The serious business of seesaws and swings in Edmonton

Community playgrounds can provide hours of fun for children, but developers take the design of today’s tot lots as serious business, as they stretch out their imaginations to provide the most engaging and inclusive play areas and equipment for families.

Parents can spend an idyllic afternoon with their young children in the playgrounds of many of Edmonton’s new communities. It’s the spot to let the kids burn off excess energy, and for the grown-ups to socialize with their neighbours.

Nowadays, it isn’t just seesaws and slides and swing sets that comprise a playground, many in the newer communities have more elaborate set-ups that look more like some fun dreamscape.

Monkey bars that kids don’t only swing from but can twist and turn around in, imaginative jungle gyms of all sorts of shape and colour that challenge creativity, rubberized mats instead of gravel and sand that reduce the risk of scraped knees and elbows. The common refrain from grown-ups: “where were all these when we were growing up?”

But it’s not all fun and games when it comes to designing these playgrounds. We spoke with a few of Edmonton’s developers to see what goes into planning this most integral building block of today’s communities.

Cantiro

Cantiro has won hearts and minds for its southeast community of The Hills at Charlesworth, and even international acclaim as it won at the prestigious Royal Town Planning Institute International Award for Planning Excellence in 2020 for its Sustainability Plaza. The playground as part of this central amenity brings so much more to it.

With year-around outdoor activities to take part in such as disc golf, skating or gardening, the Sustainability Plaza creates a central gathering place for residents and their families.

According to Jill Footz, a writer for the Family Fun Edmonton website, the playground at The Hills at Charlesworth “is visually gorgeous,” and fires up their imagination in a variety of ways.

“It’s a beautiful space to sit back and watch your kids find their way. It will be lovely for winter visits, too, as there is a terrific toboggan hill,” she says.
Cantiro Communities worked with a designer from Helsinki, Finland to design and fabricate The Hills at Charlesworth’s playground - a first-of-its-kind installation in Canada which also features solar-powered lights.

Their success here has inspired Cantiro to bring even more imagination into their playgrounds in the next major development of Alces.

Nick Young, Director, Land Development, Cantiro Communities, says playgrounds play an integral part in creating the bonds of community, as they establish a central location for families to gather. “They’re great for parents with young children to promote physical activity while enjoying the outdoors. Playgrounds also engage children in imaginative play and creativity while fostering interaction.”

Cantiro puts in plans for its playgrounds early in the development of their communities, Young says.

“When planning a new community, we evaluate the landscape and available space to see how a playground can be integrated. This includes a review of the demographic needs of the community and understanding what types of families will be living there and using this space.”

These values come into play as Cantiro starts work in their new community of Alces, also in the southeast. “We have a new park space opening this summer in the community of Alces. This space will include a playground, a bicycle pump track, basketball courts and plenty of seating and gathering spaces for friends and family.”

Young says typical materials used are - metal, plastic, wood. “When looking at full build out, we have to ensure there is continuity between the aesthetic of the community and playground but also be mindful of safety and longevity of materials within the climate.”

For more about Alces, go to LiveAlces.ca. More information about The Hills at Charlesworth, go to cantiro.ca.

Mattamy Homes

Gathering hubs, playgrounds and nature are the key ingredients to Mattamy’s communities. The renowned land developer and homebuilder takes extra effort in evoking a sense of home in all their developments, especially so in the new Edmonton communities of Stillwater in the northwest, and Hearthstone in Sherwood Park.

“We strongly believe that the open park spaces are the most important element of our communities, and we design our developments around them,” says

Mark Bortoluzzi, Director of Land Development at Mattamy. “Open spaces for people to gather and get outdoors promotes mental and physical health and fosters community engagement. This is what makes great communities, and it starts in our parks.”

Mattamy hires a team of professionals who specialize in park spaces. “It starts with progressive community programming to ensure the locations and size of each green space is appropriate. We work with leaders in the municipality to help us understand the need of the community, then landscape architects and expert playground programmers work with us to activate and program each park space to be accessible for all ages and abilities.”

Hearthstone in Sherwood Park was launched in 2022 and welcomed first residents the following year. They now have a state-of-the-art playground to enjoy. Their first feature park in Hearthstone uses the PlayTurf rubber surface to prevent cuts and scrapes as well as a more vibrant, colourful environment. It includes swings, a double tower play structure with curly slide and a large zip line, “which we installed in a few other communities in Alberta, and always seem to be the main attraction,” Bortoluzzi says.

In the more established community of Stillwater, residents enjoy a wide range of outdoor recreational amenities including an outdoor hockey rink, splash park and a homeowners association club house. This unique community amenity is integrated into a 15-acre natural area that includes intricate pathway system and a boardwalk. Find out more about both communities at mattamyhomes.com

Qualico Communities

Qualico Communities is one of the biggest developers in Alberta with more than 20 current developments in the Edmonton area alone. The developer has always believed in having amenities already in place in their communities even before the first residents come in. Chief among these are the playgrounds.

In the new community of Meadowview in Leduc, Qualico built a Dinosaour Playground that is inspired by the history of the area.

“This playground was playground was inspired by the discovery of a Hadrosaur fossil in the area in 2013,” says Qualico Communities’ Emily Stamper. Hypacrosaurus (a type of Hadrosaur) lived about 68 million years ago and measured up to 12 metres in length.

“The dinosaur theme is apparent throughout the play area, including a towering tree slide, dinosaur skeleton structures and prehistoric eggs,” she adds. It can be found at the corner of Morris Avenue & Meadowview Gate. Find out more about Meadowview at liveinmeadowview.com.

Brand new is the playground in the new community of Marquis in northeast Edmonton. “The Marquis playground is home to the first Yalp Memo in Western Canada!” Stamper says.

The Yalp Memo is an interactive play structure with seven columns that are equipped with sound and 360-degree LED touch screens that produce arcade-like visual effects – allowing users to play multiple games that exercise both body and mind. The playground includes a tower, slides, swings, a sensory wall, monkey bars, and a merry go round that generates light and sound. There is also a toddler park for little ones to enjoy!

Go to liveinmarquis.com to find out more about this new community.

Rohit Communities

Rohit Communities has a long history of developing many of Alberta’s best loved communities and in their latest developments in the Edmonton region – Cambrian in Sherwood Park; Kinglet Gardens in northeast Edmonton; and Chérot in St. Albert – amenities remain the priority. Chief among them is the playground.

Rohit Division Marketing Manager, Daisy Lieu, says the developer believes playgrounds foster a sense of community, providing a gathering space for families and promotes social interactions and neighbourly bonding.

“Additionally, there is a lot of development and therapeutic growth that can happen in a playground environment. For example, children can improve their strength and gross motor skills in a playground setting, learn body awareness, sensory regulation, executive functioning skills and build on self-esteem.”

Cambrian prides itself as one of the most exclusive enclaves in Sherwood Park, where homes offer an escape from the urban jungle into an urbane, peaceful residential neighborhood that works with nature rather than against it.

“Cambrian is a ravine community where you find everything in one place,” says Scott Rudman, Senior Project Manager, Rohit Land Development.

The kick off for Kinglet Garden was such an eye opener, as the playground featured prominently at the launch of the community. “It was a big hit for the kids,” Lieu says.

Opened in September 2022, the Kinglet Gardens playground was intentionally designed to promote physical activity and fitness through play. It promotes fitness in youths through 6 elements (balancing, spinning, brachiating, sliding, climbing, and swinging). “The park has become the heart of the Kinglet neighbourhood that enables and promotes community building,” says Senior Project Manager, Leanne Ure. “While children have fun, they can also learn how to grow veggies and fruit in the Community Garden.”

The next playground milestone was in September 2023, when they opened the Paris playground in Chérot. A definite highlight is the specially crafted replica of the Eiffel Tower, standing at 25 feet tall, instantly catching the eye as you enter the neighborhood!

“The quaint replica lanterns scattered throughout the playground add to the French-inspired ambiance felt throughout the area,” says Senior Project Manager, Jim Killoh. “We are eagerly anticipating the planning phase for the next playground in Chérot, slated for development in 4-5 years.”

Just last October, Rohit Communities unveiled the new Cambrian Playground in Sherwood Park. Drawing inspiration from the vast fields of wheat that resemble oceans in Alberta, this unique playground is designed to evoke a sense of movement even when standing still. “It stands out as the first playground in Strathcona County to prominently feature natural materials. With its innovative design, the Cambrian Playground integrates parkour-style elements for more advanced play, while also offering many opportunities for climbing activities,” Lieu says.

While the Woodhaven Pocket Park was meant to be a destination after kilometers of trail walking the Wedgewood Creek Ravine. “A playground as colorful as the Oilers it hopes to be nicknamed the ‘Oiler Playground’ with natural elements Is a beautiful place to spend the day with family and friends enjoying the quiet that the Woodhaven neighbourhood brings,” says Ure.

The playground is nestled in the community and surrounded by the ravine. “We used wood chips to mimic the natural setting and used the rubber surface where potential falls might occur. The park includes nature-looking climbing structures and a rope maze leading to the slide. Saucer swings are great to enjoy with friends.”

For more information about these Rohit developments, go to rohitgroup.com