For years, standard playgrounds were platformed with a solid blacktop or concrete surface and all too frequently contained the standard slide and swing set. A display of monkey bars might have been a part of the package of fun as well for more advanced setups.

However, today’s playgrounds are far more advanced and sophisticated, with a mixture of aesthetically pleasing features and equipment with deeper purposes in mind for today’s youth. And the surfaces, of course, are foamy, soft and spongy.

Inclusive and sensory

In bygone eras, playgrounds seemingly were standard — or, at the very least, they closely resembled one another.

The same cannot be said of the modern era of play equipment. A growing number of municipalities, schools, and park districts seemingly aspire to put their own stamp on local playgrounds with custom designs from a pool of contractors with expertise in the field.

But there are some common threads among today’s playgrounds with inclusivity in mind. Many of today’s playgrounds have all-abilities features. Wheelchair-accessible equipment has been on the rise, for instance.

Playground experts — coupled with educators, psychologists and others in the childcare arena — have also been a part of the movement toward sensory equipment. Many of today’s designs are intended to engage children with all five of their senses that could intermingle sights, textures and sounds.

Playgrounds are getting smart, too

It is no secret kids today are tech savvy. With this phenomenon in mind, it has been translating to modern playground setups.

Digital technological tools are being integrated into playground design features and are being touted as a means of creating interactive and immersive experiences for children in a way they can relate to in the contemporary age.

Examples of smart playgrounds include the use of QR codes and apps to partake in interactive games, treasure hunts and other time-honored childhood traditions that can have a modern twist incorporated into their recreational experiences.