Benches from Found Materials by Bankinzicht

When you're designing your playscape, don't neglect the hardscape that can make the space feel comfortable, permanent,  and settled into its site.  Always question whether a fence is truly necessary (often it isn't), or whether another way of providing 'boundary' is more useful and more functional as well...one way of handling the perimeter of your site is to make it a bench. 

I really like the constructions of 'Bankinzicht' from the Netherlands (their site is in Dutch, see an English translation via google translate) by two gardeners who make, among other things, 'natural nurseries' and have a particular predilection for constructing benches from discarded building rubble.

"The seats are for the most part made ​​with materials that were released during the construction of a garden. The foundation usually consists of several layers of gravel tiles. Subsequent layers are stacked in a mosaic structure and supplemented with specific details of pottery, glass, or "found objects". In the pile and brickwork much room is left for planting. Kenilworth Ivy, Thyme and Yellow Corydalis species are fun and add color and scent. It is also possible to integrate the bench with a pool of water or a wooden seat."

I love the way their benches incorporate things like marbles and old pieces of pottery and have plenty of niches for hiding treasures or parking a toy car.  

And note how the circular patterns of the benches at one of their 'natural nurseries' provide for the 'retreat spaces' previously discussed on the blog as a design feature to prevent playground bullying.  Hooray for Bankinzicht!

  

Playground Den-Building and Kids Play DIY

Playscapes friend Tim Gill has just posted about the den-building provisions on the playground of Berwick Fields Primary school in England (Australia, oops!)  which you'll want to read.   Kids have always built playhouses out of whatever materials they can find around, of course.  But a key to encouraging this behavior, whether in a multi-user playspace or in your own backyard, is to provide a simple pole or a frame to help the constructions stand up.

Den-building poles at Berwick are decorated by each year's class.  Photo by Tim Gill

Thurton Primary School provides simple frames to enable den-building.  Photo by Natasha Lyster

Den poles and frames are a simple addition to any play space; then just let the children gather their own sticks and branches and build away.

Note that Tim's post also gives some  insight into the management of dens on a school playground:  "the only rule is that dens have to be demolished at the end of each session. This is to allow more children to take part. Before the rule was introduced, children were starting to get territorial about their cubbies."

Unlike the more permanent constructs allowed at adventure playgrounds, play dens typically don't last long.  So they're ideal for documenting at diy.org, a beautiful new site and app well-summarized as an 'online refrigerator for kids artwork', (see also a discussion of the diy project at c/net).  Several play  projects have already been posted...I really like the idea of kids being able to document their ephemeral, outdoor play creations in this way!

The Playscape Chronicles of Frode Svane

Sometimes I get asked where the best playgrounds in the world are.  Hands down they're in the countries of northern Europe, where long-standing cultural values for being outside and a realistic approach to risk have led to play installations that are truly child-focused. 

Frode Svane, teacher and playground expert,  hails from Norway and he's documented many of the best European playgrounds in his extensive albums, available on facebook.  His photographic chronicles are a huge trove of inspiration for the playscape-maker, of which the ones featured in this post are a small, small selection; I'm particularly inspired at the moment by his idea set for secondary schools (selections above), since play environments for teens continue to be a missed opportunity in play design.

You'll also find loads of ideas for natural playgrounds elements:  Frode has been promoting nature play and natural playscapes since way before the current children and nature movement and before I had even heard those terms myself.  Sometimes when larger forces take over we lose track of who the real trailblazers were; I consider Frode to be one of them, and his playground chronicles (I don't know anyone else with soo many playground pictures!) are endlessly inspiring.

Frode also hosts study trips of European playgrounds:  one each year in Berlin and sometimes also in Scandinavia as well.  This year's Berlin trip is June 27-30 (and I've just noticed that the registration deadline was April 12...contact Frode asap for remaining availability) 

I dream of taking one of these myself, but alas my uni doesn't consider this a legitimate use of laboratory travel funds....even if you can't take the trip, visit vicariously through Frode Svane's photo chronicles.

Rio Tinto Naturescape, Perth, Australia

The word 'playscape' was invented around 1959 to define a landscape type that was a completely designed space for play, not just the sets of equipment with which the word 'playground' had become definitively associated.  It was in keeping with that definition that I chose 'playscapes' as the title for this blog, though since 1959 the word has been used in a variety of ways, to apply to a variety of play spaces.

We're now seeing the rise of a new word--'naturescape'--that further seeks to distinguish spaces for play in which natural features are paramount.  Like 'playscape' the word will probably be used in many ways, and without a strict definition, but it is a useful linguistic device, I think, and shows how much exciting innovation is occurring in defining what used to be called the 'playground'.    So much that we need new words.

Especially since the new play area at King's Park in Perth Australia has specifically asked us *not* to call it a playground. 

"This area is not a playground. It has been designed to retain as much of its natural bush setting as possible. The project brings back a level of challenge, adventure and connection to nature that has been missing from many urban childhoods.

Great care has been taken to provide children with a real ‘bush’ experience in the middle of our city. This is carefully balanced with providing inspiring design and high quality amenities to enhance the visitor experience.

Rio Tinto Naturescape Kings Park covers 60,000 square metres and incorporates a series of unique zones including hidden thickets, a creek, lookouts, a cubby building area, upside-down trees and a wetland. These areas are connected by meandering paths, boardwalks and bridges which offer a feeling of immersion in the bush."

I particularly like the water features, including a massive stone block 'spring' (big enough to wade in!) with small water holes for mud play, and the sensible and humorous approach to playground safety evidenced by the safety signs:

Two Australian kid-focused bloggers visited the Naturescape (here and here), judging it the best play space in Perth! The photos in this post are from their insightful reviews, credit Alec Duncan and Niki Buchan.

I couldn't find information on who the architects/designers for this project were; if you know please tell me so I can credit them.

Thanks to reader Jennifer for submitting this!

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DIY Playground #1: Terrain and Planting for Play by space2place

If you only have the time or budget to do one thing for play, make a hill.

A simple pile of dirt can become a bike ramp, a fort, a stage, a hiding place, a slide, a launchpad for the imagination.  When I was growing up my amazing mother asked the dump truck drivers working on our street to leave a load of dirt in our yard.  It was hands down the best play feature ever, enjoyed by not just my brothers and sisters and me but everyone in the neighborhood.  There were four swingsets, two slides, and three playhouses on our street too, but the hill was the best. 

Sometimes when I recommend hills, though, people are worried about the technical details of the slopes and I never had those answers, but landscape architect Jeff Cutler of space2place in Vancouver, Canada, whose great playgrounds have featured on the blog before does!

Jeff's work is characterized by innovative shaping of the ground to create unique spaces for play accompanied by carefully chosen plantings that enliven the landscape and are themselves full of fun.  It's a mystery to me why so many traditional playgrounds look like play deserts....scraped flat and raw and utterly barren.  Plants are safe!  Don't make a play desert!

space2place is generously providing Playscapes readers with guidelines and suggestions for both play hills and great playground plantings.  It's our first DIY playground feature in honor of Aldo's birthday and it's free for you to download, print, and share under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial license, which just means you must credit the source if you share it and you can't sell it.  

But you can use it to make your own awesome play features all you want!  All I ask is that you send me photos of what you do so I can eventually post a mash-up of reader projects, and that you leave nice thank-yous to space2place in the comments. 

VIEW/DOWNLOAD TERRAIN AND PLANTING FOR PLAY BY SPACE2PLACE 

Watch for DIY play feature #2 on Monday.

Go make a playscape!

Rainwater on the Playground - Making Drainage a Play Feature

Learning through Landscapes also produced an insightful report on the Berlin schoolyards, with many great images, including those above.  There's a wealth of inspiration in these schools' tolerance for untidiness, their insistence on sand rather than mulch or safety surfacing,  and the 'reprofiling' of school yards to introduce slopes and dips....it's a must-read document.  

One aspect of the report is the use of drainage as a play feature.  When you do hear about playground drainage it's usually as a problem! But these schoolyards consistently see it as opportunity,  channeling the flow with gentle swales and valleys, places kids naturally like to play.   

The water course can take various forms, from an artistic mosaic to a boulder-strewn stream bed.  You can of course add piped-in water to these features, but I like the way using rainwater introduces a seasonality and changeability to the playscape.

Orange Park, London by Planet Earth Ltd

Dahl Playfield, Seattle WA, by siteworkshop

The ever-helpful London Play have produced a document all about playing with rainwater and sustainable drainage strategies with loads of helpful tips and great site examples to inspire your own rainwater playscape.

The flip side of drainage-as-playfeature is that NOT realizing the attractiveness of rainwater channels can inadvertently cause a problem by drawing children into a space that wasn't designed for them, and carries too much water to be safe.  The nice urban drainage scheme of Upton, Northamptonshire (below) is an irresistible playspace and has been adopted as such by children in the community, but this can't be encouraged since it wasn't a planned use.  (thanks to  reader Amy for this information) 

Upton drainage scheme via sustainablecities

Natural Playground Inspiration from Learning through Landscapes

Two lengthy, but excellent videos from SchoolGrounds UK, a part of UK charity Learning through Landscapes, which promotes outdoor learning and play.  The first highlights natural play spaces at primary schools in Scotland, and is one of the best overall presentations of natural play principals I've seen anywhere.    

The sites feature many classic natural play elements with stumps and stones and landforms, but note particularly the fun the kids are having with the pile of straw mulch...an easy addition to any play space, and the simple barrel and pipe features for water and sand play seen at 1:57 and 4:49 and 12:20.    And of course that all-important sandpit, the original playground feature, and still one of the best.




The second is an overview of the amazing playgrounds at schools in Berlin...soak in their innovation, their tolerance for fall heights, hidden spaces, and appropriate risk in general.  Note particularly the use of natural drainage for water play (2:37) so that the playground is actually MORE fun in the rain, instead of being rained out!   More about Berlin playscapes later this week.   

Thurton Primary School Playground, by its Children, 2011

I really love that I don't have to credit anyone but the 3-6 year old children and staff of the Thurton Church of England Primary School on this post!

Because while I adore custom playgrounds by thoughtful Arch/LArch practices, the notion that a playspace must be designed by a professional (or more often, an equipment company) is one of the worst things that has happened to play.

Looking at Thurton school's playground-creation process, as detailed in a newspaper article showcasing their commendation by both the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and the South Norfolk Design Awards, is revealing.

1.  They were inspired by an idea;  in this case the picture book “Window” by Jeanne Baker.  "The children explored what they wanted to see out of their own window and what they wanted to adapt in the local environment."

This is completely different from what usually passes for a child-focused design process, in which children are simplistically asked to draw their ideal playground.  The problem with that is most kids only *know* slides and swings and platforms so that's what they draw.   People (adults, too) only choose from what they know, which is why this blog continually focuses on expanding the 'circle of know' about what a playground is and can be.

2.   Experts were utilized, but were not the primary drivers of the design.  "...the children then wrote their own questionnaires for parents, so they could further narrow down the ideas they had. They then met with landscape architects from Norfolk County Council (NCC) and landscapers to find out if some of their ideas were possible. Finally the children presented their ideas in an extraordinary school assembly to children, parents, governors, staff and the local community. The designs were shown to David Yates at NCC and he took something from each design to make the final plan."

3.  The installed design, though executed by the experts, reflected a genuine commitment to the children's goals rather than limited choices from an equipment list.  

The Thurton playscape, constructed by local firm MEO landscapes, now includes a labyrinth and story-telling area, a tiny hobbit-like house next to an amphitheatre and stage, a 'reflective' space, a secret path, a mound for rolling, tire swings, a playhouse and den-making area, and a 'really deep' sandpit.  ('tis true that most sandpits aren't deep enough for serious digging!).

Such an amazing place to play!
[All Thurton photos by Natasha Lyster]

And for comparison-purposes-only, a 'typical' primary school playground.  Make up your own mind which is good for the kids. 

Country in the City at the Madison Children's Museum, Madison WI USA

  

 
Talk about your green roofs...thanks to reader Carol for submitting the rooftop garden playscape of the Madison Children's Museum in Madison Wisconsin.  With nary a traditional play structure in sight, Kubala Washatko Architects nonetheless created an eminently playable space with so much scope for exploration...and even chickens! This is a great example of how a space we might more traditionally consider a garden can be tweeked to become a playscape just by allowing say, the walls to be climb-able and the rocks to be step-able; the gazebo to be hide-able and the paths to be chase-able. Beautifully done.