Rebuilding Communities Using Play

When people think about playgrounds, they think of great places to bring their kids to burn energy and socialize with other children. But playgrounds are more than that. These are excellent for communities to come together. When a playground is in disrepair or needs an upgrade, the community comes together to rebuild their community playground. This brings the community closer together and helps have a stronger bond during the difficult times that a community may face. Playgrounds are unique to communities, and especially when a storm ruins a playground, the community comes together to rebuild it.

But why are playgrounds so crucial for the community? Here's a look at why playgrounds are essential for a strong community.

Forming Bonds with Fellow Neighbors

When you take your kids to the park, they will typically just start playing with other kids. Often, that gets the parents together, connecting and developing a strong sense of community. The stronger the bonds within the community, the stronger the community will be. Playgrounds are safe spaces where parents and neighbors can have positive interactions on neutral grounds. These interactions can positively improve one's mental health and ensure that people feel belonging in their communities.

Teaches Kids Essential Social Skills

It's a fact that children learn through play. This is where they develop the essential social skills to develop into productive adults in the future. These essential skills include playing cooperatively, turn-taking, and the ability to work as part of a group. If the park is an inclusive playground that children of all abilities can use, all kids in the community can learn these essential social skills. 

Public Parks Improve the Local Economy

Did you know that houses in communities adjacent to parks can often be worth more than 20% more than other houses in the area? This is an excellent factor to consider when you want to rebuild the community through play.

Improve the Health of Communities

Playgrounds can be great for the health of the communities. First of all, the abundance of trees found in parks can help provide cleaner air and water in the local area, reducing pollution and side effects such as asthma and other respiratory issues. Commercial Playground Equipment also encourages the people in the neighborhood to get out and play, which keeps the children and adults active. This activity can help reduce problems like obesity, which negatively impact the health of the community. 

Conclusion

Playgrounds are so much more than just play areas in the community for the kids. When a playground is destroyed in a community, the community can come together and rebuild it to rebuild the cornerstone of their community. The local playgrounds offer so many benefits for the community that when neighbors come together to rebuild it, they rebuild their community and make it stronger.