Many young families will tell you having a great park or playground just beyond their front door matters as much as any features inside their home.
“Parks and playgrounds aren’t just amenities. They’re placemaking elements that encourage everyday connection, movement, and memory making. These shared spaces bring neighbors together, spark spontaneous interaction, and provide natural gathering zones for all ages. Ultimately, they help shape the story and spirit of a neighborhood,” says Brad Blank, division president of Tri Pointe Homes DC Metro.
As a central part of a new build development, park and playground design has evolved to offer more enriching experiences for the whole family. Designs also represent a growing need for inclusive and accessible play, with multi-generational households, and households with neurodivergent persons, on the rise.
“Playground design is increasingly focused on creating spaces that invite cross-generational engagement and support the way kids naturally play, through movement, exploration, and social connection. We are seeing demand for playgrounds that promote physical, sensory, and cognitive development in more engaging ways,” says David Sheedy, vice president of sales for Playworld.
As you shop for a new home, look for these six playground and park trends in your community’s play spaces, from inclusive designs to natural playgrounds, to space dedicated to free play.
1. Accessible Play with Sensory Touches
“Most playground design has moved beyond checking the ADA compliance box. Inclusive play today means creating environments where people of all abilities can play collectively. That includes ground-level access to high-value activities, and multiple levels of challenge built into the same equipment, allowing visitors of all ages and abilities to find opportunities for engagement,” says Sheedy.
Also important are sensory-rich features, which may include:
Water or sand tables.
Musical or textured panels on play equipment.
Talking tubes.
Bright, visually engaging colored equipment.
Balance beams or merry-go-rounds.
2. Hill Play
Hill play, where a natural or artificial slope is integrated into playground design, is a great example of how design is guiding play opportunities naturally. A slide, tunnel, or climbing ropes (netting or rope ladders) is worked into the slope. This design works well in smaller spaces, so is a good choice in a pocket park, or as part of a larger playground layout.
”Hill play is one trend that speaks to this growing interest in integrating the environment with play spaces. These features encourage children to engage dynamically with the environment through climbing, sliding, and exploring different physical challenges while promoting creative, unstructured play,” says Sheedy.
3. Space for Free Play
Free play is a powerful force in childhood development. Unstructured green space is the right environment for kids to explore and follow their imaginations.
“At Amalyn in Bethesda, open green spaces like Station Park allow for imaginative, unstructured play. Think soccer scrimmages, cartwheels, or sunset tag. These spaces are also perfect for neighborhood picnics, spontaneous playdates, or simply relaxing under the trees,” says Blank.
4. Lifestyle-Focused Park Space
The whole family can engage meaningfully when their local park is designed for all-age activities.
“Communities are asking for features that support cross-generational recreation, such as fitness zones, hammocking areas, interactive games, and gathering spaces and amenities that invite caregivers, grandparents, and other family members to participate in the play environment,” says Sheedy.
For broader use of park space across generations, “We’re seeing a shift away from traditional playgrounds toward flexible, lifestyle-forward spaces. Rather than creating a centralized play area, elements are intentionally distributed throughout the park to invite exploration and create a sense of flow and discovery,” says Blank, about Tri Pointe’s design approach Northpark in Bethesda.
This includes art installations, sculptural play elements, walking and biking trails, and a community amphitheater for cultural and musical events.
5. Natural Playgrounds
Nature-inspired design is trending in homes. and playgrounds are following suit, with natural elements doing double duty for play. Think leafy tree canopies, hollowed log tunnels, log-style climbers, boulders and rock formations for climbing, bridges over streams or creeks, shaded areas, and sandboxes.
In addition to the opportunity for imaginative play, natural playgrounds re-enforce children’s connection with nature, with calming benefits, while providing a great place for physical play in a fresh air environment.
6. Sustainable Materials
Sustainability matters to new build homeowners, at home and in their neighborhood amenities, Park and playground designers are responding with a focus on sustainable materials. Look for:
Climbing structures, swings, slides, and other play equipment, made from recycled plastics, polymers, and rubber.
Ground fill, including recycled rubber mulch and play platforms.
Recycled tires to round edges on playground equipment.
Ropes courses made from fishing nets.
Water features that collect rainwater or re-circulate water for play.
Bio-degradable materials, such as wood chips, bark, leaves, and natural timber.
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