The touch subdomain captures opportunities for tactile exploration and manipulation. Touch is one of the primary ways we interact with the world around us, and parks and playgrounds offer many opportunities to explore different tactile sensations and to develop fine motor skills.
The touch subdomain is composed of the following seven categories: water, sand, grass, gravel or wood chips or rubber or synthetic turf, rope, rollers, and interactive.
The water category includes free splash pads, ground sprays, faucets for playing, and other permanent (may be seasonal) water features like the ocean, bay, lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
The sand category includes sand that serves as the playground surface or that is found in a sandbox or other location of the park.
The grass category includes lawn grass or tall grass.
The gravel or wood chips or rubber or synthetic turf category includes four different elements that frequently serve as playground surfaces.
The rope category includes nylon rope and steel-reinforced climbing cable wrapped with polyester yarn.
The rollers category includes roller slides and roller tables.
The interactive category includes two subcategories of playground equipment that experience a visible change in position, orientation, or operational status in response to tactile manipulation from the individual. This playground equipment is either proactive or reactive in nature.
Photos are examples of each type of category and subcategory within the touch subdomain. Actual affordances at parks and playgrounds will look different.