Kids more likely to use customized playgrounds

Specially tailored playgrounds met their goals of increasing kids' use and physical activity, in a new study from the Netherlands, reports Reuters.

The Richard Krajicek Foundation creates public playgrounds – known as Krajicek playgrounds - in deprived neighborhoods there. Each playground has a unique design based on the needs of the kids who are most likely to use it.

Each playground is supervised during the busiest times, and coaches are responsible for organizing activities. Given the positive findings of the new study, researchers say that in underprivileged neighborhoods, adding supervised activities and equipment could increase use of regular playgrounds that are underused and often left deserted.

“Providing playgrounds . . . that provide a motivating and socially safe play environment will increase physical activity and will have – little but relevant – impact on public health,” said lead author Evert Verhagen of VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam in an email to Reuters Health.

“The problem of inactivity and . . . lifestyle related disorders is greatest in deprived neighborhoods where safe play opportunities are limited,” Verhagen said.

As reported in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, the researchers randomly chose 10 of the 99 Krajicek playgrounds and 10 typical playgrounds as comparisons. Specially trained college students observed the playgrounds for four days to determine the number of children and their intensity of physical activity at the playgrounds.