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~~Friday, April 10, 2009~~

Friday, April 10, 2009

♥ Comments & Ideas on the Playgrounds

♥ 1st playground:

-Among the three playgrounds that we visited,we found this playground to be the most striking of them all.A variety of bright colours were used,and the effect was very eye-catching.Although it did not have that many fun facilities as the second playground,it was still appealing.

-These steps are safer as the steps are wider and the railings have large surface areas(less exposed areas) so children are less prone to falling down.There are also openings on the sides for more convenience in climbing up the steps.

-This steps' structure is unique,like that on a rocky mountain.These steps will give children an exprience of hiking,even when they are not on mountains.Hence it gives children a chance for adventures and independence as they will be conquering the steps alone.There are also railings to assist them.

-We found this shelter-like struture to be better than the 1st playground's as it is more vibrant to colours,adding enthusiasium to the children playing inside the shelter. They can also play 'pretend' and use their imagination to use this structure. Example, a store.

-This structure works like a piano.For those children who are more enhanced by audio objects can play this.The notes are actually given letters,which we think that it's educational to pre-school kids as they can and compare the alphabetic letters on the board to play out a tune,so they don't have to look for the correct notes themselves. The notes are also simple and easy to learn.

-This structure is similar to the function of a binoculars.When looked into,the view of the flats surrounding the playground can be seen.This give the children a chance to see outside the playground and how vast the world actually is.

-There is a pole for children to slide down but it may be dangerous if a child accidentally falls, thus, we are not using this as a structure in our terabithia playground.

-Aerial view

♥ 2nd playground:

-Unlike the first playground,this playground has more facilities,and more striking colours.

-This structure works like swinging bars.When stepped on,the whole bar will shake,causing unwanted children to lose their balance,hence it is dangerous for the children to play,as they will fall and also knock their head on the bar.We have personally tested it and found that there was lack of safety supports.Therefore we do not recommend this structure to be in our playground.

-We found this graphic design to be very creative and appealing.As children are more enhanced with what they see,we think that playgrounds should have striking graphic designs like this one above,it attracts more children that way.

-We found another tunnel-like structure at the playground,however we feel that this one was better as it was placed NEAR the ground,an advantage for children with acrophobia(fears of height).

-This structure can help children increase their mathemathcian skills even before entering school as it works like an abacus.Even if the children do not know how to use an abacus,the first thing they will do is move the beads and perhaps count how many of them there are.This helps to increase their speed of counting.

-This structure is meant for the game Tic-Tac-Toe,children will find it appealing as they can play it over and over again.For those children who do not know how to play,they will still find it equally fun as they will see various shapes when they turn the rollers.After all,children are enhanced with graphical objects.

-This web structure is more for kids of 5 years of age and above to play as younger kids may hurt themselves.

-The swing is fun and suitable for all ages with aldut supervision.

-This table has the properties to play the game 'congkak'. A game that originates from the malay race.

-A swing right beside the playground.

-Rules on the playgronnd in 4 different languages with pictures. It is important children know the safety rules before playing or they are more prone to hurting themselves.

-A hopscotch on theplayground where children can play.

-Another fitness corner right beside the playground. Its target age should the elderly group as the exercises are light and easy to do. The elderly can bring their grandchildren down and keep an eye on them while doing exercises.

-A fitness corner right beside the playground. It is convenient as the children can be playing at the playgrond while the adults can occupy themselves with exercise while keeping an eye on their chilren at the same time.

-Aerial view.

♥ 3rd playground:

-This playground doesn't have many colors and it is not very appealing,however the colors used are bright,striking and noticeable from far.It also has facilities that may attract children. Below are some examples,

-Kids can actually sit inside the shelter-like structure when it rains,and they can play and communicate together.This structure is safe as it is on low ground.Also it works like a barrier from the hot climates of Singapore.

-There were two of this structure at the playground.A person can talk through one of the structure and the other person can hear it through the other structure or vice versa.Hence this is a suitable tool for communication.

-Children will find this structure much fun as they can crawl inside of it and look out throught the holes.Some of them will see the structure as their mini Terabithia and play inside of it.The structure can fit at least two of three children,so they can play together.The structure is like a tunnel. hence it is safe for that the children will not fall out from it too easily.

-There is a chain to climb up on but it is broken. It is not good to leave it broken and someone should fix it soon as it mayb cause an accident.

-A bridge where cildren can run about. it is durable and strong with handles to support children if nessecary.

-Aerial View.

Our 150words review

Firstly, we feel that all three playgrounds are fun to be at.

We have tried playing everything we can in the playgrounds and for children, we believe, will seem very fun to them.

Slides, Swings, Hopscotches, Bridges, etc... are the elements a playground should

have.

The third playground was rather disappointing as the chain is broken and it poses as a threat to children as they might get hurt especially younger children. The speakers are also corroded due to the rain water on the metal. Children who are using it may put their mouths too close and the rust contains bacteria and may cause children to get hurt.

The first playground was quite unique and had a rock climbing sort of stairs with railings for safety. The piano was also very special as this is the first time we have seen this at a playground. The notes are simple and easy to read and are famous nursery rhymes like twinkle twinkle little star so children are likely to know the songs.

The second playground was the playground that we had like the best among all three playgrounds. It has two fitness corners to its left and right side targeted for youngsters and the elderly and this is very useful as children can play in the playground while their parents, grandparents or guardian can spend their time doing exercise. It also has instructions in 4 different languages on safety rules. A map is also there. There is also a hopscotch and it is not very commonly found in playgrounds. There is also a larger sized abacus for children to play and at the same time practce their maths at a young age which we believe is good exposure for them. There is also The tic-tac-toe is actually a fun way to teach children to strategize from a young age. The congkak is a game of strategy too and we believe that little things they learn in their younger days can carry them through life as they apply these strategies in their lives.