Using Sand to Help Accessibility in Playgrounds

 When discussing commercial playgrounds and their design, not much thought is put into their accessibility features. These can be very helpful for children who require the use of wheelchairs or other mobility devices to get around the playground. Playground designers may use wood, or in-ground surfacing mediums to accomplish this task but one medium that does the job equally well is sand.

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Sand on its own, is great for play. Using sand constructively around the playground can mean that the urban playgrounds won't look and feel too far off from beaches. One great example of sand in use is the setting up of sandboxes for toddlers. Since sand is an easily manipulative medium, children can use it to construct sandcastles and other imaginative creations right from the comfort of their playground. The fact that not enough sand is used anymore in playgrounds is a great loss for its potential to become a great medium in play for every child. The use of play tables is another way of utilizing sand at playgrounds. These are surfaces, boards, slabs, or contours designed for sand and water play, and gathering activities. The greatest advantage these play tables bring to playgrounds is that they can be integrated in playground equipment at a ground or elevated level and give wheelchair users the opportunity to play in the sand and manipulate it into a variety of forms.

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Sand can also help make larger playgrounds accessible that don't necessarily follow a single ground-level route. Elaborate playground designs that feature a lot of elevation can also be helped brought together using sand to cover portions of the playground that may otherwise prove tiresome. But it is also imperative to understand that not all sand is the same. Some sand types can actually cause safety concerns because they aren't well suited to be used in playgrounds. Sand that is course in texture can prove to be very rough impact areas, especially when lined under or next to playground equipment. And nobody likes sand to be dusty because it may blow into your eyes and cause irritation. An example of sand not to use would be concrete sand. This type of sand can be very light and dusty, and is easily blown away with the slightest of breezes.

So while sand may be great to use in commercial playgrounds, it is important that playground designers purchase it from manufacturers that ensure the highest level of safety for children. The ideal sand will be composed of granules that are soft and fine, but not dusty.