Playground equipment has come a long way since the metal and wooden swings, slides and see-saws produced nearly a hundred years ago. The playground is well regarded among child development specialists as one of the best places to learn social skills that are kept throughout a child's life, but the best playgrounds are ones that are not fully controlled by adults. Children love slides and swings, but a patch of undeveloped land, such as a field or forest, can be more appealing and fun for a child than any pre-built playground equipment. Children need an area to call their own, and they have difficulty relating to the often complex toys installed in parks and play areas.
The best playgrounds are ones that have a few play structures arrange in an area with natural features such as woods and streams. These allow the children to own the space making it more fun for them. They spontaneously find new modes of play that are intriguing, fun and provide a view into the mind of a child. Creating the play area with a theme, such as recreating a pirates ship, inspires creativity in the child and allows them to play with other children, an important learning method that is useful in many situations later in life.
In the past playgrounds were largely made of wood and metal to create interesting features. They lasted for a long time, but eventually became hazards due to deterioration. Today's playground equipment is largely made of wood, metal and plastic, and the plastics used are increasingly being produced from recycled waste. Old tires are incredibly hard to dispose of, they retain their shape in landfills and can cause a number of problems to the environment when discarded. Luckily today they are being shredded and then transformed into soft playground material that is replacing the sand and gravel grounds commonly found in playground of the past. These soft rubber mats provide a cushioning layer that is soft enough to prevent broken bones and other scrapes and bruises. It is just one way an old discarded object can be reinvigorated and transformed into something useful and new.
Plastics are also being recycled into slides, bridges, and other playground features. This material is widely used because of the intricate shapes it can conform to and the smooth surface it provides. There is no chance of getting a splinter from this surface and though it may not be good for the environment, at least it can be recycled instead of going to waste.