides. Incursion into this world of games and discovery close to home.
Since last Friday, a new children’s park has been accessible in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal. The Compagnons-de-Saint-Laurent park has been completely redesigned. A former parking lot has been replaced by a playground for ages 2 to 12. A small house welcomes the little ones, and natural-looking wooden logs invite the older ones to climb.
The layouts look like a hebertism trail, recognizes Marie-Ève Parent, landscape architect at Lemay, the firm to which the borough of Plateau entrusted the redevelopment of the park. “These are games that fit better into the environment and are less directive for the child. He is free to climb this module wherever he wants,” she says. The site also includes water games and a training area that adults can use.
The parents we met on Wednesday said they liked the new playground. “It’s pretty and it’s different from other parks,” said Fanny, who came with her two daughters. Another mother pointed out, however, that her youngest was quickly tired of equipment for 2-5 year olds.
Not far from there, the family center at Parc La Fontaine is taking shape. The construction site is not finished and the site is fenced, but the game modules are already installed, with a tubular slide and a cable route.
Safer games
Wooden structures, such as those in Parc des Compagnons-de-Saint-Laurent, have been gaining popularity in recent years due to their aesthetic qualities and their ability to harmonize with the landscape, but they have certain drawbacks, according to Michèle Dupuis. , project director at ABC Récréation, a specialized company in Laval. “It’s super beautiful, but there is maintenance to be done. Since you can’t use treated wood, it brings another level of maintenance challenge,” she explains, referring to the possibility of splinters. “Cities don’t always have the time and money to maintain them. This is why plastic, aluminum or steel structures are often preferred.
In the development of playgrounds, safety is of course the first concern. Over the last century, the playing fields have changed a lot. Gone are the days of 1970s steel turnstiles, kick-ass swings and other concussion-promoting contraptions. Today, colored modules, designed with safety in mind and less dangerous, have taken over.
In eight out of ten cases, the injuries occur during a fall on the ground rather than in the modules themselves. Hence the importance of ensuring the good absorption capacity of the playing surfaces. “Broken arms are always going to happen, but head trauma and permanent injuries, that’s what we try to prevent when you put a surface under a game”, underlines Mme Dupuis.
Which modules to choose? Structures for hanging or jumping, but also games that take into account other aspects of child development. “We make sure there is something for every age subgroup. […] We go with easy, moderate to expert challenges. We will also ensure cognitive development with play panels and interactive games,” says Marie-France Tessier, CEO of Tessier Récréo-Parc.
She argues that teenagers should not be forgotten. “It’s important to make room for them so that they can have fun and ‘chiller’”, she says, while acknowledging that not all cities allow for the creation of spaces for teenagers.
Broken arms are always going to happen, but head trauma and permanent injury is what we’re trying to prevent when we put a surface under a game
The vast majority of ABC Récréation and Tessier Récréo-Parc clients are municipalities. “Cities are looking for originality, something that is different,” suggests Michèle Dupuis. “If I have two parks within a radius of one or two kilometres, we try to make it different, because families go on their bikes on weekends and tour the parks. »
Universal accessibility
More and more children’s playgrounds are universally accessible, but progress is slow. “All parks should be inclusive,” maintains Michèle Dupuis. We’re behind on that. I’ve been hitting the nail on the head for over 10 years. »
Marie-France Tessier agrees and recognizes that there is still a lot of awareness to be done, but she says she sees more calls for tenders providing for universal accessibility and larger budgets to achieve this.
In this regard, smooth surfaces such as rubber are preferred so that children with reduced mobility can access the modules. Some mulch may also be suitable for short distances, but sand should be avoided, especially since in addition to preventing movement in a wheelchair or walker, it can attract cats who see it as a giant litter.
Still, in some cases, cities plan accessible playgrounds, but omit adequate facilities around the site by retaining, for example, a staircase to climb to reach the premises.
Techno comes to the parks
Technologies are also beginning to invest in children’s parks. In 2020, the municipality of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield installed an arch in Parc Lionel-Groulx equipped with an interactive electronic game intended to get young people moving. “What is interesting with electronic games is that the choice is endless,” says Marie-France Tessier, whose company piloted the project. It ensures that this type of equipment can withstand winter conditions.
Such equipment is still scarce, but could multiply over the next few years, she predicts. Like what, even playgrounds are adapting to the technological era.