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Why Fully Fenced Playgrounds Matter: A Parent’s Perspective on Safe & Inclusive Playground Design

This is a guest blog post written by Lauren Shrestha, the creator behind Fully Fenced. Fully Fenced highlights and advocates for fully fenced-in playgrounds, particularly in New England where Lauren lives with her three sons who have autism. Read on to learn why fully fenced playgrounds are a core part of inclusive playground design and find fully fenced playgrounds in your area.

How Did Fully Fenced Come About?

The idea for the Fully Fenced social media platform began as a Google Maps list that I started about 3 or 4 years ago. I’m the mother to three autistic boys – fraternal twins who are six, and a three-year-old – and like many autistic children, they like to elope (run off) without any awareness of danger.

When searching for safe places to bring them, my top criteria was that the playground had to be fully fenced in with gates. I began saving these playgrounds on a private Google Maps list, only including locations I had carefully vetted, sometimes even using Google Street View to confirm fencing and gated entry.

Eventually, I realized other parents and caregivers might be facing the same challenge. So, I made the list public and shared it in various Massachusetts-based autism Facebook groups. The response was overwhelming – many families were grateful to have a resource that saved them hours of research.

That positive response led me to create Fully Fenced accounts on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. These platforms allow me to better organize and showcase my finds. I live in Swampscott, MA so my videos primarily center on the Northeast part of the state.

What Has Been the Impact of Fully Fenced?

Since launching, I’ve connected with parents and caregivers all over the country who share their local fully fenced finds and ask for advice to get their local representatives to understand why playgrounds need to be fully fenced.

Fully fenced playgrounds are not only important for autistic children though, they offer peace of mind to all parents and caregivers, knowing their children won’t run off the moment they look away.

– Lauren Shrestha, creator of Fully Fenced

In addition to running Fully Fenced, I serve as Chair of the Swampscott Commission on Disability, where I’ve successfully advocated for fencing in multiple local playgrounds. I also regularly contact state and local officials if I find a playground that is not fully fenced and encourage them to add the appropriate fencing/gates.

Thankfully, I have noticed a positive trend emerging – many new playgrounds are being built fully fenced from the start. One organization leading the way is UltiPlay Parks and Playgrounds. They’ve been innovators in inclusive playground construction across New England for decades, and they’ve consistently supported the importance of fully fenced playground designs. I’m excited to continue following – and visiting – their growing portfolio of fully fenced playgrounds.

UltiPlay’s Fully Fenced Playgrounds:

Some fully fenced playgrounds created by UltiPlay Parks & Playgrounds include: