Lappset Designs World’s First Angry Birds themed Playgrounds

The leading manufacturer of playground equipment worldwide, Lappset has struck a co-operation deal with another innovative Finnish company, Rovio Entertainment, famous for their record-smashing mobile game Angry Birds.

According to the agreement, the Rovaniemi based Lappset, which designs and manufactures playgrounds, outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) and outdoor gym, parkour and senior fitness equipment, will create and entire collection of the playground equipment themed after the world’s favorite avian heroes. Alongside equipment, Lappset will also deliver complete Angry Birds Activity Parks, called Angry Birds Magic Places.

The parks include swings, sandboxes, climbing towers, slides, swing animals featuring the Red Bird, Yellow Bird, Green Bird, Blue Bird, Black Bird and even some of those nasty egg-hogging antagonists, the Pigs. The company will also introduce a playground novelty, a specially designed Angry Birds outdoor pajazzo.

In addition to creating the necessary playing equipment for the parks, Lappset has designed park and street furniture and safety surfaces. The first Angry Birds Magic Places will be opened in the Finnish towns of Rovaniemi and Espoo, which has commissioned tentatively 5 activity parks from Lappset. According to an interview with the managing director Juha Laakkonen, they also have letters of intent to build similar Angry Birds playgrounds in various other countries in Europe and Asia.

Business-wise the agreement marks a huge jump for the family owned Lappset, which has been producing playground equipment and other outdoor products for over forty years. The company has grown from a one-man band to an international group with subsidiaries in five different countries. Their aim is to get people moving and spend time together, to bring the joy of play to people of all ages.

As Angry Birds continues to attract more and more fans across the globe (the mobile hit has now more than 600 millions fans and the developer Rovio is expecting to hit the magical and unprecedented 1 billion mark in the future), they are also seeking ways to expand their brand reach beyond mobiles and tablets. Taking the Angry Birds phenomenon to the playgrounds around the world with the help of Lappset is a win-win for both companies: they are growing a new generation of Angry Birds fans as well as keeping the current generation happy.

Outdoors exercise enhances the development of children’s motor skills

Children’s gross and fine motor can be trained and give them opportunities to develop as good as possible through giving right incentives and tasks on the right time of the developmental phase. When around 12 months old child stands alone taking her first steps or learns how to climb up the stairs and later on discovers the joys of running, a journey of a discovery begins. Children around two year old already know how to jump and can keep their body stable on a balance beam. A three year old child can jump with one foot and stand on it for awhile.

Good places to develop both fine and gross motor skills are for example parks and playground areas (in Finnish: leikkialue), where there is a safe environment to search the boundaries of ones abilities and reach over them learning new skills. On playground areas there is possibility to practice for example jumping over object and rope climbing or glide on slides and have a safe landing, usually on the soft sandy ground. Even if the child seems to be confident and solid with his physical skills the safety rules are good to remember on the playground areas.

Playing games and taking part on child’s journey through new and greatly inspiring environments makes the learning a discovery not only for the child, but for the parent as well. Outdoor activities together build also the bond between the parent and the child. Exercising with the family helps to mediate healthy way of living for next generation. It also gives to a child a non-competitive environment to practice motor skill, without having the pressure to succeed and having a go to try again and again and learn through mistakes. The learning and discovering of the new abilities and motor skills also improves child’s self-esteem and gives positive experiences.

Parkour and freerun

Parkour is a method of movement originally developed by such French guys as David Belle and Sebastian Foucan. The sports concentrate on moving around obstacles as fast and efficiently as possible. The term parkour was coined by Hubert Kounde, a French actor and film director and it derives from the military training courses called parkours du combattant. It has no set movements and is said to be more of a state of mind than a specific way of moving. Parkour avoids rivalry and competition and drives towards the international unification, breaking through the economic and social boundaries which are separating people from one another.

The ideology of the breaking through and finding bondages across countries and nationalities eventually resulted in parkour to spread all over the world. English speaking world was introduced into to the sports through the movie Jump London, which was directed by Sebastian Foucan. The term free running was coined in the film as an translation of the word parkour in English, but it came to mean later on slightly different things than the original parkour was.

Foucan was dissatisfied by the limitations in parkour and stated that free running was a discipline of the self-development and emphasizes the freedom of movement and creativity. According to Foucan acrobatics, which were incorporated in free running, is not parkour, since parkour takes advantages of movement’s efficiency and ultimately was a way of the French soldiers to escape or reach in the emergency situation in Vietnam.

In free running the acrobatics in urban landscapes play a major role. The movements are performed through structure of the landscape and the sport emphasizes especially the creativity of the movement. Free running features athletic and aesthetically pleasing movement which takes advantage of the urban obstacles unlike parkour, which is more about crossing the obstacle efficiently and quickly.

Mostly parkour and free running diverge in their philosophy. In parkour, as already stated, practitioner finds his way through the landscape passing the obstacles and barriers with efficient and fast movements. Parkour is about getting into places which are inaccessible and escaping the chasers, while free running is about creativity of the movement and beauty of the motion.

Ageing of the population affects the design of urban areas

In Finland the ageing of population will be exceptionally fast comparing to the rest of the European Union countries due to big baby boom after the war period. According to statistic 17 percent of the people living in cities were pensioners in the year 2010.

The generations born in 40´s and 50´s will have special needs for their living environments when they get older. This will affect also design and planning of the living spaces and their surrounding outdoors. Especially challenging will be the planning of the living environments of the people with a decreased ability to function in their everyday life. Flexibility and ability to transform with the inhabitants age challenges the planning of the living spaces and the design of the interiors not to mention the opportunities for senior fitness (in Finnish: senioriliikunta).

The ability of the elderly people to handle the everyday tasks and function without outside help can be improved with a careful planning of the living environments. Accessible apartments and for example assisting technology can make the living of an old aged person easier. Environments can be also inspiring, attracting people into, for example senior sports by having an exercise ground on the apartment building yard or having a common gym. These can also serve as a social hot spots, meeting points for the elderly as well as other generations. Living environments can be an obstacle or a possibility. The ageing of the population affects as well the community structure and planning as the accessibility of the services grows more important. The local grocery stores and public transportation enable the flow of everyday life.

The World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day was passed on November 14th. The day is for to remind of the seriousness of the illness and to support proper research and treatment for patients. Diabetes is categorized as a national illness in Finland. According to estimations, half a million adults in Finland are suffering from type 2 diabetes, half of them without knowing it, and other half having a diagnose. The disease causes increasing risk of cardiovascular diseases, decline of the kidneys and higher risk for retinopathy.

Diabetes has spread vast and it´s commonness is increasing rapidly. According to specialists and researchers, this is connected with lifestyle, nutrition, increasing overweight and bad fitness. The key factors in growing diabetes risk are the same as in cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes can develop itself in quiet without any symptoms for many years. Tiredness, increased blood sugar levels and constant feel of thirst can be signs of diabetes in progress. The highest risk for type 2 diabetes is with people over 60 years and with overweight. The Finnish Diabetes Association recommends all those who belong to risk groups to make a diabetes risk test found in their homepage. The early discovery of the illness will prevent the more serious symptoms.

Diabetes can however be prevented and counter acted, by reviewing the risks of the lifestyle and nutrition, and increasing exercise and fitness. The necessary changes in lifestyle to prevent diabetes are not always inevitably massive. Avoiding excessive amounts of sugar and fat and eating at list half a kilogram of veggies per day is by nutrition enough to make a difference.

In older age, senior fitness (in Finnish: senioriliikunta) and being active physically in general are the best ways to prevent and treat diabetes. According to specialists, the exercise should be at least thrice a week, get you sweaty and rise your pulse at least a little, but even a half an hour walk can help to keep the condition. For good senior fitness it is recommended for example Nordic walking, light jogging, golf and gymnastic exercises. According to researches regular exercise minimizes 60 percent of the risk of the diabetes even in older age.

Outdoor fitness keeps the health up through old age

It is shown in research that exercise prevents the symptoms of the old age such as the weakening of the general ability to function in everyday life, the stiffening of joints and atrophy of the muscles. Doing outdoor exercise on a regular basis will keep also the mind active and prevents the weakening of cognitive abilities and depression. It is recommended to do exercise at least one hour per day, preferably outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta). One study tells that staying inside even for one week will affect the general state of mind and vitality. Also, outdoor fitness prevents respiratory disorders and gives your lungs a good lungful of fresh air.

Good sports for elderly people are, for example, cross country skiing, swimming and Nordic walking, but even walking to the food store and carrying the bags back home is a good way of having a day’s dose of exercise. As it is shown, for keeping up the good health any outdoor fitness is good. It is studied that even regular walking will do the thing. Most important is that you do exercise regularly.

In the mid-2000s Lappset carried out a study on everyday life of children and elderly people. The project resulted in the Senior Sport Concept, in which the mission is to get people outside to play and exercise. The Senior Sport Concept equipment is designed to Improve the capacity of elderly people to cope in everyday life. Recent studies tell that muscle brawn can be increased in old age in the same manner as when younger. Equipment feature, for example, Panna Knockout arenas, game walls and multi-activity and sports equipment.

Senior Sport Concept products can be used by people of any age, and this way they offer a meeting point for different generations. Cross generation sports, playing and exercising will also mediate the practice for children, who this way can grow into keeping up their health through regular outdoor fitness.

Does play make you relaxed

The Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset promotes playgrounds for adults in their website (btw, playground in Finnish is leikkialue and children “lapset”). According to their websites, “the world of adults is all about performance, scoring, setting targets. Play can offer an alternative where adults can express themselves and relax.”

I disagree here – adults do play. We play football, floorball, soccer, hockey, golf and so on. The play of adults is usually s called “hobby”, and the meaning of all these hobbies is tha same as mentioned above: to relax and do something else than what we do in everyday life, which usually means work.

The element of scoring is present in these adult plays called hobbies. We want to beat another team, our competitor in game, or our own ranking. We do want to score, even if we say that it is “just a play”. When looking at inter-company games where not-so-fitty adults are running after any ball, stress-free is not the word that comes first in mind. I do not even know how well the players are able to express themselves, if we do not take into account that they are not wearing their everyday suit but shorts and t-shirts instead.

Roger Caillois was a French intellectual, who in his work discussed widely about the meaning of the play. In his book “Man, Play and Games” he defines the play by six core characteristics: Play is not obligatory and it is separate from the routine of life; the results of play cannot be pre-determined and so that the player's initiative is involved; it is unproductive; it is governed by rules that suspend ordinary laws and must be followed by players; and that it involves make-believe that confirms in players the existence of imagined realities that may be set against 'real life'.

There have been critiques towards Caillois similar than mine above: in the western society, everything is more or less subordinated to the social pressure and we do think what the right ways to use your time are. But Caillois’ definition does provide an interesting connection between play and the relaxation. In Caillois’s definition the idea of escapism is obviously present – and escapism is strongly connected with relaxation.

So maybe scoring is related to relaxation, after all, but not so straightforwardly than presented above. And in any case, the play does not start from game or playground – it starts from the attitude. We adults adore children’s ability to surrender oneself to game; we admire the way children can make up stories and play almost out of nowhere. This attitude is something to look for, whatever its presentation might be.

Playground in shopping centre

In a good old times some more advantageous shopping malls had children’s play room in some dark corner, where adults were able to drop their children while they were shopping. In modern malls the playground (in Finnish, leikkialue) is located in the middle, and surrounded with benches for adults to watch and rest.

One of these indoor playgrounds can be found from Örebo, Sweden. There the playground is truly located in the middle of the shopping mall. The entrance is made easy as there are no walls or entrance fee – anyone can come and join fun. In this busy environment, the simple forms and striking colors of playground equipments attract passersby eyes, and encourage them to participate.

In this case the playground environment is by Smartus concept, which is totally new way to approach the playgrounds. Smartus is digiplay concept created by Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset, which uses digital environment for deepening the play experience. This playground for the 21st century combines modern technology with playground equipment and turns play environments into a network. As any other playground, Smartus encourages users to exercise, play together and succeed together, but with the aim of the technology the players do not even need to be in the same space.

But it does not have to be the latest technological invention of the playgrounds to attract visitors! To have public playground in indoor area is a great idea at least in northern countries, where the weather can be nasty sometimes. It will not replace the good effects of being outdoors, but definitely physical exercise and play are better than just sitting indoors and watch television.

Shopping malls are ideal places for indoor playgrounds as the mall provides the basic functions already. In malls, there are already good air conditioning systems and public toilets; there are services like restaurants around; and people come to malls to spend their free time, so there are no need to seduce them to come over.

Malls providing the possibility to physical exercise have understood that providing free services like this do serve the public and individual good. Obvious is that they want to attract families to spend more time in their mall – but this way to spend time is probably much healthier than traditional hanging around.

Get teenagers out and play!

The old stereotype is about a teenager who sits inside and plays video games or watches TV, with his parents complaining “go out and play”. There might be a true reason behind this action, as the studies have shown that obesity in teen ages brings the same risks as heavy smoking.

Some playground manufacturers like Lappset have realized this need and designed their own playground equipments for teenagers (playground in Finnish leikkialue). Their series of playground equipments for teenagers include rougher looking climbing nets and frames, that are made from hot-dip galvanised thin-walled tubes and steel, and no bright color are used like in kids’ park.

This is actually following the first rule of teenager playground design. As being the teenager is rebelling against being a child, this has to be taken into account when designing playground areas for teens. The playground must set them apart from the younger ones in order to please this target group.

The nature of play changes also when growing to teenager years. Playgrounds for teenagers should focus more on exercise. As for younger children playing is learning, for these more adult ones playing is more physical and competitive by its nature.

The ideal playground offers the possibilities for sport and socializing, and it should nurture the need of adventure and physical challenge. The area offering wide choice of play different kind of games and do various exercises would be ideal: from football to basketball, climbing areas to just places to hang around and socialize. And the more plentiful the assortment of the games is, more likely there are more teens to gather there!

Play for teenagers is not anymore their work, as it is for younger ones. Play in teenager years is closely linked with the areas of social growth. Playing might provide the way to handle issues that cannot necessarily be put into words, and understand changes in the body through the physical exercises.

Teenager playgrounds are great way to direct the unchangeable energy to in more practical framework. Facilities like this can reduce anti-social behavior and help to prevent teenager crimes.

The importance of play

I never really thought of the reason for all the different playground equipments until now, when I have been spending a lot of time hanging in playgrounds (that is BTW in Finnish leikkialue).

Most of the equipments are still same as in my childhood: swings, carousels, springs, slides, and climbing frames. According to the manufacturers, they are made to develop children’s balance, muscles, spatial awareness and sense of rhythm.

According to the studies it is indeed so. Physical playing develops skills needed for surviving in modern world. These exercises develop the ability to reach and grasp, estimate measures and the power needed to crawl, run or climb. These skills even help them to develop the ability to write.

In his book “The importance of play: Moving and Learning for the Young Child” (1990) C. S. Rogers says that play supports the entire development of a child in all levels: physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally. So not only the physical part is present on play, but also other qualities what are needed for growing up.

As the saying goes, play is a child’s work. Through play, children learn how society works, about their environment and of their own skills. Along with physical exercise, playing gives children the lessons of teamwork skills and other social interaction - like co-operation, taking turns, play by the rules and lead the team - and provides sources for intellectual development. Play develops the creativity and language skills when interacting with others.

And to go even further: positive experiences while play creates positive emotions. That is good for child’s well-being. Play, which is closely connected with imagination, can help child to master their feeling and experiences, even the negative ones. I read somewhere that when children feel secure and safe while play, they acquire important components of positive emotional health.

Playing is not just for the human child while growing up. Other animals play too. So it is not something we, or our age, invented. Play is something built inside us, and it truly has an important meaning for our development.

My playground places

Lately I have been introduced to a place I haven’t visited for a long time: the playground (in Finnish, leikkialue). The reason is the most common one any adult visits in this place, but this is not about cute and clever child. This is about my relationship with the playground.

As hard as I try I cannot remember, when I was taken to play in the playground for the first time. I was probably quite young, as we lived in a suburb where there were lots of playgrounds placed around the area. The kindergarten I went to had one as well: there were swings, carousels, springs shaped as horses, slides, sandboxes, and climbing frames, many of each as the suburb was new and kindergarten full of children. I can remember my favorite equipment, which was some kind of mix between swing and spring, and would probably be banned today as being too dangerous. Then again I cannot remember the games we played; I just remember that we played.

When reaching the teenager years, we local teenage rebels had a habit of gathering at the local playground after dusk. At those days we didn’t play with the equipments anymore, if you do not count the coincident swinging while sitting on the swing and chatting to each others. We were there to spend some quality time with our fellow rebel teenagers.

I find it very symbolic that after our childhood we teenager gathered in the playground. The location was familiar to all of us, as we had played there when we all were kids. Maybe the location represented us the safe place to be. It at least gave us the frames to try the games of adults: social intercourse and shy steps of getting to know the other sex. After a while, we were ready for discos and bars and the days spent in playgrounds were history.

And here I am again. Something like ten years later, standing next to a sandbox and watching the child play. As history has a habit of repeating itself, the playground I spend time is located in a brand new suburb with lots of kids around. The role of us adults is the same as when we were teenagers: sit and speak, this time usually about the children playing around. And after couple of years from now, my relationship with the playground will break off again, this time maybe forever.

Adults wants to play too!

We tend to think that play is the work of children. The Finnish playground (in Finnish, leikkialue) manufacturer Lappset has taken another approach to the subject matter. They want to encourage adults to play as well – and are even making playgrounds for that!

The idea of Lappset starts from the fact that we adults live busy life, full of performance and scoring. Play could be the alternative to that, action which gives adults the possibility relax and express themselves.

This way of thinking has a lot of potentially in itself. Adult life in first world countries is a continuous search of finding the balance between work and time without work. It is more than common to hear how stressed we are, and about the various ways to unstress ourselves. Why not think of play as the one?

I suppose here the world “play” do not mean playing squash, football, badminton or tennis with crazy look in eyes and eager to win the game in the soul. If I understand right, Lappset means play as playful, kind of a mental stage.

Wiktionary defines play as “liking play, prone to play frequently, such as a child or kitten; rather sportive”. The alternatives are “funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome”, ”fun, recreational, not serious” and “experimental”, which all kind of sum up what kind of action is this relaxing and stress-free play.

But what good could come up from play, or being playful? Obviously lowering one’s stress level should work positively for everyone’s body. Also, playing is often exercise, and the best way to do that: because of fun, not because we have to. Playing can be the way to spend quality time with children and get some fresh air, if done outside. And last but not least: it is believed that being playful can be the reason your partner is choosing you, as the creative and fun person do not possess the threat to the children or family. And they can be more fun to live with, too!

Playgrounds for seniors

I recently became aware of an innovation from the Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset: the playgrounds (in Finnish, leikkialue) for senior citizens. First I was not sure should I was going to laugh or what, but then I decided to take it as a reflection of today’s culture.

Lets face the facts: the population of industrialized countries is getting older. The big generations born after the World Wars are just about at the age of retirement, and, due to different lifestyles, contraceptives and the independence of women, younger generations are not so large in numbers anymore. This makes the balance between old and young population totally different relation to what it has traditionally been: traditionally, children were the majority generation of the population, and elders the dying one, not figuratively speaking.

The way of life has changed drastically over the last few decades. Whereas more or less hundred years ago it was typical that three generations, from grandparents to toddlers, live under the same roof, nowadays the idea of nuclear family, parent or parents and children, is the main solution for living style. Grandparents are living in their own apartments, or when enough old, in retirement homes.

But is Lappset innovative in their thinking, or are they just reflecting the changing world? A hundred years ago, it might have been fun idea to have special playgrounds with special playground equipments for children even in industrialized countries. Children were, at least in some parts of the nation, considered as the source of labor. It was a challenge even getting them to school, and still special holidays had to be given for school children when they were needed for helping their parents with harvest duties. No playgrounds for them at those times.

Nowadays senior citizens are living older, and many of them are living alone. Is it really a stupid idea to provide them places to have some outdoor activities and meet others? Any outdoor activity is more stimulating than bingo; and this kind of specific area, maybe even with playground attendant, make safe place to do exercise. The senior citizen playground in the park of retirement home makes a great hang-around place for seniors living there, and with good city planning, this kind of playground could be the meeting place for children and elders alike.

The interactive playground

Although children tend to play the same games throughout the ages with minor updates, technology has allowed the playground (in Finnish: leikkialue) to take a quantum leap into the modern era much to the delight of the creative and active. An innovation just like this is SmartUs from Lappset, the Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) equipment.

SmartUs is an internationally recognized playful learning and activity concept for today's children and families. Combining modern technology with play equipment, SmartUs offers a wide range of possibilities for playful activities and learning. The concept was developed by Lappset with the help of experts from the fitness, education, design and technology sectors.

The product line offers a wide range of opportunities for playful activities and learning by combining traditional playground equipment and modern technology, and by joining individual playgrounds to form networks. The network of SmartUs environments forms a foundation for new kinds of sporty games and tournaments, a range of different learning experiences and possibilities for online gaming.

New SmartUs outdoor gyms (in Finnish: ulkoliikuntapaikka) have been emerging all over Europe since 2006. SmartUs environments can already be found in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Romania, Spain, Portugal and Finland, for example. And the community is growing all the time.

Fitness at senior ages

Sustaining a good level of daily physical activity is important at any age, but it becomes increasingly important the older you get. Over the years, you body loses its dexterity and agility, bones become brittle and you find that your mind just isn’t what it used to be. It’s all part of the natural development of the human body. But with a little effort, you can slow down the process and feel better for longer.

There are, however, several important things to consider in senior fitness (in Finnish: senioriliikunta). First of all, it might be worth talking to a doctor first. If you’ve been active your entire life, keeping up daily exercise comes naturally.However, if you’re just starting out, it’s worth talking to a professional to know what level to set out on. Either way, you need to remember to stop at the first sign of pain.

Other things to keep in mind are similar to fitness at any age: don’t exercise if you’re sick, don’t over-strain yourself, warm up when starting, cool down afterwards and drink plenty of water throughout. It’s also important to use the correct equipment. In today’s world of fitness, there is specific equipment for all levels of fitness and ages. In the mid-2000s, Lappset, the Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) equipment, studied the everyday lives of senior citizens and children in daycare. The project eventually generated ideas that grew into the Senior Sport concept. Inspired by the research and assisted by experts in the field, Lappset designed a series of fitness equipment specifically for the elderly.

Exercise is good for you!

One of the best remedies for boredom is exercise. Not only does it strengthen the body but it strengthens the mind also. Different types of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) activities can bring diversity to your everyday life and bring also a change of scenery. Physical activities can help you balance your life, and you can always find the fight activity for your specific needs or mood.

Experts have for the longest time proclaimed the benefits of exercise which makes you feel better and betters your overall disposition with a mood boost that comes from being outside in the sunshine or even the rain. Many outdoor activities involve certain levels of weight lifting, which improves bone density by stimulating greater bone development. And many outdoor activities are also good ways to improve your sense of balance and spatial awareness.

Staying fit is a corner stone of a healthy life and can be a source of enjoyment also for adults. The exercise products developed by Lappset, a Finnish developer of outdoor gym (in Finnish: ulkoliikuntapaikka) environments, are designed with versatility in mind and can be used easily by both children and adults. By ensuring the possibility to use the equipment by all age groups, the products are used actively throughout the day.

Welcome to the world of play!

An increasingly popular form of activity is parkour, which is a method of moving over, round and under obstacles varying in the level of difficulty. It originates from France and the idea behind the development was for traceurs, practitioners of parkour, to learn to use their bodies gymnastically and as efficiently as possible with the environment, always looking for, finding and conquering more and more difficult paths.

Parkour is essentially made up of acrobatic movements such as vaults, rolling, climbing and jumping, and concentrates on two specific areas: efficiency and speed. Many benefits are claimed to result from doing parkour, such as enhance spatial awareness, self-confidence and bettered critical-thinking. It has a growing number of enthusiasts that appreciate a creatively challenging environment.

Lappset Group Oy, a Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) and play environments (in Finnish: leikkialue), has developed in co-operation with the Finnish Parkour Academy a wide variety of parkour equipment. As a result of this co-operation, high quality products have been designed specifically with the true requirements of the activity in mind.

The driving force behind the company is the desire to constantly develop more versatile opportunities for outdoor fitness for everyone to get the most out of the experience. The new parkour product line that was designed with diversity in mind and was awarded in Finland as the Best Domestic Fitness Product of 2010.

Sporty products for all ages

Ready, steady, go! Swing around a pole, run over a swinging bridge, balance your way across a beam, move a hoop all the way to the other end of a pole, a speedy crunch towards the finishing line and goal! New records and new obstacle courses are born everyday while fitness levels develop along with agile competitions. A few adults show up at the outdoor gym (in Finnish: ulkoliikuntapaikka) at the end of the day to stretch some muscles and do a few pull-ups during their evening walks.

Staying fit is a corner stone of a healthy life and can be a source of enjoyment also for adults. The exercise products developed by Lappset, a Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) environments, are designed with versatility in mind and can be used easily by both children and adults. By ensuring the possibility to use the equipment by all age groups, the products are used actively throughout the day. Additionally, by building an environment with products meant for different user groups, new acquaintances can be made with a common interest.

In the mid-2000s, Lappset studied the everyday lives of senior citizens and children in daycare. The project eventually generated ideas that grew into the Senior Sport concept. Inspired by the research and assisted by experts in the field, Lappset designed a series of fitness equipment specifically for the elderly.

The purpose of the Senior Sport outdoor fitness equipment is to enhance the daily lives of senior citizens through outdoor exercise. The playful exercises designed for the elderly improve their capacity to cope with everyday tasks. Senior fitness (in Finnish: senioriliikunta) is essential for good mobility ensuring that senior citizens hurt themselves less often, saving on medical costs.

Environmentally friendly outdoor fitness

Finland is known for its forests and woods, and commercial woods are carefully taken care of responsibly and with longevity in mind. Lappset, a Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) and gym (in Finnish: ulkoliikuntapaikka) environments, also does its part in the welfare of the Finnish woods. The wood used in the Lappset products originates from forests that are maintained according to the sustainable environment principles of PECF, which is the world’s most comprehensive forest certification system administered and developed by the Finnish Forest Certification Council.

Already in 1998, Lappset took into use the international environmental standard, ISO 14001. According to the system, environmental issues are considered in all the different areas throughout the organization from the procuring of raw materials to the treatment of by-products and waste. For example, the paint used on the wooden parts of the products is water soluble fulfilling environmentally friendly requirements. Also, Lappset has dozens of subcontractors and it audits the main ones annually to ensure that environmental ethics are adhered to. During these audits, special attention is paid to the quality of used materials and deliveries, to the environmental friendliness of the production processes and to other critical business areas with the perspective of sustainability and environmental responsibility.

We invite everyone to join in!

Playing moves the body and brightens the spirit. Exercising helps you feel good, betters your quality of life and slows down the deterioration that inevitably comes with aging. Additionally, when you meet friends while out on a walk or participate in fun and games with your family, you keep your mind sharp.

Lappset Group Oy, a Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) and play environments, would like to invite everyone to join in the fun of playing and enjoying the outdoors with like-minded people. The driving force behind the company is the desire to constantly develop more versatile opportunities for outdoor fitness for everyone to get the most out of the experience. A good example is the new parkour product line that was designed with diversity in mind and was awarded in Finland as the Best Domestic Fitness Product of 2010.

Parkour is an urban activity where the aim is as fluid method of movement as possible with different types of jumps, crossing obstacles and climbing spiced with acrobatic elements such as volts and twists. It also imbues a sense of challenging and outdoing oneself while being strongly community driven which attracts also children and youngsters that are not otherwise attracted to competition driven sports.

The Lappset Parkour Solutions products have been developed in co-operation with the Finnish Parkour Academy. With the valuable advice of professionals in this area, the true requirements of the activity have been considered when designing the equipment. And the integrity and uncompromising of the product development as a result of this co-operation has helped the products achieve instant accreditation.