Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A new design methodology for school playgrounds is demonstrating how children can still enjoy their playtime while being protected from the harmful effects of the sun.

The evidence-based system can be used not only to design new play areas but also to retrofit existing parks exposed to the sun's rays—and is already in use at a school playground in New Zealand.

The methodology behind the design is the focus of a new research paper , published today in the peer-reviewed journal Cities & Health .

The research has been led by a team of experts from Lincoln University in New Zealand and Texas A&M University in the U.S.

It is hoped that the approach—which uses specific "activity zones" to offer protection from ultraviolet radiation (UVR) while providing children with optimal play opportunities and the right conditions to do so—could serve as a guide to assessing and improving children's outdoor recreation areas internationally.

"As the world around us heats up and we see longer…