I’m excited to share this important study co-authored by our colleague and fellow playworker Jill Wood and Morgan Leichter-Saxby. This research offers compelling evidence that adventure playgrounds provide a safer environment for children compared to conventional playgrounds.
Download the full study to explore the data behind this fascinating comparison of injury rates between fixed equipment playgrounds and adventure playgrounds.
About the study
Jill Wood, who started an adventure playground about 10 years ago, and Morgan Leichter-Saxby have collected five years of injury data during Morgan’s visits to Adventure Play at Parish School. The unique aspect of this study is the direct comparison of injury rates at both a traditional fixed equipment playground and an adventure playground on the same school site.
Key findings from the playground safety study
“Programs like this offer children an invaluable chance to be free in an environment where they can do anything they can imagine,” said Morgan Leichter-Saxby of Pop-Up Adventure Play.
“Adults often make play opportunities more restrictive instead of trusting children to manage their own risks incrementally.”
“The adventure playground is 4.3 times safer than the conventional fixed equipment playground despite a lower adult-to-child supervision ratio.”
What does this mean?
The study defines ‘injury’ as incidents requiring off-site medical attention such as stitches or X-rays. The injury likelihood per hour per child was 0.00336% on the traditional playground, compared to just 0.00078% on the adventure playground. Both rates are comparable to low-risk activities like golf and ping-pong.
These findings challenge common perceptions about adventure playgrounds and their safety. The research highlights the importance of trusting children’s ability to assess and manage risks, which contributes to their development, resilience, and safety.
For additional context on playground safety standards and risk management, see the information on the legal aspects of play areas.
Learn more and get involved
If you’re interested in pop-up adventure playgrounds or want to host your own, visit our Host Your Own Pop-Up Adventure Playground page for guidance and resources.
For professionals seeking to deepen their expertise, consider our Playworker Development Course, which includes training on creating safe, engaging play environments.
Questions about the study or adventure playgrounds? Feel free to contact Jill Wood directly at jwood@parishschool.org or reach out to Morgan at morgan@popupadventureplay.org.
By Zan
