Mobile playgrounds coming to Calgary

Most kids like making stuff and sometimes they like demolishing it right after.

One summer-long pilot program by the city will allow them to do just that.

Mobile Adventure Playgroundswill rotate weekly at five parks North Glenmore, Canyon Meadows, Riley Park, Canmore Park andForest Lawn from June 24 to Oct. 1.

It will also be at various city Unplug 'n Play events throughout the summer.

• Playgrounds begin to focus on riskier play
• School zones now playground zones in Calgary

"They're a new way to play for kids," Julie Guimond, an environmental leader with the citytold the Calgary Eyeopener.

"We're doing all of this so kids have that freedom to explore, to build, to imagine, because play is more than just the physical skills they build.

"We want to them to also build the social and emotional skills during play."

Rather than being made up of fixed structures like monkey bars and swings, the mobile playgrounds sees an area marked off within the park and a multitude of materials set out.

"This playground is going to have things like wood and cardboard, it's going to have PVC pipes, tires, tape, even tools, so kids will be able to build this stuff," said Guimond.

City staff will also serve as "play ambassadors," said Guimond.

"They aren't there to lead the play but to supervise and help facilitate the kids and also to help the parents because it's going to be a little hard, I think in some ways, for us parents to sort of let go and let our kids lead the play," she said.

"But we know when kids lead play it's better play.They learn more in it.They learn social skills.They learn problem-solving skillsand conflict management, and resiliency, and all those things we want our children to build."

Most of the materials used will be collected from other city departmentsto cutdown on costs, saidGuimond.

Adventure playgrounds have been in Europe for decades.

The pilot is being funded by $300,000 grant from Lawson Foundation aimed at improving opportunities for kids to get outside and be active.

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener