Playgrounds Are Being Completely Overhauled in Response to Climate Change

Playgrounds all around the United States are being ripped up and redone. The schoolyards of the US have often been merely stretches of asphalt with little tree coverage. With the steady increase in temperatures across the country and beyond, that defining characteristic of playgrounds is in major need of an overhaul. The heat-absorbing nature of the pavement that has long been used will not be safe enough for children, as climate change will continue to send temperatures to all-time highs.

Many schools are feeling a sense of urgency to ensure kids can continue to play without worrying about the health risks that come with extreme heat. Children growing up in a climate crisis deserve to have as much of a carefree childhood as they can within a world that is burning, and we will just have to adjust our schoolyards accordingly.

The Dangers of Current Playgrounds

As climate change raises temperatures, most cities have neglected to pour the necessary resources into their infrastructure. Overall, cities have not properly prepared against the effects of extreme heat, despite adjustments being made for weather events such as flooding or storms. Playgrounds in particular have seemed to be last on the list of what cities deem fit to focus on overhauling. Now, with new temperature records being broken every year, schools are taking swift action.

The increasing worry regarding playground safety in high temperatures has highlighted their typical absence of greenery and shade. Without vegetation, playgrounds consist solely of materials that absorb sunlight, significantly intensifying the heat and reflecting it back onto the children playing. The heat is even worse in low-income areas that tend to be densely populated with little tree cover, existing in an “urban heat island effect.” This effect causes those areas to experience higher temperatures than other parts of the city. Schools in these areas are in particularly dire need of change to keep children safe.

Warmer playgrounds are raising the risk of contact burns and heat-related illnesses in children, considering surface temperatures can rise to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Some school playgrounds around the country, such as those in Los Angeles, have even reached up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Many playgrounds have been constructed using rubber and artificial turf as alternatives to pavement, but these materials can actually reach higher temperatures than traditional pavement.

Changes Being Made

Ripping up the asphalt in playgrounds and overhauling these spaces entirely will unfortunately be an expensive, but necessary, endeavor. The cost will be higher in city schools compared to those within suburban neighborhoods, as city schools simply have more concrete. Typically, the cost of renovating these playgrounds ranges from $400,000 to as much as $2.5 million, but thankfully nonprofits have helped some projects come to fruition. Nonprofits, such as Trust for Public Land, have lent a hand to some schools while dramatically cutting costs. City water departments tend to fund these nonprofits since they benefit as well. Reducing concrete will create spaces that can better absorb storm runoff, providing additional benefits to playgrounds beyond just addressing rising temperatures.

Much more shade coverage will be provided in playgrounds, as that is sorely needed in a country that often only has some grass and a few shrubs as greenery around the equipment. They will also be integrating artificial turf that will collect groundwater that is then used to irrigate the existing plants around the schoolyards. Although these changes will be costly, they are absolutely essential to protect future generations. They will ensure that even in the face of a warming world, children can still enjoy their time outdoors.