05/08/2026
A Message from our founder, Sara L. Kreiss and Spaces For Play, Inc.
While teaching at Concordia University in the Early Childhood Center I was finishing my Masters with a thesis in Play Theory specializing in outdoor learning environments 27 years ago. At that time, I saw the disconnect between educational research and school playgrounds. Also, a lack of understanding of the safety standards and construction with limited design services for a large construction project at their school. I started Spaces For Play to fill that disconnect that I saw in the playground industry.
I worked with playgrounds manufactures to develop new equipment to meet the educational need of children 6 weeks to 12-year-old. It is my opinion that the playground industry creates environments with limited educational outdoor products for schools that too often sell products that accommodate the goals of public parks.
Early Childhood environments should have a variety of learning centers outdoors, such as, trike paths, music, natural elements, dramatic play, water play, sand play, loose parts building, gross motor climber, outdoor classroom, gardening to name a few. The playground should support the Four Types of Play: gross motor, social-dramatic play and constructive play—if school-agers the playground should add game w/ rule play (basketball, pickleball, soccer, gaga pits, etc..).
Spaces For Play has a niche in the playground industry servicing clients with a detailed custom design with unique educational equipment and a team of installers from design-to-build across the USA. We educate our clients as we work their program goals on accessibility, safety, construction, placement for supervision, and share a long history of construction knowledge as we work together the playground project. Our Designers/Project Managers are all Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI) and we work with many USA made manufacturers and use recycled composite lumber for a natural look or metal equipment. My professional goal was to serve children and teachers, I never thought I would do it through the playground industry. I’s still an educator just in a non-traditional role in the field of education.
