Playgrounds offer children more than just a place to play

Forsyth Park, Kingston. (Photos by Dion Ogust)

It’s a beautiful day at Hasbrouck Park, bordered by residences in the middle of the Village of New Paltz and adjacent to SUNY New Paltz. Its main attraction is its recently upgraded playground.

Today, this dedicated play space is alive with children and families, some of whom helped rebuild it back in 2019. There’s a buzz of joyful screams, murmurs from the sandbox, hollering from the slides, and the cadenced sound of adults socializing with one another.

One lady sitting on the edge of a sandbox is checking in on two children side by side deep within their own imaginations. Across the way, an older child is running around another part of the gated playground with a new friend, negotiating how to get to the top of the slide. Hasbrouck offers opportunities to swing, climb, glide, manipulate, run, slide, spin, balance, hang, dig, and find activities that only children can dream up.

There are options for inclusive play. Accessibility here is moving in the right direction.

As the weather has now turned in favor of more time outside, it’s worth taking a look at the importance of play and the spaces dedicated to children in Ulster County.

Philosophers, psychologists and anthropologists tell us how play can assist in the physical, cognitive and social development of children. The activity is a way for children to become aware of themselves, to interact with other humans, to take risks, to react to the actions of others, and to learn to navigate through space in a dynamic fashion.

The idea of play was first introduced as a form of education, then to expend energy, spark creativity, and manage downtime. Playing freely lets children control their own narrative, helps them build upon social skills, and thrive in life. According to psychologist Peter Gray of Boston College, research shows that all children — regardless of race, living environment or socioeconomic status — learn best when they are afforded the freedom of movement, choice, and fresh air that outdoor environments can provide.

Unstructured outdoor play is critical for the development trajectory of a young person’s life. It prepares them to take on the greatest challenges of our time. We will need thinkers, leaders, innovators, and collaborators who know how to get along with others.

Our minds and bodies were able to evolve over time through play. John Dewey noted that the action of play for children is the equivalent of work for adults. He said that work and play cannot be separated.

The difference lies in the outcome or goal. In play, there is no end goal or outcome. It is about the process. Playing freely helps children in ways a classroom or other organized activities and sports cannot. According to play scholar and advocate Joe Frost, children playing freely are self-directed, and use their imaginations to create their own tasks. If their activities end too soon, they can be picked up again later in the day or on the next day — allowing children to exercise memory.

There was a time — as many will remember — when playing outside was easier. Adults didn’t worry as much about children having time outside or enough opportunities in the day to play. There were fewer organized activities. Kids got together before dinner or after school and came home to do their chores and homework. People felt safer, despite there being more dangers then than there are now.

In the past couple of decades the so-called attention economy has had a profound impact on the lives of all of us, especially children. Children are not outdoors as much as they should be and have less unstructured play by themselves or with others. School districts continue to reduce or cut recess altogether. Childhood obesity is a serious health problem. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, one in five children and adolescents in the United States are affected.

There’s plenty of opportunity in the 1100 square miles of Ulster County to get outside: seven state parks and preserves, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, and communities actively trying to provide access to transportation in a connected way. Playgrounds serve a critically different purpose. A playground is the only space where a child can have complete control — decision-making, choice, timing, building the space, who is playing, who is generating ideas, negotiating, and solving unforeseen problems among a wide range of ages. Playgrounds are spaces for exploration, realization, interaction and discovery.

There is no substitute for this type of environment in a child’s life. Well-designed playgrounds can offer skills to children preparing them for the future that classrooms, organized activities and sports simply cannot. Perhaps one of the most important developments in a child that a thoughtful playground can provide is risk management. Access to meaningful and relevant playgrounds is critical for the development of the 21st-century child and arguably just as important to the adults who accompany them.

It’s difficult to make a comprehensive list of playgrounds in Ulster County. Most are managed by their respective municipalities, are private, or are simply still off the beaten path. Those looking to find a play space nearby will have luck by searching for playgrounds within specific towns or cities on the internet. Larger playgrounds are listed on the Visit Ulster County website. Most elementary and some middle schools have notable playgrounds open to the public after school hours. Additionally, a recent article ranked all 17 parks in Kingston, many with playgrounds.

The majority of playgrounds in Ulster County are largely rectilinear, with functional and dramatic play equipment the majority of structures. Moving and manipulating the body to navigate space is encouraged. Some playgrounds are more aesthetically pleasing than others, featuring evolving forms and bright colors covering plastic, metal or wood.

Others have novelty pieces such as fire-truck structures or small play rockets. The George Freer Memorial Beach has musical components, Kingston Point Park and Forsyth Park climbing walls. Many of the larger playgrounds have designated structures for different age groups. These playgrounds are often within parks that include amenities like bathrooms and have trails, wooded areas, and ponds to explore. Still others include opportunities for adults such as disc golf in the George Majestic Memorial Park or exercise equipment at the Thomas Felten Park in Modena.

Many playgrounds in Ulster County need attention, creativity, and innovation. Most are in dire need of updates and opportunities for greater accessibility and inclusive play.

The good news is that local community members care and are aware of the need for more play spaces, including natural playgrounds. In the fall of 2022, state senator Michelle Hinchey obtained a $50,000 grant for the YWCA of Ulster County in Kingston to fund two nature-based playgrounds for the Magic Circle School and Kingston community on the weekends. Businesses like Wildflower Farms Resort in Gardiner are including natural playgrounds on their properties as designed and built by Hudson ValleyTrailworks. Various towns throughout Ulster County are dedicating funds to improve and upgrade existing parks and playgrounds.

Children have the right to play. Our communities must make creating spaces for play with safety in mind — but not so much that it takes away from the experiences and invaluable teachings play can offer.

Be intentional about making time to get outside, but don’t beat yourself up if you can’t make it to a playground as much as you’d like. Self-driven and self-directed play can happen in the back yard, after school, or for a few minutes on the nearest plot of green grass. Remember that play can happen anywhere, at any time, and is as enjoyable for adults as it is for kids.