Guest Blog: The importance of inclusive play

Posted on December 18, 2013 by PlayLSI

In June, we awarded the Iola Kiwanis club in Iola, Kan., $25,000 in playground equipment as part of the Make a Difference Through Play contest. We’re happy to share another update from Michael Ford, member of Iola Kiwanis and community resource officer for the Iola Police Department.

The M.O.M.S. group has been a great help in planning the inclusive playground. They’re excited about the playground, but even more excited for the opportunity to educate the community about their children with special needs. During a recent fundraiser, each of the moms brought something to display about their child. Then in the presentation, they talked about how the inclusive playground would benefit their child with special needs in addition to their typically developing children.

Iola is a town of 5,600 people in a county of 14,000. And out of the three surrounding counties, we’re the only one with a Wal-Mart. People from the tri-county area visit Iola for many reasons—a shopping trip, our parks, swimming competitions. And soon, our new inclusive playground. The nearest inclusive playgrounds are in Wichita, Kansas City and Joplin, all of which are about a two-hour drive away. So when parents hear about our inclusive playground, I definitely think they’ll visit Iola to give their kids a chance to play.

I don’t want to say “If you build it, they’ll come,” but I think that’s the case. With the way the design is, every kid can play on this playground. I think people will be coming here; Iola will become a stop for many families.

Michael, the Iola Kiwanis club and the entire community of Iola have been busy fundraising for the inclusive playground since winning the Make a Difference through Play contest. And congratulations to the entire team are in order. As of earlier this month, Iola Kiwanis secured two additional grants—one from the Kansas Health Foundation and another from KaBOOM!—for the playground to bring them within about $15,000 of their fundraising goal!

Stay tuned for another update from Michael next month. He’ll talk more about the benefits of the partnership between Kiwanis International and Landscape Structures.

Inclusion in Ecuador

Posted on December 12, 2013 by PlayLSI

As we mentioned last month, our partnership with Shane’s Inspiration helped us bring the first inclusive playground to Ecuador! On Friday, Nov. 22, Paúl Granda López, Mayor of Cuenca, our president, Pat Faust, and the team from Shane’s Inspiration celebrated the grand opening of the 8,880 square-foot inclusive playground. The event welcomed more than 200 children of all abilities, many who were experiencing swinging and playgrounds for the very first time in their lives!

Former Vice President Lenin Moreno, an extraordinary champion for the rights of people with disabilities, initiated the concept of the inclusive playground, inspired by his own personal journey as a paraplegic and his discovery of the healing power of laughter and play therapy.

Read more about the inclusive playground in Cuenca as well as the social inclusion workshop that Shane’s Inspiration held for more than 80 university students majoring in special education.

Guest Blog: Designing a truly inclusive playground

Posted on November 27, 2013 by PlayLSI

In June, we awarded the Iola Kiwanis club in Iola, Kan., $25,000 in playground equipment as part of the Make a Difference Through Play contest. Since winning, they’ve been busy with plans, and we’re happy to share another update from Michael Ford, member of Iola Kiwanis and community resource officer for the Iola Police Department.

When our playground consultant from ATHCO, LLC visited with us to discuss the inclusive playground design, five representatives from the M.O.M.S. group were at the meeting along with the school’s physical therapist and a couple of Kiwanis members. We all paged through the Landscape Structures catalog—the moms focused on products that might specifically help their kids—and the rest of us picked out items that we thought we be fun for all kids.

The Marble Panel™, Xylofun Panel® and Bongo Panel all provide sensory-rich experiences for kids.

L to R: Marble Panel™, Xylofun Panel® and Bongo Panel

Some of the moms focused on including sensory panels because they figured that even though their children might not have a lot of muscle strength to climb or hang from overhead events, they can still participate and have fun. And I don’t know what kid isn’t going to enjoy beating on Bongo Drums or playing on a Xylophone, which is what some of the panels included. Another popular item was the Marble Panel™, which one mom whose child with vision problems picked out. The light shines through the marbles to engage kids’ sight, plus it offers a unique tactile experience.

As a parent of kids without special needs, I never thought about sensory items as part of the playground, but now I see that it’s very important. And it’s important for the development of all kids. That, to me, is how we’re providing a truly inclusive play space.

Roller Table™

While the moms focused on sensory-rich activities, the physical therapist thought more about what kids—with and without special needs—need for building strength. She chose climbers that would engage kids’ full bodies. And she thought the Roller Table™ would be great for kids that don’t have any lower body strength, as they can lie down and pull themselves through.

The design process has been very educational for us. The Cozy Dome®, which I just looked at as a fort or climber, can also be beneficial for children with autism to use as a “time-out” space if they get overstimulated. It was quite the learning experience to look at these playground products from a different point of view.

Cozy Dome®

After that first meeting, our playground consultant came back with a design that we all liked. The design is final; however, if we exceed our fundraising goal we’d love to add more inclusive playground pieces to the design.

Stay tuned for another update from Michael next month. He’ll talk more about the importance of inclusive play to the community of Iola.

Dynamic nets win Best Visual Appeal in Boston

Posted on November 19, 2013 by PlayLSI

Last weekend, we were in Boston, Mass., to participate in the 2013 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Annual Meeting & Expo. The theme of our booth this year was “We believe parks make communities great,” and it featured our newest playground innovation, GeoNetrix.

Visitors to our booth were able to get a first look at the iconic playstructure. The dynamic nets, contemporary towers and colored, translucent polycarbonate roofs of GeoNetrix enticed attendees to stop by for a play break and test the new playground innovation. Landscape architects were so captivated by the structure that they voted our booth Best Visual Appeal.

In addition to our booth, we were proud to sponsor the Opening General Session speaker, Jack Dangermond, founder of Esri, who spoke about geodesign and the emerging GIS platform. We also sponsored the ASLA/Landscape Structures Gala at the Boston Children’s Museum, which offered hands-on activities, farm-to-table dining and dancing.

We had a great time in Boston visiting with landscape architects, hearing from industry experts and taking in the nearby attractions. Our employees and playground consultants are already looking forward to 2014 ASLA in Denver, Colo.!

Meet the professional: Joy Kuebler

Posted on November 13, 2013 by PlayLSI

We are honored to work with landscape architects around the world, and we’re constantly learning about their fun and unique projects, obstacles faced and innovative solutions that they create to overcome challenges. That’s why we’ve created this new feature that spotlights professionals. This week, meet Joy Kuebler, owner of Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC.

Q: How long have you been involved in landscape architecture?
A: I’ve been involved in the landscape architecture industry for nearly 20 years. I started my career working for a small firm in Florida, then moved to large multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firms. In 2003, I started my own practice, Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC, which has allowed me to create my own level of service that I can offer to customers.

I’ve worked on many projects from small residential projects to designing entire corporate campuses. No matter what the project, though, I bring an environmental aspect to each and ask myself how I can provide a better quality of life to users. I focus my work on the human experience—from filtering out noise to choosing a calming color palette and creating a space where users can feel comfortable.

Q: What have been some of your favorite projects?
A: Some of my favorite projects have been creating outdoor classrooms at elementary and high school settings. One project in particular that stands out is an urban elementary school for which I created a space for pre-k to second grade kids. I had 11,000 square feet with which to work, and I incorporated mounds, logs, boulders and an existing stream to create six classroom spaces. It became a sort of oasis for these kids as they didn’t have much connection to nature outside of school.

Another space I am proud to have been involved in is a learning courtyard in a high school setting. Within 6,000 square feet, I created a pond, stream, bog, forest and a garden for students. It provided an opportunity for them to be free and relieve the stresses of the day. These kids became truly engaged in the nature around theme, and enjoyed the chance to be outside—whether for relaxation alone, socializing with friends or catching up on homework.

Q: What are some of your personal hobbies?
A: I love to dance tango! I wear a lot of hats—I’m a single mom of two, business owner—and dancing allows me to turn everything off and live in the moment. I started tango dancing because of a Groupon; I began a one-year quest to find a new hobby during which I tried many things. The one that stuck was dancing—it’s one of the most joyous experiences ever! I’ve met lots of diverse friends, and have learned to trust people to lead me and let them into my personal bubble.

Q: You’re active on Twitter; how did you get involved with social media and what do you enjoy about it?
A: My friends first encouraged me to join Facebook and Twitter because they know how social I am and they knew I would love it—and I did. Aside from the social aspect of it, social media allows me to contribute to the profession.

Facebook: I share hands-on content about how a day or project goes as well as public events. It’s an interactive way to show who we are at Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC.

Twitter: I have a direct conversation with the world on Twitter. I have a connection with many people because of Twitter, and have actually even had the opportunity to meet people in person at conferences and professional events.

LinkedIn: This is a powerful tool for me. I have many connections with different groups and choose to participate in community boards, which give me a more global reach.

Laying the foundation for change

Posted on November 7, 2013 by PlayLSI

Our partnership with Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children with disabilities, has allowed us to positively impact many children, families and entire communities. And we’re excited to say that our partnership is helping bring inclusive play to Ecuador! In a matter of weeks, the Municipality of Cuenca will open its first inclusive playground (the first in the entire country!), which will help promote integration among children of all abilities.

Learn more about the project and see a few in-progress photos from our friends at Shane’s Inspiration.

The five key benefits of sensory play

Posted on October 31, 2013 by PlayLSI

Did you know that October is Sensory Awareness Month? It is, and on this last day of the month, we wanted to share the benefits that children of all abilities get from sensory play. Sensory play involves activities that help to stimulate and develop behaviors based on what a child sees, hears, touches, tastes and smells. It also involves how they move and position their bodies in space. The more they engage all seven senses, the better they make sense of the world around them and their relationship to it.

See below for our infographic of the five ways that children benefit from sensory play, and see a larger version at playlsi.com.

Guest Blog: Gaining community support for your playground project

Posted on October 24, 2013 by PlayLSI

In June, we awarded the Iola Kiwanis club in Iola, Kan., $25,000 in playground equipment as part of the Make a Difference Through Play contest. Since winning, they’ve been busy with plans, and we’re happy to share another update from Michael Ford, member of Iola Kiwanis and community resource officer for the Iola Police Department.

We started gaining support for our inclusive playground project during the Make a Difference Through Play contest. The contest took place on Facebook so we were able to easily spread the word through the Iola Kiwanis club Facebook page, various community pages and each of our personal pages. With family and friends spread far and wide, we literally had support coming from around the world.

When we entered the contest many people said, “What are the odds that little Iola, Kan., can win this contest?” But the power of social media showed that anything is possible. With our online outreach and word-of-mouth spreading through the community, we secured enough votes to get our project to the top of the list. After winning the contest and sharing our plans for the inclusive playground—including plans to have the project completed by April 2014—we were concerned that we would be confronted by naysayers, but we’ve had nothing but support.

Inclusive playgrounds mean more than just accessible.

Top: OmniSpin® spinner; Middle Left: Oodle® Swing; Middle Right: Cozy Dome®; Bottom: Sensory Play Center®

To help increase community involvement, we included the M.O.M.S. group and physical therapist from school to help our Kiwanis club create a truly inclusive playground design. While I was thinking wheelchair accessibility, they helped educate our group on the need for sensory play panels, playground spinners and swings, as well as quiet areas where kids with autism or sensory processing disorders can take a “time out” if necessary.

While we move forward finalizing the design, we’re analyzing our site and creating an overall blueprint of the project. We’re also beginning to work more closely with the Iola Parks Department as they will be heavily involved with the installation and maintenance of the playground.

Stay tuned for another update from Michael next month. He’ll talk more in depth about designing an inclusive playground.

We believe parks make communities great!

Posted on October 16, 2013 by PlayLSI

Last week, we were in Houston, Texas, to participate in the 2013 National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) Congress & Exposition. The theme of our booth this year was “We believe parks make communities great,” and it featured the Eclipse® Net Plus, We-saw™ and Kaleidoscope benches.

Visitors to our booth were able to take a play break to climb through the nets and rock on the We-saw. We provided red solo cups (which are made in Grand Prairie, Texas, @huetherdesign on Instagram taught us) to those that stopped by full of keg root beer. We also hosted an event at Lucky Strike Lanes, which was complete with bowling, billiards, Xbox Kinect and lots of fun. See more photos of that event on Facebook.

We had a great three days in Houston visiting with park and recreation professionals, hearing from industry experts and taking in the nearby attractions. Our employees and playground consultants are already looking forward to 2014 NRPA in Charlotte, N.C.!

Teaching students the importance of composting

Posted on October 11, 2013 by PlayLSI

The second annual Green Apple Day of Service, a day sponsored by the USGBC’s Center for Green Schools, took place on Friday, Sept. 27. We celebrated a day early by partnering with the MN Green Schools Coalition to help Delano Elementary School (DES) in Delano, Minn., improve their existing composting program. Throughout the week, DES’s media teacher read Compost Stew to each class and they completed a fun, classroom activity. Then on Friday, Sept. 27, we helped students compost their lunch waste, and handed out apples and goodie bags to each student and staff member. By participating in this program, the MN Green Schools Coalition awarded DES dollars to purchase new library books with an environmental theme. Check out the video of the event below, and go here to learn more about our community outreach.

Together We Play

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