Outdoor playgrounds offer children and families an opportunity to connect with nature while engaging in active, creative play. From towering slides and climbing structures to nature-inspired areas, ...

Outdoor playgrounds have changed markedly in the last 30 years. Gone are most merry-go-rounds, steep metal slides with low sides and cage-like jungle gyms that encouraged swinging from arm to arm.

Amberly McAteer is a writer in Toronto, and a former editor in the Opinion section at The Globe and Mail. It’s a scene that has played out dozens of times this summer: My husband pushes our ...