The GF Play Difference

Environment - Can one playground be all things to all age groups?

Sure! But any professional educator would agree that all structures must be age-appropriate, not only for safety, but for the healthy growth and development of the children using those structures.

GF Play offers comprehensive structure designs for six different age groups:

Infants:

Infants need a relatively small space for crawling, touching, gazing, and for initial attempts at standing and walking. Our Infant Activity Centers provide enclosed play spaces that that include slide-in gates to eliminate dangerous doors and pinch points.

A variety of flooring options include a Trex™ floor that is soft and easily cleaned. And sicne infants need safe places to crawl without being run over by older children, we created Infant Exploratoriums and Infant Mazes, each of which can be outfitted with our unique Slide-In-Gate to provide caregivers with the option to keep infants in or allow movement in and out.

We also offer a series of play events specifically for crawling infants. These ground level sensory boxes create an angular surface ideal for children not yet ready to stand. Whether attached and unmovable, or portable for maximum flexibility, these innovative play features meet the needs of your youngest users.

Pre-Toddlers

Pre-Toddlers include children 12 to 24 months old who are practicing their new walking skills—sometimes steady and sometimes not.

Structures for this age group straddle the line between infant (ground level) and toddler (18" to 24" climbers with low slides). Toddler Mazes are modular arrangements of play panels and portals to give mobile pre-toddlers and toddlers spaces to explore; they encourage movement and interaction across barriers. Roofs can be added to one or more "activity" sections.

Available in four, six or nine activity section models, or in an infinite number of variations. Available without floor if your surfacing is in place, or with Trex decking.

Toddlers

Toddlers (which we define as children from about 18 months to young three-year olds) include a large group of children who are at varying levels of development.

Some are ready to climb large climbers, and other are not so physically skilled so they cautiously approach challenges. But all of them need safe, physical challenges that allow them to stretch their capabilities.

Our products are geared to create climbing options to heights not greater than 36" for Toddlers and Two’s. Many activities help promote balance skills and spatial orientation. Since Toddlers require plenty of space to maneuver on elevated decks, so we designed decks and steps with ample space to introduce a variety of physical challenges for this age group, all without the need for great height. GF Play structures and events encourage climbing, crawling and balancing, all with the minimum of risk to very young children.

Preschoolers

Preschoolers need more than a climber and swings. At GF Play, we’re helping preschoolers develop their physical skills while giving them opportunities to play creatively, to use their imaginations, to build language through play, to develop concepts through direct experiences, and to explore emotions.

A GF Play playground builds a child‘s self-esteem and sense of self-worth by giving lots of opportunities for success through a variety of play experiences.

Preschool climbers should have a variety of play options – some simple, some more challenging – to give preschoolers an opportunity to discover their own abilities through developmentally appropriate choices. Proper deck heights provide safety and challenge, plus create cozy play spaces underneath. Additional overhead elements are necessary to help older preschoolers develop upper body strength and cardiovascular fitness. Low decks as entry points provide the right level of challenge for building confidence and strength.

Talk Tubes encourage language and dramatic play. Plus, we now offer the option to include shades right into our climbers to help protect your children from the sun.

Primary Schoolers Agers

One of the primary goals for School Agers is related physical fitness. Large, linked structures which challenge upper body skills, coordination and stamina serve to promote this important goal.

Linked structures serve particularly well because the linkage of various items supports the play goals of children at this age: chase games, social experimentation, and "showing off."

Older School Agers

Primary school aged children are constantly testing their skills and like to play vigorously when given the chance. In fact, their play can take on much more risk-taking behavior that we may like at times!

Giving school-agers opportunities to test their skills with a variety of challenging climbers sets the stage for success for these veterans of the playground. Fitness for this age group does not have to be addressed only on fitness courses; in fact, studies have shown that children may be more active during free play on well designed equipment than they are during structured physical education courses. But at GF Play, of course, we offer both options.

Older School Agers

School-age children naturally test their skills and challenge their developing abilities. They need to develop and refine their upper body strength, and a good way to do this is with playground elements that encourage climbing and overhead reaching. This will help them to develop strength, stamina, and cardio fitness.

Unfortunately, American children are notoriously weak in the critical area of personal and physical development, so we offer varied overhead elements that are appropriate to their age group. Various aspects of these structures allow continuous movement without touching the ground, a common goal of children at this age.

In fact, the more varied the equipment, the longer children use it and the more they benefit from it.

Course Design

There are two approaches to grouping fitness elements into a GF Play fitness course. The "spread" approach places fitness elements near a jogging trail. We typically group 2-3 fitness elements in "stations" along the course.

By doing this, teachers can spread children around the course instead of creating bottlenecks and long waiting lines. This approach accomplishes gross motor goals while building in aerobic conditioning as children walk or run between stations.

Another approach is "clustering" all items in a concentrated area. Either way, children are exposed to an outstanding fitness course. Fitness stations can be arranged in groups, or along a fitness trail.

The lateral climbing wall gives children a continuous climbing experience as they crawl around, up, down and over the wall. Simulated rock handgrips, transition footholds and handgrips allow for easy and continued movement around the ends of the wall.

No Child Left Alone: GF Play Provides Integrating Environments

It’s no fun being left out, especially for children with physical challenges. That’s why every GF Play playground can be customized to cater to the emotional and physical needs of children with disabilities.

Other companies see a child in a wheelchair and provide an elevated sandbox; but GF Play enables the child to get into the sand and play by using our Corner Chair! This integrated sand experience is only one of our innovations that help brings physically challenged children into the playground. We also offer:

It is recommended that for younger children, playgrounds have separate areas with appropriately sized equipment and materials to serve their developmental levels.
Section 6.3; Age Separation of Equipment, CPSC Handbook for Public Playground Safety
  1. Universal Art Easel
  2. Balance Ball
  3. Proprioceptive Hammock
  4. Bowling Track
  5. Chime Panel
  6. Elevated Sandbox
  7. Corner Chair
  8. Customized Panels and Decks
  9. Custom Textured Floor
  10. Wheelchair Platform Swing
  11. Tri-Directional Trough System
  12. Bean Bag Toss

Park Environments - Location, Location, Location

GF Play goes beyond just plopping a playground structure into your yard. Our comprehensive design packages include:

Full Customization Capability: We’ll design new structures to fit your community’s most outstanding feature or landmark.

Group Planning Sessions: We can help you gather community input, then take that input and develop site plans and unique signature structures.

Reduced Liability to the Community: By using our pre-manufactured components and our company supplied supervisors, your organization can reduce the liability of self-build structures.

Reduced Maintenance: Even with our custom manufactured components, our materials will reduce maintenance and provide for replacement pieces if vandalism occurs.

Full Service Capability: We’ll assist by providing a maintenance contract to proactively repair broken items prior to further damage and increased risk.