Traditionally, playgrounds are for kids. I’m sure most of us have mused about needing adult playgrounds at one time or another. Good news! They exist!! Spain has been building them for a while now for their aging senior population, and now they are starting to pop up in the US as well.
A non-profit company KaBOOM! has partnered up with Humana to build multi-generational playgrounds around the country. In fact, they’ve already built 50.
Sarah Pinsky, of KaBOOM! explains some of the benefits to these playgrounds.
Play is a great connector for adults and seniors and the children in their lives. In addition to the cognitive and physical benefits of play, it can also reduce stress in adults and is proven to help combat toxic stress in kids
In just 6 hours, volunteers can erect a playground that includes traditional child-oriented equipment as well as walking paths and adult fitness stations. The goal is to get families of all ages active and healthy. It’s time to buck the tradition of grandparents sitting on a bench watching the youngins play and reminiscing about the days when they could have fun too. Aging doesn’t make us want to get up and play any less.
President and CEO of Humana, Bruce Broussard is excited about what this partnership will bring to communities.
These playgrounds allow us to promote healthy living in cities across the country. We are proud of our partnership with KaBOOM! and look forward to another successful season of builds. It is important to us to make it easy for people to achieve their best health – kids and adults alike.
Spain has seen a lot of success with these playgrounds and it’s easy to see why.
They’ve found that these “senior playgrounds” promote family cohesion and bonding, stress reduction and health improvements, both physical and mental. They also find a lot of seniors show up at these playgrounds sans-grandchildren. They go to have fun on their own time and socialize with other seniors and it greatly improves their well-being. Humana and KaBOOM! have recognized this and want US residents to enjoy the same benefits.
Marcus French, a Portland, Ore. resident, speaks about the new multi-generational park in his neighborhood.
The playground in my neighborhood has really improved the quality of life for many people who live at Gateway Park. Now, everyone living at Gateway Park has a great place to gather together.
I can’t wait to see these become common place and hopefully, by the time I become a grandparent, I can easily find places like this to go play with my multi-generational family.
