Playgrounds Expected To Be Busy According to Recent Survey

(KNSI) – As vaccine rates increase and warm weather rolls out across Minnesota, people are eager to get outside after a long stretch of indoor activities due to the pandemic.

That’s according to a survey conducted by playground manufacturer Landscape Structures Inc. based in Delano.

Landscape Structures Inc. Vice President of Marketing Lynn Pinoniemi talked about what to look for when picking a playground.

“Playgrounds that deliver graduated levels of challenge and allow kids of all abilities to play together side by side, those are really the best kind. And there’s obviously also just the basic things like a variety of play experiences. So spinning and sliding, swinging, climbing. And then if you’ve got a little imagination in there, that’s a plus.”

Submitted by Landscape Structures Inc.

Pinoniemi says getting kids out to play is essential to their health and growing up.

“You think about our kids and their development, obviously, we all know play is a key piece of developing a child into a healthy adult. And that is exactly why we do what we do every day.”

According to the survey, one in three adults feels comfortable returning to public playgrounds.

Fifty-nine percent of all respondents indicated they visited a playground during the pandemic; of those who visited, 56% have children under 12.

Some of the most popular reasons adults gave for taking kids to a playground included letting their kids play with other children, getting exercise, socializing with others, and reading a book.

The onset of COVID restrictions only realized a 27% drop in visits to the playground, suggesting that outdoor play remained a priority for those with children.

During the height of the pandemic, 56% of people wore a face mask, and the same percentage brought hand sanitizer when visiting a playground.

The survey was commissioned by Landscape Structures and conducted by SMS Research. It took place in April 2021 and consisted of 1,080 adults over the age of 18.

Click here to find a playground near you.

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