Poppleton

Every single school day, after the last bell has rung, you will see the children of Poppleton, a village close to the English city of York, running to the playground. Swings, slides, carousels, towers and a zipwire – the play opportunities are many and children from all age groups have incorporated it as part of their daily routine, to come and have fun together for a couple of hours. With the park, the community has a new social center, where people come together across age, abilities and cultures. This is the place where the feeling of a neighborhood grows, where adults establish new bonds and playmates become friends. The whole community absolutely loves the new facilities, and people from other villages even travel to Poppleton to use the park.

The park in Poppleton offers play and development in multiple forms for all ages. Besides offering fun & excitement, the two single wooden swing sets next to each other help train young children’s cognitive understanding of cause and effect when swinging in rhythm. Older children will also have fun at the swings, creating games about swinging in the same or different rhythms. Rocking together at the seesaw trains cooperation skills, and the physical contact with others when sitting close together at the beam is great for the well-being of children, since it lowers the level of stress hormones. Playing at the double tower improves physical abilities such as cross-coordination, balance and the vestibular system, just as physical strength, is developed. Looking for more action, the bigger children can go to the cableway. Besides giving them the thrill of an exhilarating ride, the cableway supports the children’s self-esteem, making decisions like positive risk-taking, easier.