Children will be prepared to play for hours on the Trek. The large play structure mixes ropes, with climbers, seats, and more. School-aged children won’t even know where to start on the structure. Within the myriad of ropes, the rope ladders and Disc Climbs become clear. The open design leaves how they play up to them. Mixed in this forest of ropes, the Active Link sticks out. The triangular shape of the overhead bars mixed with the slanted poles covered in different handholds. Kids will crawl back and forth over the upright posts trying to find new ways to approach it. As they keep playing they’ll eventually look up and see the horizontal ladder nearby and want to climb across. Others might notice the Inclined Wall instead, and run to climb up its slanted surface. Finally, when children have become tired, they can head to any of the PlayShells to take a break.
The benefits to challenge style courses are innumerable. Oftentimes, older children do not feel challenged on the more traditional style structures. With the multiple free-form shapes and unusual climbers, children have to find a way to play. This encourages imaginative play the narrative is no longer forced by themed pieces. Children have to become their own authors of the story. Finally, while obstacle structure typically don’t have decks, they encourage more full body weight work. When there is a surface under their feet on classic structures, they don’t have to balance and support themselves. Moving up a ladder, or climbing up suspended components requires more strength and constant balance.
For a similar system, check out the Peak Adventure. If you are interested just a bit smaller, the Seeker, the Pinta, the Voyage, the Santa Maria, and the Expedition. For a much smaller play system, check out the North Star, Global, Nina, Columbus, and Magellan.
