When schools re-open, kids will be safer outside!

The COVID-19 epidemic made us take a much deeper look into the role of playgrounds in children's lives...

…and we found research that may be vital to the safety of your children!  

We discovered that wooden play and learning elements may be much, much safer for children than the traditional plastic and metal equipment found on most playgrounds. 

“When pathogens, such as COVID-19, land on most hard surfaces [such as steel and plastic playground equipment], they can live for up to four to five days." says Bill Keevil, professor of environmental healthcare at the University of Southampton.

But that's not the case with wood! Studies show that cellulose in wood absorbs pathogens but will not release them! “We've never been able to get bacteria that's down in the wood back up so it contaminates things on the surface,'' said Dean Cliver, PhD. about his research at the University of Wisconsin.

All our Natural Playgrounds products are made with cedar wood (which is naturally bacteria, fungus, and mold-resistant), or with child-friendly treated wood which contains copper ions. "We've seen viruses just blow apart," says Bill Keevil, professor of environmental healthcare at the University of Southampton. "They land on copper and it just degrades them.”

So in addition to our products being creative and very affordable, they may help prevent the spread of pathogens such as the COVID-19 on your playground!

This is a perfect time for you to re-design your curriculum so your kids spend less time confined indoors where viruses can be easily transmitted and more time outside in the fresh air. Encourage them to run and play outdoors, but bring your curriculum outdoors, as well!

"There are now more than 400 outdoor preschools in the U.S. where the outdoors isn't just for recess. In fact, the outdoors is the school. The woods are used as a backdrop for a solid, hands-on education and a sorely needed way to help a new generation connect with the real world."  REI Blog, September 2019

"Studies show that when students engage with the ever-changing natural world in their learning environment, they demonstrate better concentration, less stress, higher rates of physical activity, increased engagement and improved self-discipline...Natural settings facilitate a calm, cooperative social landscape where students engage with the nature around them." Frontiers in Psychology Journal, February 2019

The Natural Playgrounds Company always has the safety of your children in mind, so please check our online store for safe, wooden play and learning elements that not only limit or stop the spread of viruses, but that also meet all ASTM, CPSC, and licensing safety guidelines.

Go natural. It's safer and healthier! Click here to learn more at our website.