Earthscape Play
7215 Wellington Rd. 86 N0B 2S0 Elmira, ON, Canada

Some favourite green playground features in honour of St. Patrick’s Day! The green water strider at Riverside Park in @cityofguelph by @karolina636 ... The green grass tower at John Ball Zoo in @grandrapidsparks by @michellekristinephotos The carrot balance beam and asparagus climber at St. James Park in @torontopfr by @karolina636 #stpatricksday #green #playgrounddesign #playgrounddesigner #playgrounds #sustainableliving #woodisgood #kidsatplay #landscapedesign #landarch #earthscapeplay

How many eggs hidden in these photos at St.James park?! Hoppy Easter to those who are celebrating! #happyeaster #stjamespark #egghunt #howmanyeggs #playgrounddesign #playground #toronto #placemaking #market #stlawrencemarket #kidsatplay #accessibleplayground #urbanspace #urbandesign @karolina636 ... @stjamesparkto @pmalarch @torontopfr See more

Spring time is asparagus time! Perhaps something to pick up on your next visit to the market? Or maybe you'll be getting an ice cream conethis weekend...just don't drop it like this one at St. James Park in Toronto. A great playground project collaboration with @pmalarch for @cityofto. Cared for by amazing volunteers that are a part of @stjamesparkto Photos by @karolina636 ... #playgrounddesign #toronto #landscapearchitect #landscapearchitecture #design #urbanspaces #sustainabledesign #sustainablearchitecture #custom #asparagus #playgroundstructure #accessibleplayground #placemaking #urbandesign #citybuilding #condolife

It's Fri-yay! The clocks are moving ahead, vaccines are coming and SPRING is coming! These @gdshoppers kids are experiencing the ultimate in unprescribed play. No obvious routes, no rules, just engaged brains and bodies. In unusual play environments, kids interact with each other to share strategies, tips, ideas, experiences. They watch and learn from one another and they encourage and challenge one another. The rock outcrop sculpture at GDS is a great example of gradua...ted play - some things are easy, some are very challenging! #playoutside #landscapearchitecture #riskyplay #bespokedesign #rockoutcrop #woodforgood #sustainability #woodplayground #schoolplayground #landarch #sustainabledesign #designmore #architecture #fantasticplaygrounds

Made it to the top! Climbing through the @gdshoppers towers is a crazy adventure. We very consciously designed for different challenges, materials and routes to create an epic play experience. Not every child will be ready for this when they first experience the playground. Play opportunities are deliberately scaled so there is something to go back to do - something to work toward. A great collaboration with Lemon Brooke with photos by Jason Putsche... #gdshoppers #landscapearchitecture #playgrounddesign #schoolplayground #tower #wood #sustainabledesign #sustainability #childrenatplay #kidsatplay #bespokedesign #custommade

A lovely blog about creative playscapes on Reasons to be Cheerful!

Looking forward to working on this new playscape in Aspen!

Sliding into a new week! The first Monday of spring and we are ready for it! Don’t forget to play and look for the signs of hope. @gdshoppers #earthscapeplay #schoolplayground #playgrounddesign #playgrounddesigns #slide #tubeslide #woodplayground #woodisgood #sustainabledesign #urbandesign #landscapearchitecture #washingtondc

A wonderful video of Joyner Park in Wake Forest, North Carolina shared by our collaborators, CLH design, p.a. - Landscape Architecture and Civil Engineering! The playground is a playful and colourful take on the old saying The early bird catches the worm.

Sea turtles and starfish. It’s how the story of the Glazer Family playground at the St. Pete Pier begins! As the baby turtles move from their sandy beach nest toward the sea, what do they encounter? The turtles and starfish were artfully carved by @carverkingspaulandjacob for this junior play zone. @charedphoto @sunshinecitykids ... #playgrounddesign #playground #playgrounds #starfish #seaturtle #landacapearchitecture #architecture #destination #placemaking #stpetepier #glazerfamilyplayground #play #kids #sculpture #carving

Nathan on graduated challenge: If you have a composite play structure for ages five to 12, ask yourself, ‘Would a five or six-year-old be able to master every aspect of the playground on their first visit?’ said Schleicher. If the answer is yes, then you are underestimating the value and reward of that ‘Look what I can do’ moment where a kid achieves something that was a bit too hard last time they visited.... Schleicher explained if you have low-challenge equipment you may be inviting unintended play and even hazard. Numerous times I’ve seen bigger kids on top of the roof of a play structure; a lack of things for their abilities is, without a doubt, the culprit, he said. An expanded range of graduated challenges leads to a wider range of reward for all ages.

The lifeguard tower overlooks the Glazer Family Playground at the @stpetepier in @stpetefl Interior rope play and multiple slides make this a fun play zone for kids of all ages and different risk tolerance levels! It offers some super cool views of the Lier and the amazing sculptural net by @janetechelman @charedphoto ... @sunshinecitykids @jules.livin.life @guinn_mums13 @melissa_sontheimer #playground #playgrounddesign #landscapearchitecture #landarch #playgroundstructure #earthscapeplay #playgrounds #custommade #design #play #kids #placemaking #destination

The marine-themed Glazer Family Playground at the St.Pete Pier is an epic play experience inside and out! @stpetepier Collaboration: @stpetefl @warchandland @charedphoto @sunshinecitykids ... #landscapearchitecture #glazerfamilyplayground #stpetepier #playground #playgrounddesign #adventureplayground #customplayground #bespokeplayground #playgroundsaroundtheworld #placemaking #destination #playableart

Happy Fall Friday! Exhibition Park was one of our very first municipal projects in the The City of Guelph and it won an Award of Excellence from Parks and Recreation Ontario back in 2016. Today our Project Manager, Dan’s kids are out enjoying the playscape with fall colours in their glory with their mom, Lisa (a Landscape Architect in our residential division Earthscape Ontario.)... #exhibtionpark #guelph #landscapearchitecture #landscapearchitects #playgrounddesign #woodplayground #climbing #steps #slide #outdoorplay #naturalplayground #adventureplayground

We are creating a special playground in Hagersville that includes First Nations symbolism. The bench is by Carver Kings Paul and Jacob Frenette and it features moccasins from the Moccasin Identifier Project. The moccasin is of the Aaniishnaabe, Woodland culture. This will be one of the most significant examples of a moccasin marking. The only one more substantial is at Trillium Park next to Ontario Place. The playscape will also include 3 canoe sculptures for children to... climb in and on. They are identified with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation logo. We will begin construction soon and can’t wait to show the result! #moccasins #firstnationspeople #canoe #mississaugaofthenewcreditfirstnation #firstnationscanada #Aaniishnaabe #carverkingspaulandjacob #carverkings #reliefsculpture #moccasinidentifierproject #earthscapeplay #childcareplayground

#Repost @stpetepier Happy Monday Sunshine City! #landscapearchitecture #playgrounddesign #stpetekids #earthscapeplay #playground #customplayground #amazingplayground #floridalife #bestplayground #playgroundsaroundtheworld

We are so excited to show some initial photos of the incredible new playground at @gdshoppers in Washington, DC. This was a project with Lemon Brooke Landscape Architecture and the school. A huge thanks to the school for sharing these images! Reposted from @gdshoppers PLAYGROUND ... In the months and years ahead, GDS students of all ages will play (and play and play!!) on these unique climbing structures whose designs takes their cues from our school mascot, the grasshopper, and a strong focus on the concept of biophilialove of nature. When Lower School students visit in small groups next week, they will have the chance to use the equipment one at a time American Ninja Warrior style. . The playground fosters students' wonderment, imagination, and creativity as well as a deep-rooted connection to nature and commitment to environmental stewardship. Most importantly, the complexity of the play pieces reinforces the capacities that GDS strives to teach every student, challenging them to explore new perspectives, create their own narrative, take risks, learn from failure, and build their confidence as lifelong, joyful learners. . Thanks to @earthscapeplay and Lemon Brooke Landscape Architecture for this playground! Many more photos and videos to follow as we explore more of our outdoor play spaces. . #play #playground #outdoors #exploration #biophilia #creativity #climbing #playing #landscapearchitecture #playgrounddesign See more

We are so incredibly happy to have been involved in the creation of this amazing playscape with Georgetown Day School and Lemon Brooke LLC - we cannot WAIT to see it full of kids. It has been a wonderful, collaborative design process for such a unique space and a united GDS community.

Designing and building playgrounds is one part of our jobs. The other is testing out the result! Nathan took his son to one of our newly opened playgrounds in @myrichmondhill to check out David Hamilton Park. The conch sculpture is a non-prescriptive okay piece and this video illustrates exactly why! #slide #conchshell #sculpture #playableart #playgrounddesign #playgrounddesigner #gatheringspace #customplayground #playscape #richmondhill #parkdesign

Our playground designer Nathaniel Grant is featured in this story about the newest playground in his hometown of Orillia. Nat most often designs playgrounds with our US clients so it was extra special to him to design one for the community where he grew up! Check it out:

Hiring! We are looking for an IT and Systems Coordinator to join our Earthscape Play team! We have the job posted on our website and are looking to hire ASAP! If you know anyone local who may be interested, please share! The IT & Systems Coordinator will be responsible for working with various departments to maintain and/or implement new technologies to improve our company. The role ensures that systems hardware and software and related procedures are stable, current, and support organizational growth. Additionally, the IT & Systems Coordinator will stay informed of emerging technologies to be able to properly maintain appropriate technological environments to meet Earthscape’s future needs. https://www.earthscapeplay.com//it-and-systems-coordinator/

This beautiful park, adjacent to the John Ball Zoo in The City of Grand Rapids provides a ton of opportunities for climbing, exploring and sliding. Does the crisscross cladding remind you of blades of grass or tree branches? The tower interior is bright and transparent, framing beautiful views of the playground and park. An accessible wood bridge links the tower to the raised pathway. Collaboration: VIRIDIS Design Group... Photography: Michelle Kristine Photography More at: https://www.earthscapeplay.com//john-ball-zoo-grand-rapid/

A new place to play in Edmonton! Check out Sir Wilfrid Laurier park with a tall, tall tower and howling coyote! This playground was done with the City of Edmonton and Wilco Contractors Northwest Inc. It is tucked in they trees near the North Saskatchewan River and the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Thanks to Matt Jacques Photography for the images! Check out our project page for many more! https://www.earthscapeplay.com//sir-wilfrid-laurier-park-/

Opening this weekend! Wanuskewin Heritage Park is a gorgeous place of incredible significance for First Nations people. There is so much to learn and experience! We were honoured to work on this project with collaborators Crosby Hanna & Associates (who took this amazing photo!) More to come! Info at: https://www.earthscapeplay.com//wanuskewin-heritage-park-/ #playground #naturalplayground #bison #rock #tower #saskatchewan #landscapearchitecture #playgrounddesign

A true Canadian park is getting close to completion in Orillia! Silver bucket? That’s a pail of maple sap that has just spilled all over the playground (and around the !) This amazing playground was designed by Nat and is extra close to his heart because it’s in his hometown of City of Orillia and was done in collaboration with FRP Inc. Soon it will be filled with kids in Orillia & Lake Country Tourism... #madeincanada #maplesyrup #orillia #playground #playgrounddesign #playgrounddesigner #landscapearchitecture #earthscapeplay #natureplay #naturalplayground #designbuild #orilliaontario Orillia, Ontario

For many of us, working from home means we haven't been into our places of work in months. That was the case for me (social media lady Laura) until this week when I stopped in to meet a new colleague (welcome Melissa!) and hang out at our amazing office/workshop/yard in Wallenstein. What's new? A LOT! First off, we have chickens! And they are very social. We have a gorgeous rainbow vegetable garden that has been planted and cared for by Mark and Hannah. ... Our front gardens are gloriously in full bloom...AND we have a young summer student, Gary (Mei's son) who appears to have joined our engineering team! Gary's design-build experience is mostly in Minecraft. He works for sandwiches and occasionally checks out what's in the workshop. Canoes are going to a playground...not because we're preparing for an apocalyptic flood (though, who knows what else 2020 has in store for us!) It was so lovely to be back...and we all look forward to the day when Zoom calls are a little less necessary :)

One of our playground designers, Janelle recently shared this post. For many of us at Earthscape, the 'professional' deeply influences the 'personal.' Our work constantly reminds us of the need for children to have opportunities for risk in play to develop into healthy human beings. Here's a great post to check out if risky play is something you try to make available to your children.

Jason Walsh is one of our shop leaders and install supervisors. He was in the City of Edmonton last week working with a crew (seen sliding!) from Wilco Contractors Northwest Inc. to install a new playground at Sir Wilfrid Laurier park that will be open very soon. (More photos to come!) On his own initiative, he made this awesome video and followed it up with an email that said "I love my job!" It's a pretty cool experience to work with a team of people who are so passionate about play that they create their own video memories of their work. Teammates like Jason make the work of play a whole lot of fun.

Blue skies and green fields. The work on grandma and grandpa oak continues. These will be a part of an absolutely epic project we are working on. Hand carved and sanded theses trees will eventually enjoy the touch of children and families in a very special place with unparalleled CA views. More to come! #grandmaoak #grandpaoak #woodcarving #fallentree #oak #woodplayground #naturalplayground #landscapearchitecture #earthscapeplay #madebyhand #elmiraproud #playgrounddesign

Earthscapers do play in all forms and participate and contribute to their communities in so many ways! Here's just one: Joel is one of our amazing engineers who does detailed design for our play structures. In his non-work time, he (and now his whole family) are active members of an off-road biking group. Here's a recent article about his amazing work to get kids and families active on bikes trails around Guelph! https://www.guelphtoday.com//gorba-continues-to-meet-the-n ... Way to play Joel!!

Grateful for permission to repost from @curiousinwonderland It is so wonderful to see many #playgrounds reopen in Ontario, including the market themed structures at @stjamesparkto. #play is so very very important, especially in these stressful times. Thanks for tagging us! ... Playgrounds are back in Toronto! I never thought I would miss pushing my kids on swings or being yelled at to watch them go down the slide as much as I have. This also means my blog is back. Up on the blog today I talk about one of our favourite playgrounds: St. James Park. The playground and the park have been completely refurbished and it's all beautiful. Plus the coffee selections around the park are plentiful and delicious. Link in profile #curiousinwonderland #torontomom #torontomoms #momlife #torontobaby #torontokids #stjamespark #oldtoronto #playgrounds #parks #children #playground #playgroundfun See more

A stunning image of @scissortailpark by @andrew_g_image It is amazing to see views of playground pieces from the air. In this case, the sleek tower, climbing spider and its tangle of logs. Thank you for allowing us to share! ... _ T H E S C I S S O R T A I L This is Scissortail Park, located in Downtown Oklahoma City, OK. This imaginative & engaging playground was the invention & handiwork of @earthscapeplay Enjoy! #SeeOKC #andrewgimage #downtownokc #thisisoklahoma #onlyinoklahoma #Phantom4Pro #igersoklahoma #oklahomaphotographer #oklahoma #oklahomacityphotographer #earthscapeplay #igersok #okcphotographer #oklahomaigers #oklahomaliving #raw_cityscapes #your405 #raw_usa #raw_community #raw_architecture #raw_vip #raw_drone #raw_community_member #raw_allnature #raw_seasons #raw_featured #okherewego #raw_skies #raw_waters #scissortailpark See more

It’s almost the weekend and we hope yours is FULL of play outdoors! We are grateful that in many places, playgrounds have reopened like this one at Sugar Beet Park in Colorado. A HUGE thank you shout out to @mer_mart for sharing these awesome active photos of her boys. If you’re ever posting photos of your kids at an @earthscapeplay #playground we would LOVE for you to tag us. #kidsatplay make us #joyful and #grateful. ... Collaboration: City of Fort Collins Parks and Recreation : @mer_mart #earthscapeplay #landscapearchitecture #landscapedesign #fortcollins #playgrounddesign #climbing #jumping #kids #joy #summer #playgroundlove @ Fort Collins, Colorado More info at: https://www.earthscapeplay.com//fort-collins-sugar-beet-p/