Observe a splash pad for a few minutes and you learn a lot about how people play. Mom and baby may be dipping into a milestone experience together. Grandparents proudly watch their little ones master the waterslide.

If I had a dollar to add to my maintenance budget for every time I have heard the phrase "Do more with less," there is a good chance I could purchase a new piece of mowing equipment or hire a sports field manager. Unfortunately, in most cases, park maintenance tends to rank lower in priority when it comes to budgeting and, in a bad year or change in administration, be a place where cuts are made.

When kids in the town of West Chicago, Ill., need to cool off, they head to Turtle Splash waterpark, which features a zero-depth entry pool, 12-foot waterfall, a giant dumping bucket and various waterslides. There is also a dry playground within the five-acre enclosed facility.

The best playgrounds encourage kids to stretch beyond their comfort zone and take some risks—but they do it without compromising safety.

They say two heads are better than one, and in the case of providing programs and services to the community, sometimes it pays to partner up with another organization.

Drowning rates have been relatively flat for the past couple of decades, but grassroots organizations across the country, as well as innovative manufacturers, have been working toward solutions.

Here we are again. The beginning of another year. Twelve as-yet-untarnished months of possibility stretching out into the unknown distance.

From wildfires to hurricanes and more, Mother Nature can do a lot of damage. Parks and recreation areas that are faced with natural disasters should have plans in place to recover smoothly.

Fran Mainella began her career in the recreation industry as a summer playground counselor working her way through college.

We talked to experts to find out the latest trends in commercial landscaping for 2018.