The Corporation of Delta introduced new adventure playgrounds in Tsawwassen and North Delta this week.
The playgrounds are a free, drop-in activity offered until Sept. 3 at the South Delta Recreation Centre and the North Delta Recreation Centre.
Unlike any other playground in Delta, adventure playgrounds provide a space for children to engage in unstructured play and exploration of their surroundings.
Children will have tools and materials to build their own play space and have the freedom to develop skills that will shape their entire lives: resilience, creativity, independence, problem-solving and teamwork.
They will build, create, use their imagination, be adventurous and active, and create a place that currently exists only in their imaginations - all while learning to assess risk.
"Research has indicated the importance of play for a child's development. Outdoor play is becoming less common as structured and sedentary recreation activities become more popular," says Mayor Lois Jackson. "However, these expressions of play don't allow for children to learn to determine risk or solve problems as they would in an unstructured environment, and children are missing out on those experiences."
The adventure playgrounds are intended to re-introduce unstructured play in a fun outdoor space, providing children the opportunity to explore freely, use their imaginations, learn to assess risk and develop important life skills.
