Let’s Talk About Shade and Seating: Creating Comfortable, Inclusive Play Spaces
While the focal point of most parks and playgrounds is typically the play structures themselves, whether they be swings, slides, or climbing features, it’s important not to forget about the other elements of a play area that make it a truly family-friendly space.
Enter playground seating and shade solutions. Not only are they essential for providing comfort, safety, and accessibility to a playground, but they also establish areas of sun protection that are essential during hot summer days when all kids want to do is get outside and play! Working with several fantastic manufacturers, Parkworks is your go-to playground supplier for all things shade and seating.
The importance of shade and seating
Though playgrounds are often designed and built with children in mind, they won’t be the only ones utilizing the space. Many children will be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or caregiver who will need a place where they can safely observe those who are on the playground. You’ll also have visitors passing through a park or playground space who might be searching for a shady place to sit and rest for a while.
Ensuring that both shade and seating solutions are factored into the overall playground design is essential to making the space truly accessible and inclusive. Keeping every user in mind will help you create a fun and functional park or playground that will appeal to everyone in the community.
Accessible and comfortable Seating Options
When it comes to choosing the right seating options for a park or playground, remember to consider the needs of all users. Choosing benches and tables that are ADA compliant is a great way to ensure that children and adults with disabilities or mobility limitations have a comfortable place to sit when they aren’t having fun in the play space. When looking at seating options that are ADA-compliant, here are a few things to consider:
- Does the seating provide armrests and back support?
- Are seating options the proper height and do they provide space to accommodate wheelchairs?
- Are seating options made from materials that are both durable and comfortable?
The placement of seating and tables is also important to consider. You want seating zones to be spread throughout the play area so parents and caregivers can have clear sightlines to supervise those on the playground. You’ll also want to make sure that seats and tables will be easily maneuverable for those who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Creating multi-generational rest zones that provide social seating arrangements is a great way to ensure that the play space is family friendly for all.
Shady and cool: effective shade solutions
During the playground design process, you don’t want to stop at just seating options. You’ll also want to think about effective shade solutions that will serve the play space well. There are lots of fantastic shade options to choose from, whether you’re looking for more permanent shade structures or solutions that can be added and removed with the seasons.
Shade Sails are easy to integrate into any space - they are easy to maintain and look great! Other shade structures, such as pergolas, shelters, or canopies, are also great options for play spaces, as they often also provide spaces for seating and tables. Opting to have shade and seating options together can help create community hubs that families and other visitors can utilize while children play at the park.
If you’re not looking at structures or sails to achieve a shady play space, then looking at natural options like trees is a great way to still integrate shade into a park or playground design. Though they may take some time to grow, once mature, trees and plants can be extremely effective in providing shade. Be sure to look into the growing time of any trees or plants that are being considered, and don’t forget to factor in any seasonal maintenance that might be required to keep the trees happy and healthy.
Design tips for integrating seating and shade seamlessly
When it comes to designing a cohesive playground or play space, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Working with complimentary materials and colour palettes can help pull different individual elements together. Adding clear, easily visible signage to the area will help keep visitors informed of rules, operating hours, and any other important information related to the play space. Accessible pathways help to create a space that is welcoming to all, while other landscaping touches such as plants and other greenery will help tie the overall design together.
In some spaces, adding modular options for shade and seating can be a great way to ensure that the play space can evolve as it grows, and the needs of the users shift. Shade Sails are a great example of this, as they can be removed through the winter months to help extend their lifespan. Providing seating options that can be moved, such as picnic tables or bench and table combinations, is a great way to ensure that the space can serve multiple purposes and meet the needs of as many people as possible.
Thoughtfully designing a playground to incorporate seating and shade solutions not only helps support the comfort of people using the space, but it also helps promote inclusion and accessibility, creating a playground or park that can be loved by all!