Enjoy A Playground all Year Long, part 4

Two ways communities can prepare public playgrounds for spring:
 
* Today’s article was written by Meagan Deacon... it was a bit long so I've split it into a few parts... today is part 1.   Megan invites our readers to check out ParknPool - the leading online supplier of commercial grade site amenities and furnishings such as picnic tables, park benches, trash receptacles, drinking fountains, bleachers and playgrounds. It is important to us that all kids and adults spend as much time in the outdoors as possible. For more information visit  http://www.parknpool.com.

Part 1 published September 17^th: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/2015/09/enjoy-playground-all-year-long-part-1.html

Part 2 published September 20^th: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/2015/09/enjoy-playground-all-year-long-part-2.html

Part 3 published September 23^rd: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/2015/09/enjoy-playground-all-year-long-part-3.html

One great way to welcome Spring in your town or community is to dress up public parks and playgrounds. These communal areas are ideal for families to gather with friends and neighbors for an afternoon picnic or a session enjoying the playground. Of course, these public parks or backyard playgrounds may need a little tender, love and care before they are fully ready for use.

• Check for Equipment Wear and Tear: Most playground equipment is designed to be strong and safe for years to come, but it never hurts to be cautious when dealing with something children use on a regular basis. As the snow and ice begins to melt away, one of the first things your town's park and recreation department should focus on is inspecting the condition of local playgrounds. After several months of winter snow and inconsistent maintenance, it's possible that a fair amount of weather damage could have occurred. The next step should be to start working on the park grounds. For starters, months of suffocating under heavy snow may have left the grassy lawns of the park brown, dead or in an unattractive state. You may want to inspect the quality of any wood chips, rubber padding, or other soft material around the playgrounds as well.

• Incorporate Spring Elements: Consider planting a variety of colorful and beautiful flowers in garden patches around the space to create an inviting seasonal appeal. You may also want to add some new paint to any areas of the playground that may need a little extra color, such as park benches, water fountains, or shelters. When you feel that your playground equipment and park grounds are almost ready for public use, the last step is sprucing up the area for Spring!
  
  * Note from Lillian Brummet: Consider getting together with other family members, friends or members of other groups to clean up playgrounds, trails, beaches and other places that you plan to frequent that year. Have members keep an eye out for places that could use some cleanup activities and get them to bring it to everyone's attention. As a group, these activities can be fun. Games and prizes can be created. Special meals can be prepared.
  
  
  
  
  Award-winning authors Dave and Lillian Brummet:
  
  http://www.twitter.com/brummet
  http://www.facebook.com/lillian.brummet 
  http://www.linkedin.com/in/ldbrummet http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com
  https://plus.google.com/u/0/110939008901230737529