Playground Evaluation Assignment Nicole Kleinschmidt October 28, 2013 As a future elementary educator who implements physical activity

to their advantage, you will need to be a pioneer in changing the way other professionals in education see their school setting. This assignment is used to develop your ability to critique the structure of playgrounds (the way they are set up) to maximize physical activity seen by the students of the school during recess. Please follow the directions below very carefully to do this assignment correctly. You will need to complete the first two steps of this assignment at the playground and the other two steps at home (or library, etc). At the Location: Step 1: Find a local playground (at a school or in a park) and critique it using the checklist below. NOTE: If you plan to evaluate a school playground, you will need to do so on a weekend or outside of school hours. Use the Chapter 8 guidelines on setting up a playground to maximize physical activity (page 220) AND the questions in the table below to guide you. You will need to be as detailed as possible and if the playground does not have certain equipment/zones/aspects that help to increase physical activity, be sure to include how you would implement such aspects to make it better. Step 2: Draw a diagram of the playground with the existing areas and equipment. Not at the Location: Step 3: Place the notes that you collected when you evaluated the playground into an organized format within the table provided. You will need to provide proof that you actually evaluated the playground in your writing (using diagrams, detailed descriptions, etc). Draw a diagram of your suggested changes to improve the amount of physical activity seen by the students based on your observations. Step 4: Write a paragraph regarding your overall opinion on the success of your chosen playground to promote physical activity. If your playground does not have something that is asked in the questions, you will need to elaborate on how you would implement or place something there to fulfill the guideline. For example, if the playground that you chose does not have a clearly defined learning area, then tell me where you could put one and something that you would put in it.

Aspect of Activity-Friendly Playground Name and Location of Playground Evaluated: 1. Does the playground have signs? Any way to tell what they call the area?

Detailed Description of Answer and Proof Mill Pond Park Saline, Michigan Yes, when you first enter the park area there is a sign announcing Mill Pond. Then when you near the pavilion/playground area there is another sign announcing the name again and a list of safety rules regarding the playground area. By looking around there are a few different zones. Most arent marked and are clumped together by use. Like the slides are near each other, as are all the swings, and the monkey bars are all around the same area. The only clearly defined space is off to the side sort of fenced off with a sign that reads Toddler Play. In the section all the play structures and swings are smaller and there is a sand box. The playground has adequate equipment. It has 4 swing areas, multiple soccer fields, a sand pit, 4 slides, towers and tunnels for climbing around, 3 different types of monkey bars, grassy space for playing games, a tire swing, a tire tower to climb up and down, and a separate smaller climbing for young children. The equipment seemed to be in good and safe condition. Since I grew up at that park Ive seen them come in and replace the swings and slides when they got old and make sure the climbing equipment is steady. The playground is made of wood and its sanded down and has a coat of lacquer on to keep it from splintering.

2. Does the playground have zones designated for certain activities? Are the zones clearly marked?

3. Does the playground have adequate equipment? What equipment does it have?

4. Is the equipment in good/safe operating condition? How so?

5. Is the playground located in a safe place? Are there things around the playground that might be unsafe?

The location of the playground is off its own private road that leads to only the park. Its behind and down the hill from an elementary school and a neighborhood. Its also right down the street from the local hospital. There are a few things that way be deemed unsafe at this park. Its located right next to a river so parents need to keep an eye on young children so they dont wander over to it. It also backs up to woods on two sides so children could possibly get lost in there, but there are walking paths and picnic areas in the woods. Off to the left and behind the playground there are big grassy areas that are the perfect space to teach and play games. This is the perfect space to be considered a learning area. There are many low-intensity zones at this park. When you first walk out of the parking lot before you reach the playground there is a pavilion area with picnic tables and bathrooms. Off to the right of the play area under some trees are more picnic tables and benches, and in the forest there are picnic areas led to by walking paths. There are two different walking/jogging trails in this park. One is along the river and circles around the whole area of the park. The other is through the woods that lead from one end of the park to the other. The first pathway can be supervised by staff members, but the path going through the woods is too dense to be seen.

6. Is there a Learning area?

7. Is there a low-intensity zone/area? If so, where is it located? If not, where might you put one?

8. Is there a walking/jogging trail? If not, could you create one in this location? If so, what is its location? Can this trail be seen by staff members who are there to supervise?

9. Is there an area for Organized Group Activities? If so, where is it and how good of a location is it? If not, where could you put one?

There are a few areas for organized group activities. The first is in the front of the park where the pavilions are and off to the right of that where there is empty space. The next would be between the playground and the river. The third would be behind the playground on the soccer fields. There are spots for both recreation and competition. The recreation would mainly be the playground and the space in front of and next to it. The competition space would be located by the soccer fields behind the play areas.

10. Are there spots for both recreation and competition? Are they separate from each other?

Overall I think Mill Pond Park is a great play place that promotes physical activity. I may be biased because I grew up going to this park, but growing up I never had a boring time there where I wasnt moving around. There were always so many structures to play on and in. In the playground itself they have slides, swings, tunnels and monkey bars. There are also towers to climb into and play in and a tire tower to climb in and on. Besides the play area there was many large open areas for games and running around having the river meant you can canoe and search for fish. As I grew older I always enjoyed exploring the woods and walking paths. To me this park has physical activates for any age group and has enough equipment that even when its busy you can still find places to play. One thing I would suggest to add to this park would be a cemented area to play basketball, foursquare or any sort of game on a hard surface. If they added that, they could place it in the front of the pavilions so it wouldnt interfere with children running around the play areas.