Asphalt Schoolyards Get a Shady Makeover

The bare hot asphalt schoolyard of the American past is getting a redo.

The schoolyard of the future has trees to play under, or canvas canopies to shade a climbing gym. Some have native plants to sniff during recess or fallen logs to climb over. Instead of hard ground, some are tearing out asphalt in favor of more spongy materials to absorb heavy rains.

They are all solutions to tackle not only the hazards of extreme weather but also a growing recognition that playing in nature could be good for children.

Many of these innovations are happening in some of the hottest, most climate vulnerable parts of the country, like Arizona, which this summer endured over 100 consecutive days of 100-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, or California, where some schools closed early because of record high temperatures earlier this month.

The traditional schoolyard, with its hard grounds and usually a lack of shade, tends to act as a heat island. Among the country’s 527 large school districts, a majority of schools are hotter than their surrounding areas, according to an analysis by Trust for Public Land, which helps schools retrofit play areas.

The surface of asphalt playgrounds are like frying pans, significantly hotter than air temperatures, and because little kids are closer to the ground, they are exceptionally vulnerable. Their bodies are less able than adults to regulate temperature extremes.