Play is an important part of childhood but is often overlooked as a healthy and necessary experience beyond those developmental years. Play areas for preteens and teens are not as common as they should be, but thankfully, there is a shift to make play more inclusive — and part of that includes considering kids of all ages, even older kids.

This also means that designing play spaces for older kids is a unique opportunity for your establishment that can boost business as you draw in families with kids of all ages. Teen-friendly playgrounds also have a positive impact on the community, as they can provide havens for teens who want the same thing that all kids do — to have fun.

The Benefits of Teen Play Areas

Play never stops benefiting a child — it has noticeable advantages from toddlerhood through to tween and teen years. For good reasons, developmental milestones are a significant part of early childhood. These skills do not become any less important as kids grow. Teens can continually grow and hone the skills we focus on in early childhood, with the added benefit of being much more confident in these areas.

Having play spaces for tweens and teens provides the following benefits:

Social Interaction

Play areas are ideal spaces for encouraging healthy interactions between teens. With the backdrop of games, activities and obstacles, teens can build teamwork, strengthen relationships and improve communication skills.

Physical Fitness

Play areas naturally facilitate physical activity as kids climb and move about obstacles. Getting regular exercise is essential for teens’ health — it boosts energy levels, releases tension, increases their muscle strength, keeps weight under control and can help teens fight anxiety and depression.

Stress Relief

It is not uncommon for teens to be overloaded with stress. The struggles teens face should never be overlooked, and one way to be more supportive is by having a play area designed especially for older kids who need a fun and healthy way to relieve stress. The combination of carefree fun, social interaction and physical activities means that play areas can naturally help lower a teen’s stress levels.

Continued Development

With age-appropriate play areas, teens can continue to develop important skills, including fitness, social skills, balance, coordination and teamwork.

Key Design Features for Teen Play Areas

Play areas for tweens and teens can include many of the aspects of classic playgrounds for younger kids, such as having a vivid design, but they do need different elements to be age-appropriate. Keep these key tips in mind when designing playgrounds for older kids and choosing teen play equipment:

  • Make age-appropriate play structures: Elements of play that appeal to pre-teens and teens include fitness activities, arts and crafts, role-playing games, dancing, amusement attractions and adventure activities.
  • Let it have challenging aspects: Teens are always exploring their growing independence and pushing the boundaries with what they are capable of. For your play area to appeal to teens, it should have challenging aspects such as climbing walls or obstacle courses.
  • Make room for interactive elements: Incorporating interactive elements helps keep teens interested in the options your establishment offers. For example, you could design your business’s play areas with control panels and interactive features like a leaderboard to captivate teens.
  • Prioritize safety and accessibility: Regardless of the age group your establishment is catering to, all playground designs should be accessible and prioritize safety.

Choosing Equipment for a Teen Play Area

At Soft Play, we design and manufacture equipment that fosters immersive interactive play for kids of all ages, including older kids. These play products make it easy to create age-appropriate play structures for teens:

Skycourse Non-Belayed High Adventure Course

Few play areas could appeal more to teens than our fun and exciting Skycourse! Our Skycourse provides a high rope course that does not require harnesses. The Skycourse has different levels of challenge, making it ideal for kids of different ages and abilities. The adventure and obstacle course elements of this design ensure that older kids are fully engaged while simultaneously providing an immersive experience for younger kids.

Your establishment enjoys the wonder of the Skycourse, too! Operating and maintenance costs are low, you can install it indoors or outdoors and you can request custom designs to suit your establishment’s needs.

Skyropes Belayed High Ropes Adventure Course

If you want to impress teens, the Soft Play Skyropes High Ropes Adventure Course is the way to go! Your business can install Skyropes indoors or outdoors and can request custom designs for a one-of-a-kind obstacle course that teenagers will love.

One of the standout features of the Skyropes Adventure course that teens will appreciate is the variety of difficulty levels that make it as challenging and thrilling as kids want it to be.

The Hive Obstacle Course

The Hive is the ultimate obstacle course for engaging teenagers! The Hive is a one-of-a-kind obstacle course unlike any other on the market. It has several unique features that make it one of the most standout kid’s obstacle courses on the market:

  • An eye-catching hexagonal core
  • Adventure ropes for a fun climbing challenge
  • A ball obstacle
  • A no-fly zone for monitoring and containing the game
  • A scoreboard that boosts the stakes for the more competitive teens
  • A hammock zone that makes the perfect rest area
  • Performance mats for lasting durability

Stomp

Stomp is a great interactive play attraction that you can easily incorporate into your existing play area or into a custom design. The game is as easy as it is challenging — hop on to the game to stomp and tap as quickly and as much as possible to raise the meter!

Stomp provides fun for the entire family — from young kids to teens and even adults — and it is suited to all ages and abilities. Other benefits of adding Stomp to your establishment play area include:

  • It can boost balance and motor skills as kids hop from one foot to another.
  • The “stomping” is a good cardio workout, so teens get in some exercise without even realizing it.
  • The fun, competitive nature of the game facilitates healthy social interactions.

Discover Age-Appropriate Play Solutions and Services With Soft Play

Having a play area for teens shows that your establishment values families with kids of all ages and abilities. At Soft Play, we’re a team of experts who design and manufacture quality, ADA-compliant equipment play equipment for various industries, including retail spaces, restaurants, faith centers, recreation centers, daycares, amusement parks and other establishments.

With our products and services, you can create customized and interactive play areas to match your business and patrons’ needs. Browse our products to start creating your custom play area, or contact us to request a quote today!