The City of Calgary is launching a pilot program to create natural play spaces within the city.
The playgrounds will be made with natural elements such as logs and sand, as opposed to the traditional metal and plastic equipment.
According to the City of Calgary’s parks department, natural environment playgrounds encourage children to play in a different way.
“The difference is that most traditional playgrounds encourage active, structure play that is focused on exercising the body,” The City of Calgary said in an email to Global News. “Natural play spaces lend themselves to less structured, more creative and imaginative play that is often more nature-based.”
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Although a relatively new idea, natural playgrounds already exist in Calgary with one in Haysboro and one in the East Village. The pilot program is transforming the playground in Mills Park to be a natural play space.
According to the City’s website, the move comes after ParticipACTION gave Canada a ranking of D minus on its 2015 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth in Canada. ParticipACTION, a non-profit organization, suggested that Canadians should incorporate more outdoor play into their daily lives, and teach children problem-solving and risk-taking in a natural environment.
After the report was released, The Lawson Foundation provided the City of Calgary with a $160,000 grant for research and to launch the pilot project.
The next location for a natural playground will be Confederation Park. Public engagement for this pilot park will be on June 9 at the Rosemont Community Association from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
For more information on Natural Play Spaces, visit the City of Calgary’s website.