School’s almost out for the summer, meaning it’s time for some fun in the sun with your kids! Trips to the beach or outings to your favorite fishing hole are always great options. If those two activities are on your agenda this summer, we’ve compiled smart tips to help you pack for the perfect beach day and to store your fishing gear for safe-keeping. However, if you’re looking for something closer to home, the local playground is a perfect solution. Bonus points if the one in the neighborhood is made from recycled materials like the ones featured below. Not only do these amazing playgrounds prove that anything can be recycled, but also that playtime is always fun.
- Based on this innovative playground in Norway, oil and gas rigs can power playtime in addition to cars. Swings, tunnels, and even an alligator are made from recycled parts from the oil and gas industry.
Images via Abstract Noun - Equipment from green energy providers can also fuel playtime. These tunnels and slides from a playground in the Netherlands were built using wind turbine blades.
Images via The Coolist - Recycling tires as chairs is one way to upcycle old car parts. Using them as materials for a playground is another! Tires are used to make a lively snake for kids to climb on while another playground uses them as materials for kids to scale. Either way, both uses look like fun.
Image via Relax Shacks - Lions Park Playscape in Greensboro, Alabama is drumming up fun with recycled materials previously used to transport mint oil. In this innovative playground, steel drums form a one-of-kind playground maze aimed to boost creativity and maximize fun for local kids.
Image via Inhabitat - In Uganda, artist and TEDx recipient Ruganzu Bruno Tusingwire refashioned water bottles to create a playground art project called “Recycled Amusement”.
Image via The City 2 - Using four discarded shipping containers, this playground from Australia features a series of lounges, decks, balconies, and a multi-functional room for kids to study, paint, and play. Created by stacking, slicing, and cutting the containers, this play area shows what you can do with recycled materials and a little imagination.
Image via InhabitatImage via Phooey - With help from a Spanish collective called Basurama, this space in Niger was transformed into a playground. Using plastic drums, pallets, and tires, this new playground has become a safe place for parents and their children to play.
Images via Treehugger - In Lima, an abandoned structure that used to be an electric railway was repurposed into a bright, colorful playground for all.
Image via Treehugger