1. Playgrounds for Adults: A new recreational tool for the baby boomer generations and beyond
Ashley Logar
Department of Sport Management and Recreation, Springfield College
INTRODUCTION
•1885: Playgrounds originated as “sand gardens” in
Germany. (O’Shea, 2013).
•1886: The beginning of playgrounds appeared in the U.S.
in Boston (O’Shea, 2013).
•1906: Playground Association of America was formed
(O’Shea, 2013).
•1960’s: Playgrounds entered mass production. (Hart,
2014)
•1980’s: Industry regulations were established to follow
safety guidelines (Hart, 2014)
•2000’s-present: Pop-up playgrounds are trending and
there is even playgrounds designated for people 70 year’s
of age and older (Hart, 2014).
PURPOSE
•Baby boomers want a different form of recreation
activity
•Boom in Joint Replacements: only 264,311 in 1997
compared to 621,029 in 2009.
•Adventure driven, more likely to volunteer.
•The increase in utilizing social skills in an environment
they grew up in.
DEFINITIONS
•Playground (noun): A piece of land used for and usually equipped with facilities
for recreation especially by children. An area known or suited for activity of a
specified sort.
•Baby Boomer: People born between the end of World War II (1945) and the late
1960’s, period during which the populations and the economies of the united states
boomed. The term was developed in 1974.
•Therapeutic Recreation: A systematic process that utilizes recreation and other
activity-based interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with
illnesses and/or disabling conditions, as a means to psychological and physical
health, recovery and well-being.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
•“These environments can be highly social. There is something positive and
invigorative about that, especially if the children (of the adult) have moved
away or a spouse has passed on.” –Colin Milner (Howard, 2016).
•“The stuff between buildings is often left to happenstance, and one of the best
ways to bring life to the public realm is through art pieces like this one. We
stop playing at a certain age. And we were tasked with figuring out how to get
everyone, including adults, to play.” –Eric Howeler (Gifford, 2014).
•“They focus on promoting balance, flexibility, and range of motion, all of
which can help the functional capabilities of older people and allow them to do
things they want to do.” –Cedric X. Bryant (Howard, 2016)
•“The point is to make physical activity fun, easy and accessible, so it’s the
normal thing to do.” – Dr. David Ludwig (Hu, 2012).
•“People need a menu of choices, opportunities to be active in their own way
and do the things they like, such as walk with a friend, do some gardening, or
track their steps.” – Wojtek J Chodzko-Zajko (Howard, 2016)
•“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop
playing” –George Bernard Shaw (Abbit, 2015).
•“The plans are focused on activities that “help people maintain their
independence, feel good about themselves and starve off chronic illness” –
Michael Cohen (Howard, 2016)
•“ If you make it playful, people will enjoy themselves. It won’t feel like a
workout, and they’ll want to come back.” –Michael Cohen (Abbit, 2015).
DISCUSSION
•World Health Organization predicts isolation and
association mood illnesses like depression will be the
second-leading cause of disability globally by 2020.
•2004 study by Finlands University of Lapland: Group
of 40 seniors ages 65-81 played on a senior playground.
•3 weeks for 90 minutes per week.
•Improvements: Balance, speed, coordination.
•Showed the utilization as “Social Hubs”.
IMPLICATIONS
•The trends in recreational needs of older generations
and how they differentiate from past generations.
•Predictions: Adult playgrounds will not only be in the
form of pop-ups across the country or found in public
recreational settings, but will also be utilized in
Retirement and Nursing home settings.