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The best playgrounds (according to science)
The best playgrounds (according to science)
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0:06
In the 1930s, Danish landscape architect Carl Theodor Sørensen
0:12
noticed that his neighborhood’s children loved playing in old building sites.
0:17
Watching kids swing from exposed beams,
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scavenge for scrap materials, and hammer together bridges
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inspired him to transform an abandoned housing estate
0:27
into a dedicated junk playground.
0:30
Sørensen’s site became a huge success,
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and soon countries throughout Europe
0:35
were making playgrounds out of derelict building yards
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and even former World War I bomb sites.
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These environments might look dangerous,
0:44
especially to 21st century parents
0:46
who tend to be far more anxious about their childrens’ safety
0:48
than previous generations.
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But research has found these seemingly scary setups
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teach kids important lessons that standard playgrounds don’t.
0:59
Play is profoundly important for childhood development.
1:03
Creating games and following rules helps teach problem solving.
1:07
Moving our bodies through varied terrain helps hone our motor control.
1:11
And playing with others lets us practice language and refine our social skills.
1:17
Since play comes naturally to all of us,
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children are likely to develop these skills in most environments.
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But researchers have identified a few factors that can maximize these benefits.
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Chief among them is freedom.
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Play is all about experimentation,
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and kids need the agency to explore and shape their surroundings
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without adults getting in the way.
1:41
The next factor is novelty—
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kids are always hungry for new and unpredictable play elements.
1:49
Finally, they need time to see their plans through.
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While we could all use more time to play,
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the best play environments offer freedom and novelty
2:00
that kids can explore as much or as little as they like.
2:04
But traditional playgrounds don’t offer much flexibility here.
2:08
Swings, slides, and climbing frames are hardly novel structures.
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They also have relatively low affordance—
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a term used by play researchers
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to indicate how open-ended an object’s design is.
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Items with high affordance, like a sandbox,
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can be interacted with in many ways.
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Meanwhile, objects with low affordance, like a slide,
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were designed with a single use in mind.
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Even when kids are creative enough to find new uses for low affordance objects,
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they're still more limited playthings.
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To address these problems,
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some designers are looking back at Europe's junk playgrounds
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to create modern adventure playgrounds—
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big, open spaces full of high affordance structures
2:54
and free play possibilities.
2:56
Berlin’s Kolle 37 features scrap and building tools for kids to manipulate.
3:02
In Tokyo’s muddy Harapa Park,
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children shape water slides, sink holes, and splash pools
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out of the natural landscape.
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And in London’s Glamis Adventure Playground
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kids burn things in fire pits, with the help of play worker employees.
3:20
While some parents worry these unpredictable spaces are too dangerous,
3:24
play researchers like Ellen Sandseter
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would say this so-called risky play is essential.
3:30
Giving kids the space to experiment with fast speeds, high heights and getting lost
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helps them develop better judgment and confidence.
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In fact, risky play is how kids learn to manage risk and keep themselves safe.
3:45
One study even found that kids were more likely to get seriously injured
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in traditional playgrounds—
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perhaps because adventure playgrounds encourage them to be more aware
3:54
of their surroundings.
3:56
Risky play also helps develop skills for managing mental health.
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Experimenting with small doses of uncertainty
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gets kids used to life being unpredictable,
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helping them better manage anxiety for years to come.
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Adventure playgrounds aren't the only places for risky play.
4:15
Nature playgrounds encouraging kids to explore creeks, caves, and tree climbing
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combine the perks of risk-taking
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with the health benefits of connecting with nature.
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Meanwhile, other designers are working to bring more freedom and novelty
4:28
to traditional designs.
4:30
This Philadelphia park features a 30-person mega-swing,
4:34
and Nebraska’s Omaha Riverfront Playground
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uses a ribbon of multi-layered decking as a play spine,
4:42
warping up and down to reveal secret tunnels and rope forests.
4:47
So the real key is to design a variety of playgrounds,
4:51
supporting a wide range of activities
4:53
that promote fun, agency, and a dash of uncertainty—
4:57
inviting kids to fill in the possibilities.
