Before playgrounds children would play in the streets around their neighborhoods, until the 19th century when a few developmental psychologists, including Friedrich Fröbel proposed playgrounds as a developmental aid, that would help children learn cooperative, fair play and good manners. A few German schools installed playgrounds for their institutions, however, the first public access kid's playground was opened in a park in Manchester, England in 1859.

Children's playgrounds started to pop up around the world after they were established in Europe. The first park in the United States was built in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in 1887, and a year later the Playground Association of America was founded with Luther Gulick as their president. The association was later renamed to the National Recreation Association and then the National Recreation and Park Association. 

It might be surprising to find out that playgrounds were a staple in the USSR's urban scene during the 1970s and 1980s. Almost every Soviet city had a park with a playground and they were a standard feature around the country. The structures were manufactured by state-owned factories with metallic bars. The most common designs in Soviet playgrounds were the carousel, sphere, seesaw, rocket, and bridge. 

Playgrounds were developed by psychologists and so it makes sense that present-day mental health professionals still recognize the value they have on child development. Research suggests that playgrounds are one of the most important developmental environments for children outside of the home. Spontaneous and independent lay is essential for healthy growth. Albert Einstein said that, “Play is the highest form of research.”

So what about adults? Dr. Sam Wang and Dr. Sandra explain in their book, 'Welcome to Your Child’s Brain: How the Mind Grows from Conception to College,' that play is not just beneficial for child development: "Work in adult life is often most effective when it resembles play. Indeed, total immersion in an activity often indicates that the activity is intensely enjoyable; this is the concept of flow, or what athletes call being in the zone," they wrote. Flow occurs during active experiences that require concentration but are also highly practiced, where the goals and boundaries are clear but leave room for creativity. This describes many adult hobbies, from skiing to music, as well as careers like surgery and computer programming."