Rope Play: Designing Dynamic Play Spaces
Thursday, March 19, 2026 - 1:00 p.m. ET
Rope-play elements enable landscape architects to create dynamic playgrounds that respond to movement, variability, and repeated use. Rope-based structures promote strength, coordination, sensory integration, and open-ended engagement through bilateral climbing, shifting surfaces, and novel body positions. These qualities encourage return visits while supporting users of varied ages and abilities.
In this course, Stephanie Young, MS, OTR/L, a seasoned occupational therapist with experience designing inclusive playgrounds, connects clinical insight with design practice. She explores how rope play provides proprioceptive and vestibular input, supports flexible thinking, and can be integrated into aesthetically refined landscapes. Participants will gain practical strategies for using rope play as both a developmental tool and a spatial design element that enhances inclusive, movement-rich play.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- List three ways that rope play can improve the physical strength and coordination of participants.
- Design spaces that are welcoming to many different ages and abilities, plus prompt open-ended engagement.
- Describe how dynamic play can encourage people to return to the space/equipment for additional experiences.
*If you need accreditation, please register using the name and email address associated with your membership. After you complete this registration form, you will receive a confirmation email with the webinar link.
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