Learn to Create a Landscape that is Sympathetic to the Play Experience.

"Children learn more from play than they do from school. It is crucial to their social, physical and intellectual development. Anyone (Parent to landscaper) who develops a landscape that is to be used by children, has a responsibility to understand the full implications of what they are creating. It is critical that we enhance the play opportunities for future generations; and that involves understanding what play is, how children play, and then applying that knowledge to forming a play friendly environment"   John Mason  Author, the Environment of Play, former Playground Designer with Playgrounds and Recreation Assn of Vic.

This is a seven lesson course of approx. 100 hrs study This is a valuable course for parks managers or landscape designers. It includes playground philosophy, design of play structures (for function & safety), materials selection, community participation and park design. 

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Overview of Parks & Playgrounds
2. Playground Philosophy
3. Preparing a Concept Plan
4. Materials
5. Park & Playground Structures and Materials
6. Local and Neighbourhood Parks
7. Community Participation In Park Development
8. Special Assignment.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

• Determine the procedure to plan a park development, including a playground and other facilities.
• Prepare a concept plan for a park or playground.
• Assess the design of park components, including materials and equipment used in parks and playgrounds.
• Determine appropriate design characteristics for a local or neighbourhood parks.
• Determine legal implications involved in the design of a playground.
• Design facilities to cater for movement throughout a park or playground.
• Manage appropriate community participation in development of a park or playground.

• Explain how an understanding of play theory can be applied to the design of a playground.
• Explain how the concept of recreational planning may influence the design of a specified park.
• Determine factors which distinguish park design from home garden design.
• Compare different planning processes used for developing designs for public landscapes, including: advocacy planning, strategic planning and community participation.
• Explain historical influences upon park design, in your locality, including:
  • local history
  • national history.
• Evaluate the functional depreciation of a specified playground over a period of at least ten years.
• Explain the significance of demographic considerations on park design, in a specific locality.
• Evaluate the designs of two different established parks, and two established playgrounds, visited by you.
• Develop a brief for a park plan, through an interview with management of a specific site.