How to Design Better Playgrounds for Kids Using Science
In the 1930s, a Danish designer named Carl Theodor Sørensen saw children playing in construction sites. They climbed on beams and built things with scrap materials. This gave him an idea to create a special playground using junk.
This first junk playground was a big hit. Soon, other countries started making playgrounds from old building yards and even old bomb sites.
These old-style playgrounds might seem unsafe to parents today. Modern parents worry more about safety than people did in the past. But studies show that these exciting play areas teach kids valuable lessons.
Play is very important for how children grow and learn. Making up games and following rules helps kids learn to solve problems.
Moving their bodies on different surfaces helps them get better at using their muscles and coordination. Playing with others teaches them how to talk and get along.
Children naturally learn these skills through play. However, researchers have found ways to make play even more helpful. The most important thing is giving kids freedom.
Play is about trying new things, and children need to be able to explore and change their play space. They need to do this without adults always telling them what to do.
The next important thing is newness. Kids always want new and unexpected things to play with.
Finally, children need enough time to finish what they start. While everyone could use more playtime, the best play spaces give kids freedom and new things to explore. They can explore as much or as little as they want.
Standard playgrounds often don’t offer much choice. Swings, slides, and climbing frames aren’t very new or different.
These standard playground items also have low ‘affordance.’ This is a term play researchers use to describe how many ways you can use an object. Things with high affordance, like a sandbox, can be used in many different ways.
A slide, on the other hand, is designed for just one thing. Even if kids get creative with a slide, their options are still limited.
To solve these issues, some designers are looking back at the old junk playgrounds. They are creating modern adventure playgrounds. These are large, open areas with many things to play with.
Kids can use scrap materials and tools to build and create. For example, one park in Berlin has building tools for children to use. Another park in Tokyo uses mud to let kids shape slides and pools.
Some parents worry that these unpredictable spaces are too dangerous. But play experts say this kind of ‘risky play’ is very important. Letting kids try things like going fast or climbing high helps them make better decisions.
It also builds their confidence. Risky play actually teaches kids how to handle danger and stay safe. One study even found that children were more likely to get hurt on traditional playgrounds.
This might be because adventure playgrounds make kids pay more attention to what’s around them. Risky play also helps children handle their feelings. Trying small amounts of uncertainty helps kids get used to life’s surprises.
This can help them handle worry better as they grow older. Adventure playgrounds are not the only place for risky play.
Nature playgrounds encourage kids to explore creeks, caves, and trees. These combine the benefits of risk-taking with the good feelings of being in nature. Other designers are adding more freedom and new ideas to traditional playgrounds.
One park in Philadelphia has a giant swing for 30 people. Another playground uses a winding ramp with secret tunnels and rope areas.
The main idea is to create different kinds of playgrounds. These playgrounds should offer many activities that are fun and give kids choices.
They should also include a bit of uncertainty, letting children imagine and create their own adventures. This approach helps children develop important skills for life.
What You Will Learn
This article explains why traditional playgrounds can be limiting for children’s development. You will learn about the importance of freedom, novelty, and time in play.
We will also explore the concept of ‘affordance’ and how it relates to play objects. Finally, you will discover how modern adventure playgrounds and nature-based play areas offer more benefits by embracing ‘risky play’ and open-ended design.
Prerequisites
No special tools or prior knowledge are needed to understand this article. It is written for parents, educators, and anyone interested in child development and play spaces.
Steps to Understanding Better Playgrounds
- Understand the Importance of Play: Play is essential for children’s development. It helps them learn problem-solving, improve motor skills, and develop social abilities through games, rules, and interaction.
- Recognize Key Elements for Effective Play: Researchers have found that freedom, novelty, and sufficient time are crucial for maximizing play’s benefits. Children need the space to experiment and shape their environment without constant adult interference.
- Learn About ‘Affordance’: This term describes how many ways an object can be used. High-affordance items, like sandboxes, offer many possibilities, while low-affordance items, like slides, have limited uses.
- Explore Adventure Playgrounds: These modern spaces draw inspiration from old junk playgrounds. They offer large areas with high-affordance structures and materials, encouraging children to build and create freely.
- Understand the Value of ‘Risky Play’: Contrary to some parental fears, supervised risky play (like climbing high or exploring) helps children develop judgment, confidence, and risk-management skills. It can even make them more aware of their surroundings and safer.
- Consider Nature and Modern Designs: Playgrounds that incorporate natural elements or innovative designs, like giant swings or multi-level structures, can also provide valuable play experiences. These designs often blend freedom, novelty, and a touch of uncertainty.
- Focus on Variety and Agency: The best play environments offer a range of activities that promote fun, give children control (agency), and include a bit of the unexpected. This encourages children to imagine and create their own play scenarios.
Expert Notes
Play researchers like Ellen Sandseter emphasize that what seems like ‘risky play’ is actually how children learn to assess and manage danger. This builds crucial life skills and confidence.
By providing environments with high affordance and opportunities for experimentation, we help children develop resilience and adaptability, skills vital for navigating an unpredictable world.
The shift towards adventure and nature-based playgrounds is a recognition that unstructured, challenging play is as important as structured activities for healthy child development.
The goal for playground design is to create spaces that invite children to be active participants, not just passive users, by offering them choices and opportunities for self-directed exploration.
Look for local parks or community initiatives that are exploring these modern playground concepts. Many cities are beginning to update their play spaces based on these research findings.
Source: The best playgrounds (according to science) (YouTube)
