Proposal:Extended playground equipment

Proposal

This proposal adds more values to the list of documented playground=* equipment to better map typical devices that had no documented value before.

Rationale

There is an established list of 33 playground devices in the wiki, that can be mapped with the key playground=* as individual objects within a playground (leisure=playground). Mapping individual objects allows to precisely evaluate the feature, the quality of playground as a whole and more detailed renderings on maps and plans.

However, there is a great variety of playground equipment that cannot be matched with existing values. We are a group of mappers who have done a lot of playground mapping over the past few years and have come across a number of playground equipment that we miss. The TagInfo listing shows that other mappers seem to feel the same, so there has always been a need to get creative to come up with new tags. This has led to a large number of parallel, rarely used, undocumented and therefore hard to interpret tags. We would like to close this gap and make recommendations on how such equipment should be tagged.

Playground equipment comes in almost every imaginable shape, design and function. It will never be possible to map every single one of them exactly. However, it is mostly possible to match even unusual, special devices into a certain "class" of equipment, e.g. balancing, climbing or water equipment. For this purpose, this proposal provides some general class values as a fallback in order to be able to map and evaluate such special devices in an interpretable way.

Tagging: List of new device values

Key	Value	Element	Comment	Photo	TagInfo
Some general new devices
playground	belt_bridge		A tensioned, flat (mostly rubber) band to bounce on.	belt_bridge
playground	spring_board		A board or plane to stand on that is attached to the ground by springs and thus wobbles when standing/moving on it. Can sometimes also be equipped with holding bars to allow to "surf" on it.	spring_board
playground	hamster_wheel		A large spinning tube to go inside and twist arround, similar to a hamster's wheel.	hamster_wheel
playground	ride		A fixed installation to sit on.	ride
playground	four_square		Ground markings (similar to playground=hopscotch) for Four Square game (a team sport played among two teams with two players each on a square court divided into four quadrants).	four_square
playground	track		A path on a playground that is intended and equipped as a race track for childrens scooter and bikes. It should have markings, obstacles or objects such as "petrol stations".	track
playground	blackboard		A board to draw on with chalk or something similar.	blackboard
playground	map		A map painted on a paved surface at a playground or school to teach geography to children.	map
playground	marble_run		A rolling ball sculpture where a ball (often a marble) moves through a predefined course just by gravity.	marble_run
playground	musical_instrument		A musical instrument or device for making music and sounds. musical_instrument=* could be used to further specify the type of instrument.	musical_instrument
playground	megaphone		A tube device to shout through (not to be confused with a playground=speaking_tube, where two tubes are connected to communicate with each other).	megaphone
playground	table		A table or board to play on or sit at. May include seats/benches or sand toys such as a sieve. Typically not sized for adults. For picnic tables on playgrounds that are also suitable for adults see leisure=picnic_table.	table
playground	seat		A single seat or bench for children. Typically not sized for adults to sit at. Often part of play houses or similar.	seat
playground	hammock		A hammock, i.e. a spanned/tensioned surface to lie on.	hammock
playground	artwork		A work of art/artful object as an element of playground decoration. If it has a significant art relevance, consider also adding tourism=artwork.	artwork
Devices as parts of playground structures
playground	steps		A stairway to get onto a platform or structure.	steps
playground	ladder		A ladder to climb onto a platform or structure.	ladder
playground	ropebridge		A simple suspension bridge whose deck is suspended merely by cables or similar attached at the ends of the bridge and therefore wobbles or swings when moving on it. This value is an easy way to distinguish suspended/wobbling bridges from fixed/solid bridges without requiring knowledge about bridge construction. However, consider adding bridge:structure=* or cable_number=* if you can identify them to specify this more precisely.	ropebridge
playground	platform		A platform, raised level or even a tower, often with railing elements, and often with other playing or climbing devices on the sides or connected bridges. Is often part of a playground=structure that can be mapped separately as an outline containing all parts that together form the structure.	platform
Swing devices
playground	tyre_swing		A swing where you sit on a (car) tyre.	tyre_swing
playground	rope_swing		A swing element (usually a big rope) attached with chains or cables, on which usually several children can swing together at the same time.	rope_swing
Balance devices
playground	balancebeam		A long horizontal beam (often wood or metal) to walk across while keeping balance. May also have a rope to hold on to (handrail=yes).	balancebeam
playground	balance_rope		A rope (or several together) to walk across while keeping balance. May also have a rope to hold on to (handrail=yes).	balance_rope
playground	slackline		A slackline, i.e. a suspended flat webbing/band/belt/strap that is tensioned between two anchors.	slackline
playground	stepping_stone		Shifted stones or blocks with a distance between each other, for hopping or stepping from one to the next. See also fitness_station=stepping_stone, if the stepping stones are part of a leisure=fitness_station.	stepping_stone
playground	stepping_post		Shifted posts or poles with stepping elements with a distance between each other, for hopping or stepping from one to the next.	stepping_post
Climbing devices
playground	climbing_slope		A sloped climbing plane, often with handholds or tethers and often part of a structure to reach a higher level.	climbing_slope
playground	climbing_pole		A pole to climb up or slide down. For climbing poles that are part of a leisure=fitness_station, see fitness_station=climbing_pole.	climbing_pole
playground	monkey_bars		Horizontal bars or hoops above head height to hang from by one's hands and move over hand over hand. For monkey bars that are part of a leisure=fitness_station, see fitness_station=horizontal_ladder.	monkey_bars
playground	parallel_bars		Two or more bars side by side. In a playground setting often slanted. For parallel bars that are part of a leisure=fitness_station, see fitness_station=parallel_bars. For vertical bars, playground=climbing_pole may be more appropriate.	parallel_bars
Rotating devices
playground	spinner		A rotating device that, in contrast to a playground=roundabout, is very small, mostly only a small footboard or seat on a stick for one child.	spinner
playground	spinning_disc		A simple rotating disc. In contrast to a playground=roundabout, there are no add-ons to sit or hold on to.	spinning_disc
Sand play devices
playground	chute		A sloped chute or tube, mostly to transport sand by gravity from a higher to a lower place.	chute
playground	sieve		A sieve, allowing to separate fine-grained sand from gravel (in a playground setting typically not finer separated than that).	sieve
playground	sand_wheel		A small wheel that turns when sand falls onto it. Often combined with a chute directly above.	sand_wheel
playground	sand_seesaw		A channel or board on a pivot that can either route sand in two different directions, or allows to dump all accumulated sand in a chute-like manner when pivoted (when initially horizontal).	sand_seesaw
playground	sand_pulley		A small bucket or similar device holding sand (also common are sections of tire) that can be moved to another place. Typically either horizontally or vertically; may be mounted on a swivel to give a little more movement range. Often part of structures where it then allows to transport sand to other sand play devices mounted on the structure.	sand_pulley
playground	excavator		A small play excavator, allowing to move sand (or that rounded fine gravel) around a bit. Always fixed in place. Usually unpowered as just a series of metal linkages controlling the excavator bucket. For bigger, usually fenced off excavators with a fee=yes consider using attraction=*.	excavator
Water devices
playground	pump		A water source to play with. Often this is an actual pump with handle (consider also adding man_made=water_well + pump=manual), but may also have different forms, such as a water wheel lifting water from a reservoir, or a button that can be pressed for water to flow for a limited time. For water flowing continuously or without interaction, use sprinkler instead.	pump
playground	water_channel		An inclined channel for water to flow towards other devices. Typically raised so that multiple channels in series route water from a pump to ground level. For water channels in the ground, resembling natural streams, use water_stream instead.	water_channel
playground	water_stream		A meandering stream of water resembling a natural water stream and looking a tad less artificial. Often enclosed in an artificial bed of stones.	water_stream
playground	water_seesaw		A seesaw-like water channel for either diverting water to two different places, or for automatically tilting and emptying when full.	water_seesaw
playground	water_basin		A pool where water gathers, inviting either to run around in or combine it with sand to mud (also known as "mud table"). May have exits to other channels or even a drain in the bottom (sometimes with a plug).	basin with drain and plug
playground	water_barrier		A removable barrier for water that inhibits flow towards other devices, often via an adjacent channel.	water_barrier
playground	archimedes_screw		A screw-like device for lifting water from a lower to a higher elevation.	archimedes_screw
playground	water_wheel		A wheel with small buckets or paddles that rotates when water flows into and over it.	water_wheel
playground	water_cannon		A (usually movable) device that allows targeted spraying of water.	water_cannon
playground	sprinkler		A (often continuously-running) jet of water, often directed upward.	sprinkler
Topographical devices
playground	mound		Artificial hills, elevations, waves etc. intentionally designed for play. Sometimes devices like slides or tunnel tubes are placed on or in them.	mound
playground	dome		A half-sphere to climb and slide on.	dome
Fallback values for devices, that clearly fit into one equipment category, but do not fit well any of the existing subcategories
playground	balance		An unspecified device to balance on.
playground	climbing		An unspecified device to climb on.
playground	rotator		An unspecified rotating device.
playground	water		An unspecified water device.
playground	sand		An unspecified sand play device.

Examples

• 
  A platform with a ladder and a slide. Some swings are also connected to it.
• 
  A climbing_slope (handrail=yes, material=wood) leading up to a platform/strcuture with a ropebridge and other connected devices.
• 
  A steep slide with a ladder leading up to it. Details like height=3, incline=-56° and material=metal (on the slide) or step_count=8 and material=wood (on the ladder) can be added.
• 
  A climbingframe made from material=chain leading up to a platform that is part of a strcuture.
• 
  Larger form of a spring_board.
• 
  A balance_rope consisting of three smaller, tied ropes. Since there is no railing/tether/rope to hold on to, handrail=no can be added.
• 
  stepping_posts made from material=wood on a playground.
• 
  Two water_basins with a closable water_barrier between them.
• 
  A rotating stick device, tagged with spinner.
• 
  A special, non-specific construction for climbing and/or balancing - one of the fallback values balance or climbing might fit best.

Features/Pages affected

• The list of playground=* equipment needs an update: Add the new values and regroup them in some more device categories.

External discussions

• RFC announcements: Community Forum | Mailing List
• Since the launch of this proposal in summer 2022, individual playground devices have been regularly discussed in the German-language Telegram channel and the proposal has thus been expanded and sharpened.
• Discussion in the community forum about "namespacing"/using device sub categories in value naming.

Comments

Please comment on the discussion page.