An AAA State of Play Report Series
State of Play 2026
A multi-chapter opinion report on the state of playground design — height, risk, safety, and who playgrounds are really being built to serve. Written by Nicolas Breedlove, Certified Playground Safety Inspector.
Playgrounds are getting taller, louder, and more extreme — and it's worth asking who that actually serves. State of Play 2026 takes a chapter-by-chapter look at the decisions shaping modern playgrounds: the heights we build to, the risks kids face, and the difference between equipment built for children and equipment built for attention.