Sun Shades for Public Parks and Playgrounds

Parks and playgrounds are a staple of outdoor socialization. Children come together to play. Dog owners bring their pooches to play fetch and let them run. Couples walk down the paved pathways. Photographers stop by to practice their trade. Bird watchers and nature lovers hope to glimpse their favorite wild animals. Of course, long days in the sun can be brutal on the skin and our health. Many use sunscreen and bring bottled water, but especially during heat waves is really benefits people to have access to shade. Many parks and gardens have trees, and many supplement this with shade structures. In this article, we’ll explain four ways shade structures benefits parks, gardens, and playgrounds.

1. Sidewalks and Pathways

Many parks and recreation areas feature winding pathways for joggers and people on the hunt for a relaxing stroll. (This is especially true of areas featuring lakes, as paths tend to wrap around the water’s circumference.) In many cases, you’ll find park benches placed sporadically along the path where pedestrians can rest their feet and take in the scenery before continuing. Now, on hot days, it pays for these benches to be protected by overhead shade structures. Here at PalmSHADE, we have a number of options that can work in these scenarios:

• Aten. This shade structure comprises of two posts with a roof that projects forward. You can set this behind a park bench so that the rooftop covers the bench and anyone using it.
• Savitur. The Savitur shade structure allows you to provide comfort and a place to rest without even installing a bench. This structure comes with upgrade options that include interior benches.

2. Shade Supplements for Trees

Our Horus shade structure is very compatible with curved pathways, as it provides overhead shelter for those moving along the path. But it can also be designed to continue until its curved ends meet, forming a circle and a circular pattern of shade. For this reason, you can have the structure encircle, say, a tree where park-goers already congregate for shade. Between the shade provided by the tree and the shade provided by the structure, you’ll be able to accommodate more people at one time. Don’t forget that, on hot summer days, people are more likely to visit parks where they know they have access to shade versus those that leave them perpetually exposed to the sun.

3. Shelter for Dogs and Dog Owners

Common activities for pet owners at gardens and parks include: walking, playing fetch, and allowing dogs to run and play together. Constant activity, especially on hot days, means pooches and their owners need the occasional break and an accessible refuge where they can seek shade and cool off. This is where PalmSHADE structures such as the Aruna and Inti become helpful. Now you and your pooch can retreat into a shaded area to escape the heat, give the dog some water, and let them rest before you step outside again for more fun! They can also rest there when playtime’s up before heading back to the car or walking home.

4. Shelter for Parents and Children

The need for shade breaks during playtime also applies to children. Every now and then, they should step out of the sun, rehydrate, and rest. Think, also, about the parents who must accompany the children to the park or playground and keep watch. Parents need a comfortable, shaded area from which to watch. Especially when playtime lasts hours on a hot summer day, shade is essential.

One of the major benefits of community parks and playgrounds is how they bring together communities. Rather than stay at home, parents and children alike can congregate at common points of interest and get to know each other. Children make new friends, as do their parents when they watch together under the protection of the same shade structure. Likewise for bird watchers who take refuge in shade to watch a nearby bird’s nest. Likewise for pet owners showing up to let their dogs stretch their legs. The more attractive and convenient the park (and shade provides major convenience), the more people will visit and the more often they will visit.