Health was a huge inspiration to me, and a reason why Jon and I entered the playground business.  A playground can be much more than a place to take the kids and let them run off some energy; it is a place to breath in the fresh air and burn off some of those extra calories while having fun.  In fact, research suggests that you can burn nearly 300 calories with only an hour of moderate activity outside.

Even then, there is more to health than just burning calories.  Playgrounds offer wide verity of unique opportunities for children:

1)    Social Skills: Playgrounds offer a chance for kids to govern themselves all while getting involved with the interest and concerns of their peers.  This can build strong leadership skills and a sense of comradery.

Self–Care: A playground allows a kid to test their abilities in a safe environment.  This can help them understand limitations and may lead to safer or less risky decisions down the road.

2)    Problem Solving: Waiting turns, working together, communicating, and learning from others are all beneficial to the problem solving skills a kid will use throughout his or her life.

While Jon and I will never pretend every experience at the playground is positive, (with Bees, Icky Spiders, and messy Toads), it is the overall experience that may help your child grow into a well-rounded person.  Now, total that with the few hundred calories you may lose and, what are you waiting for?  Get outside and go play an hour a day!

Safety Starts w/ Stability!

Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes

The post Getting Outside & Getting Healthy first appeared on Creative Playscapes.

Are you considering adding or replacing a playground for your Charlotte school, church or community center?  Does your current playground create a sense of stress for you and the kids?  Is your current playground too small, with kids lining up waiting for their turn on the swings or slide, children trying to skip in line resulting in arguments?  Well, kids will be kids; however, a lot of these issues could be solved by having the right play equipment.  We design playgrounds with lots of fun equipment, not just one or two the kids enjoy most.

Not only can we install everything, but we design it to fit the needs of the school, church or community as well.  We have play structures for a variety of budgets and all designs are created with safety being the first priority.  Having a playground that can be fun for everyone encourages physical activity and a friendly experience.

Fitness units are in big demand, with much talk revolving around healthy living, diet and exercise are at the core of most healthy lifestyle conversations.  We have designed and installed numerous playgrounds with the focus on fitness, integrating equipment that has the kids stretching and using a variety of muscles while they play.  It’s fitness with fun!

We also have shade structures that can be installed so that the sun isn’t an issue.  Summer sun can make the equipment too hot to play on, our shades block the sun from the kids and equipment, which helps keep them from getting too hot.

If you are considering replacing or installing a new playground, call me for a free consultation and make sure you make it fun for the kids!

Safety Starts w/ Stability!

Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes

The post Make Your Playground Fun first appeared on Creative Playscapes.

We utilize heavy gauge steel materials for safety and durability.  There will NEVER be any lead based paint on any play structure we install.  All materials used to manufacture our playground equipment are EPA approved and does not have any hazardous compounds.  The powder coated material stays colorful and useful for years and easily endures all weather conditions, including heat, snow and ice.  Steel play structures are the mainstay for fun for your child.

Heavy gauge steel materials are the mainstay of our playground structures, the ability to manipulate the steel to numerous configurations is exceptional.  There are never any splinters, never needs painting and are safe.  Heavy gauge steel materials enables us to build a custom playground without hazardous paints or hurtful wood products.  We utilize steel materials for steps, stairs, railings and climbing walls as often as possible.  Splinter free means happier & healthier kids.

We offer a large variety of play structures; check out our web page for more pictures and information on play structures.

Safety Starts w/ Stability!

Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes

The post Heavy Gauge Steel Play Structures first appeared on Creative Playscapes.

First Step: Designing the playground to utilize the available area is the initial step; we utilize my good friend and partner Jon for this task.  Jon Dumont is a licensed architect, with a very successful business in the Lake Norman area.  Jon has designed and implemented nearly a hundred or more playgrounds, he understands the land and how the playground equipment will best function and how much site development is needed. (Step 2)  Jon works well with the administrator of the project to develop the most efficient playground possible, his ability to envision the playground long before ground is ever broken is remarkable; Jon Dumont is truly an artist at his trade.

Second Step: Once Jon and the administrator have completed the design, it’s time to prepare the land for the project.  Site development is critical to the success of the project, just like the base your home is built on, the playground must have a stable base for it to ensure safety and functionality of the equipment.  We refuse to just “Smooth & Groove” a project, it must be done correctly and to the specifications of the state and county it will be installed in.  We treat every playground as if our very own children will be playing there.

Safety Starts w/ Stability!

Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes

The post Playground Equipment Installers first appeared on Creative Playscapes.