Cultivate inclusive play on your playground today!
The playground hasn’t always nurtured differently-abled kids and can be an extremely isolating place for those with wheelchairs, but commercial playground equipment has come a long way and now provides an inclusive experience for all abilities.
Ready to take your playground to the next level and make it accessible for all kids? MVP Playgrounds explores fun activities for kids with wheelchairs in today’s post.
Create Playground Fun For Everyone
Accessibility is vital for those with wheelchairs — it creates a playground experience where they can participate and play with their peers. New commercial playgrounds must follow ADA guidelines and include accessible equipment to protect the rights of children and eliminate discrimination for those who are differently-abled.
We know how vital play is for kids and their socioemotional growth and development — kids learn about how to cooperate with their peers, the fundamentals of leadership, and teamwork — all as they’re physically active and move their bodies.
This is no different for those who are wheelchair users, but it is important for your facility to recognize their needs and foster an inclusive environment.
When equal participation happens, it supports self-confidence and self-esteem and it also creates tolerance between all the kids. Yes, they recognize the differences, but they all learn they can contribute their talents and skills, regardless of their abilities.
So, let’s get to the good stuff — engaging playground activities for wheelchair users.
Playground Basketball
Basketball is a fun playground activity for all abilities — it cultivates teamwork and communication while being a great activity for kids to get physically active. It’s important to make adjustments as needed which may result in a slightly slower pace or allowing the wheelchair user to hold the ball in their lap as they move, but generally, it’s a really fun and great activity for everyone who participates.
Horse is also another great basketball game because it practices shooting skills that can be done standing or in a wheelchair.
Playground Obstacle Course
An obstacle course may take a few minutes for a teacher to set up, but kids love it! Use the playground basketball course or a large paved open area to set it up. Implement cones, sidewalk chalk, or masking tape to create a path for kids to maneuver through.
You could also incorporate different stations such as a bean bag toss or a hula hoop contest as they move to the next obstacle.
Treasure Hunt
A treasure hunt gets everyone active and makes for a fun playground activity. Turn the playground into your own treasure island, and create teams for kids to work together and find clues to the treasure.
Before getting a clue, have the kids perform an activity such as giving everyone on the other team a high five — once that’s completed, they’re one step closer to the treasure.
Play On Wheelchair-Friendly Play Structures
You can’t beat spending time outdoors on a good ol’ fashion playground! There are a number of ground-level activities wheelchair users can engage in — including tic-tac-toe, bongos, a ship’s wheel, etc —, in addition to having access to the platforms to use slides, with a little help from others.
Create The Best Wheelchair-Friendly Playground With MVP Playgrounds
At MVP Playgrounds, all of our commercial playgrounds slide are ADA-compliant. We carry a vast collection of commercial playground swings that were designed with wheelchair users in mind. Additionally, we can make your playground more wheelchair-friendly by replacing the playground surfacing you use and utilizing a variety of borders and ramps you can incorporate.
Transform your playground into an inclusive area for all abilities. Collaborate with MVP Playgrounds today!
