Types of Play and Planning a Balanced Playground

A playground should give children more than one way to take part. Some will look for height, movement and challenge. Others may want to build, imagine, explore, play with friends or step back from a busy area.

Considering different types of play early helps schools, councils and landscape architects plan for that variety. This shifts the discussion from how many pieces of equipment will fit to which opportunities will suit the children, the wider play space and what is already available nearby.

Which types of play should a playground support?

Researchers have identified as many as 16 types of play that children engage in. These range from active and sensory play to imaginative, social and exploratory play. For a school or community playground, the aim should be to provide a varied mix of opportunities across the whole space.

Many playgrounds naturally focus on active play. A more balanced brief also considers where children can make, imagine, explore, play with others, invent games or choose a quieter level of participation.

Active play, challenge and mastery

Active play includes running, climbing, balancing, swinging and spinning. Children may repeat a route as they become more familiar with it, while different ways through a structure allow them to choose an appropriate challenge.

Graduated heights and difficulty levels provide more useful choices than concentrating every activity at one level. Approach routes, waiting space and circulation also affect who can take part when the playground is busy.

Constructive and imaginative play

Constructive and imaginative play often happen together. Sand, loose materials, diggers, platforms, nooks and open-ended props can become the starting point for building, sorting, pretending and changing a story as play develops.

These opportunities need more than an equipment selection. Sand and water require suitable drainage, while loose resources need storage and a realistic plan for inspection and care. Open-ended elements should give children room to decide what an object or space represents.

Sensory play and exploration

Sensory play can include textures, sounds, movement, planting and tactile elements that give children different ways to explore a play space. Some children actively seek strong movement or sound, while others prefer predictable routes and lower-stimulation choices.

Sensory variety works best when children can approach, use and leave an experience without every route passing through a noisy or highly active area. Planting, landform and natural materials can add further opportunities for observation and discovery when they are integrated into the space rather than treated as decoration.

Social play and different levels of participation

Social participation is not limited to large-group play. A child might play independently, observe others, play alongside another child or join a shared idea.

Consider a mix of individual activities, side-by-side resources, multi-user equipment and gathering points. Small nooks and quieter edges can also let children observe before joining or continue playing away from the centre of a group.

Games with rules and open movement

Not every type of play needs fixed equipment. Open areas can support chasing, ball games, invented rules, informal markings and activities that change from one group to the next.

Allow enough room for the expected number and age of users, including space to wait or watch without blocking a main route. This is especially important where older children or larger school groups will use the playground.

Quiet play, retreat and observation

Low-energy choices are easy to overlook when the focus is on visible equipment. Seats, shaded nooks and calmer edges give children somewhere to pause, talk in a small group, play independently or watch before returning to activity.

These spaces should remain accessible and observable without sitting in a main thoroughfare. A retreat that is difficult to reach or supervise does not provide the same practical choice.

One feature can support several types of play

A feature can support more than one type of play. How it is positioned, who uses it and what surrounds it can all shape the experience.

• A nest swing can offer movement and sensory input. It may be used independently, shared with others or included in a social game.
• A sand-and-digger area can support sensory exploration, construction and imaginative play. Children may work alone, beside one another or on a shared idea.
• A climbing or rope structure can support movement, mastery and age-appropriate challenge. It may also become part of an imagined story or require negotiation when several children use it.

The layout matters just as much. A busy route through a quiet area weakens the purpose of the retreat. A multi-user activity without enough approach or waiting space can create a bottleneck. An accessible route to only one experience provides access, but not a broad choice of ways to participate.

See more playground design ideas for different play types.

How varied play informed Embleton Chase Reserve

The Embleton Chase Reserve project shows how different play opportunities can inform one design response. AECOM’s brief called for imaginative and physical play within a natural, understated setting.

The resulting multi-age playground used a metal structure with timber elements, a range of physical activities and a rocking boat set within a floor-scaped ‘sea’. Together, these choices connected movement and challenge with a wider exploration theme.

The project did not rely on a separate item for every type of play. The brief established the experiences the space should support, then the structure, theme and surrounding elements were developed to work together.

What to consider when planning a playground

Before selecting equipment, look at how the whole space will be used:

• Who will use it? Consider ages, abilities, expected numbers and the needs of carers and supervisors.
• What choices will children have? Look for a balance of movement, challenge, making, imagination, social participation and quieter use.
• What is already available? A school may have courts, gardens or retreat areas elsewhere. A council may provide complementary experiences across several nearby parks.
• How will the space work? Consider circulation, access, sightlines, shade, gathering points and the relationship between high-energy and low-energy areas.
• What can be sustained? Consider budget, durability, storage, drainage and who will manage ongoing inspection and maintenance.

Not every playground needs to include every named type of play. The important point is that gaps are deliberate responses to the users, site and wider network, rather than accidental omissions from an equipment-led plan.

Schools can explore the school playground planning process. Councils, landscape architects and other specifiers can see how we approach community playground design.

If you are planning a school or community play space, talk to an adventure+ playground consultant about the site, intended users and priorities. We can use that information to develop a balanced concept design.