Outdoor Play Equipment for Children With Special Needs

Playing outdoors can be a fun and refreshing activity for children. Playing on toys, interacting with others and learning cooperation and motor skills can all be enjoyed. However, for those children with special needs, it can be much more difficult to experience these joys. Most outdoor play equipment is not designed with these children in mind. However, special equipment does exist that allows special needs children to have the same experiences as every other child.

• Sandboxes can be great in playgrounds, as they give less active children the ability to sit and play. They allow creativity to flow as children push sand around and build castles. Raised sandboxes can allow those in wheelchairs to still enjoy the sand and interact with others in the sandbox.


• Wheelchair swings are specially designed to accommodate a wheelchair. A ramp folds down from the front of a platform allowing a wheelchair to be rolled onto the stand.  The ramp then folds up to help secure the wheelchair in place and a push can be given to start the swinging.


• A bird’s nest swing can help accommodate those who don’t have the fine motor skills to swing in a regular swing but are not wheelchair bound. The user can sit or lie in the concave “nest” and get pushed by someone else.


• Bounce houses are good options for special needs children if the number allowed inside is limited. Because the walls and floor are soft and filled with air, injuries due to falling are reduced due to the soft surfaces. 


• Simple raised wheelchair bridges can give wheelchair occupants a mental and physical challenge in steering over the bridge. Teamwork skills can also be improved upon if someone else is pushing the wheelchair.


• Wheelchair roundabouts are modified to allow wheelchairs to be strapped on the spinning platform. Ramps attached to the platform give users an easy way to get on and off and the ramp then folds up to give added security. Some roundabouts include both wheelchair securing devices and regular seating so that children of all abilities can play together.