Playgrounds are unique pieces of architecture in the amount of wear they endure. Most built structures in our daily lives are constructed for an intended purpose: a door for opening and closing, a chair for sitting, a shelf for holding books. Playgrounds must be built to withstand the entire breadth of a child’s imagination of “unintended purposes.” Playground elements will be jumped on, kicked, rattled, and swung on – often by the boundless energy of hundreds, even thousands of children on a daily basis.
As such, no matter how durable a playground is built, it will require future maintenance. It is simply not possible for playgrounds to be sustainably maintained unless they are built using only materials available locally and for a cost that the school can afford to replace when necessary.
This means that in every site we build in, the materials vary, depending on the counsel of local builders. In areas of the world where termites are common, building outdoors with timber is impractical due to the deterioration they can inflict. Metals can be quite expensive, particularly when they are of high quality.
Car tires are often the most viable building material. Used tires are typically low cost and sometimes even free. They are soft and flexible enough to be shaped into endless variations of structures and to prevent injuries from bumps and falls. At the same time, if they are manufactured to withstand the beating of a one-ton vehicle down kilometers of potholed dirt roads, they just might stand a chance against one ton of indomitable children.
The Maze 2 Story is a “nearly entirely tire” multi-story play cubby. Its porous structure allows one to pass though in any way, horizontally or vertically, and creates a multitude of little nooks and crannies to climb through, hide in, or simply sit and chat in with friends.
It can be made infinitely bigger with more poles and tires depending on your needs.
Bridges, spider nets, slides, fireman’s poles or any number of additional elements could be built onto any side to create a play complex. As tire sizes vary, builders should be sure to check for possible entrapments in the finished structure.Refer to our safety manual to read more about “entrapments” and other safety precautions to follow when building for children’s play.
The “Maze 2 Story” is one of our newest designs. So new, in-fact, we haven’t had a chance to build it yet! Want to give it a try?
Follow the link to get the step-by-step instructions for building your own “Maze 2 Story.”(Note: must create a free user account to see full instructions.)
Be sure to let us know if you build the “Maze 2 Story “and, of course, send us photos of your masterpiece!
Got an idea for a playground element?Join our community and submit your designs here.
