The Secret Behind Those Strange Leaf Structures on Playgrounds

Playgrounds are a lot different than the good ol’ days. The hot metal slides and wooden structures – with their own share of splinters – are a thing of the past! Today’s playgrounds are safer and brighter, and are generally adorned with an interesting feature – those giant leaves that are covered in holes and found high above you! If you have ever stopped and wonder, “What are those things?” – you are not alone! Here is a short introduction to Solis Hue Toppers.

The First Time You See Them

I will be honest, the first time you see a Solis Hue Topper, you may look twice. They look like oversized paddleball rackets, or perhaps abstract tree leaves, all positioned too high for children. Are they part of secret playground game for kids measuring fifty feet? Or maybe a rogue art installation presented by a conceptual artist? Countless times I’ve been under one, scratching my head and waiting for the light bulb to go on…

What Are Solis Hue Toppers Ultimately?

Although they may be confusing, Solis Hue Toppers are intentional, functional, and playground approved! Designed by BCI Burke, a long-standing playground company, Solis Hue Toppers serve a few extraordinary purposes. For starters, Solis Hue Toppers are aesthetically pleasing. The holes and custom leaf shape is intended to convey the feelings associated with nature and play.

They are not to be allowed to be stationary, and agree to look good. As their name implies, Hue Toppers cast patterns of filtered light and shadow at the play area below. Depending on the angle of the sun, the patterns shift and change adding a little magic to everyday play. On the morning or late afternoon sun, the patterns create a living, moving artwork that evolves, almost as if the daylight is conducting it.

A Fusion of Form and Function

Years ago, a playground was about producing purely physical play; monkey bars, see-saws, or the spinning metal merry-go-round that flung kids into the air like a slingshot. Today, the focus has expanded. Design now purposely allows for moments to engage the senses, inspire children’s imagination, and provide something more to look at in our surroundings. This is the beauty of Solis Hue Toppers; they add a touch of wonder turning a basic climbing frame into a bit of a forest canopy or an alien world.

For communities who want to modernize their parks, but keep that welcoming feel, these toppers are a nod towards creativeness. These toppers may not provide climbing or sliding opportunities, but they add to the experience of being at the playground in ways that might be considered the epitome of subtlety or nuance. Kids may not directly take notice of them, but the dappled light they produce and the feeling of being under a canopy of leaves lingers in their memories.

How to Construct a Sense of Nostalgia

There is a fantastical quality to seeing things like Solis Hue Toppers on a playground. For so many adults, it is a different remembering; not of the object itself, but a nostalgia for the sense of wonder we would have felt as a child encountering something new. Do you remember making a jungle gym into a pirate ship, or turning a slide into a dragon’s tongue? These structures allow for that kind of imagination, much more than the traditional swings and slides on a playground.

While the Hue Toppers are a new addition to the modern playground, and having fun with a sense of wonder is a timeless practice.