February 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 63

Ed Brown Playground at MacLearie Park
in Belmar, New Jersey, ties local history
and personalities into its design, which is
now enjoyed by hundreds of children.

ly when they depict real places, people
or things, " he says.
Play Smart
Anne-Marie Spencer, vice president of
marketing and communications at PlayCore, reminds agencies to look for high
levels of craftsmanship and integrity in
design when purchasing equipment for
a themed playground. Such amenities
can represent a major investment -
getting the biggest bang for the buck is
important, but not at the expense of durability, utility and quality.
" Ask your playground designers to
show you examples of their work, "
she says. " There are many ways to
do theming, from the utilization of
themed panels to fully sculpted glass
fiber substrates. The key to success
is the talent of the designers and artists...If you are doing themed panels,
ask the supplier about their routing
process, how finely can they detail the
pieces, what sort of dimensional work
can they do? With the fiberglass substrates, it's all about the finish work, as
even well-sculpted pieces can be painted poorly and miss the overall effect
that the community is hoping for. "
One way to ensure you get exactly
what you want is to opt for a custom
job, says Klooster. " Having your theming company design a custom site to
fit your budget and space not only can
save you money in the design process, but allows the customer to add
details into a project that are specific
to their area or local history. " Going
the custom route also helps increase
buy-in from the community - agencies can choose to involve the public
in brainstorming a theme, selecting
certain equipment and taking part in
a fun unveiling event, where the oneof-a-kind playground is revealed amid
a backdrop of special programming,
food, music, etc.

Poignant Playgrounds
Perhaps the biggest payoff of a great
themed playground is the memories
it creates for the children and families who spend time there, coupled
with a sense of community pride in a
truly thoughtful playspace. Cre8Play,
working with its partners to develop
Ed Brown Playground at MacLearie Park in Belmar, New Jersey, took
inspiration from Brown himself.
Originally the owner of nearby Monmouth Executive Airport, Brown felt
a special gratitude to the town that
believed in his vision enough to fund
construction of the facility's original
runway, way back in 1940. In his
will, Brown provided funding for the
community park that now bears his
name, as well as an awesome airplane
theme. Brown's family, with Cre8Play, Marturano Recreation (MRC)
and Belmar residents, contributed to
the design process and equipment selection. Ed Brown Playground now
boasts a big plane in which children
can play, complete with a cockpit
that makes sound, control tower,
" lost luggage climber " and yet more
features. The entire playground is
ADA-compliant and a huge hit with
the community. " It's projects like
this that have meaning behind them
that make my job so rewarding, " says
MRC's Don Cooper. " I was able to

get creative here and make a one-ofa-kind-playground. "
Likewise, in Minnehaha Regional
Park's Wabun Picnic Area in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Landscape Structures made deep connections with the
community while constructing the auto-themed playground. " We integrated
a great historic theme with a nod to the
auto tourist camp that once stood on
the spot where the new playground is
today, " Roschi says. " What makes it
truly special for the community is that
not only is it an amazing themed play
environment, but it is also the first inclusive playground in the Minneapolis park system...The community has
embraced the play space and it has become a real destination for this part of
south Minneapolis. "
With solid planning and inspiration,
any agency can boost its visibility and
viability in the community with the
addition of a themed playground. Best
of all, Spencer says, industry suppliers are more than happy to help. " As
playground designers and suppliers,
we owe it to the communities we serve
to create play spaces where any child
can play, in a manner that feels fun and
comfortable to them, no matter their
age and ability, " she says.
Samantha Bartram is the Associate Editor
of Parks & Recreation magazine (sbartram@
nrpa.org).

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