The Woodland Discovery Playground
Shelby Farms Park, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Unfortunately, the majority of playgrounds have remained relatively unchanged since the early 1900s. Most playgrounds today, as in the past, consist of steel and concrete that can be colorful and fun for children, but don’t encourage active play, which is imaginative, explorative, and improves creative thinking skills. Also, traditional play structures can be risky, particularly as they age.
Photo: A traditional play structure at the Abington in Memphis Tennessee / Apartment Guide
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As national play expert Susan Solomon has found, “active play” has a direct link with positive brain development. Working with Solomon, landscape architects with James Corner Field Operations found that encouraging physical activity in a natural setting filled with a sense of discovery can accelerate emotional and social learning while also reducing childhood obesity. In Memphis, Tennessee, a city with one of the highest rates of childhood obesity, the team created a new playground to test their ideas about active play.
Photo: Children exercising at a Memphis elementary school. Justin Fox Burks / Memphis Flier
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The Woodland Discovery Playground was created at Shelby Farms Park, a 4,500-acre park, in Memphis. Both the master plan for the entire Shelby Farms Park and the new 4-acre playground were created by Field Operations. The goal is transform a formerly-agricultural landscape into an international model for sustainable landscape design.
Photo: Shelby Farms Masterplan / James Corner Field Operations
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Woodland Discovery Playground was purposefully situated on four acres immersed in nature. The idea is to provide a natural escape for kids. The site is edged by a woodland. Furthermore, the playground was planted with local native plants to further blend the playground into its surroundings.
Photo: James Corner Field Operations
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The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES)-certified playground was planned with the input of kids. Children participated in a creative public workshop meant to assess what makes a playground great. Adventure, fun, health, nature, and surprises— all elements determined during the public workshop —are incorporated throughout the playground.
Photo: James Corner Field Operations
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The playground is defined by a planted arbor of native trees and vines that link six outdoor play rooms. These spaces are topographically interesting and offer a varied array of play experiences, each appealing to children of different ages, development stages, and outdoor interests.
Photo: James Corner Field Operations
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The playground provides an environment that promotes interaction and active learning. Children must move around and look for opportunities to build, climb, and learn. Building upon current research about children’s developmental learning, the playground encourages discovery.
Photo: James Corner Field Operations
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The playground is a model of sustainable landscape design. The playground includes more than 80 new native trees. Some 24,000 square feet of Chinese privet was eradicated. And 39,250-square-feet of diverse, locally adapted, native understory was established. Field Operations controlled erosion with a new soil management plan.
Photo: James Corner Field Operations
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The playground uses recycled athletic shoe material as a surface for several play areas and loose, recycled boot material as a soft landing under playrooms with nets and tree houses. The surface materials are not only recycled but also permeable, allowing stormwater to soak into the ground and feed the tree groves.
Photo: James Corner Field Operations
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Embedding the playground in its larger natural context creates many opportunities for environmental education. The Woodland Discovery Playground allows for transformation and growth in the envrionment and local children’s development.
Photo: James Corner Field Operations
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Project Facts
- The Woodland Discovery Playground was the first project to be created within Shelby Farms Park, a 4,500-acre public park in Memphis, Tennessee.
- The playground includes more than 80 new native trees. Some 24,000 square feet of Chinese privet was eradicated. And 39,250-square-feet of diverse, locally adapted native understory was established.
- A one-fourth mile-long arbor structure is made from 99 percent recycled steel. The playground uses recycled athletic shoe material as a surface for several play areas and loose, recycled boot material as a soft landing under a playroom of nets and tree houses.
- Enmeshing the play space within its woodland environment promotes a sense of discovery, increases opportunities for environmental education, and cultivates children's healthy development.
PROJECT TYPE
- Urban
- Park
- Playground
Environmental Benefits
- Reintroduces Native Plants
- Removes Invasive Plants
- Recycles Materials
- Improves Soil Health
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