I’m an Adult, and I demand a Playground! 😡
Rediscovering Playfulness By Designing Public Ludic Spaces for Adults
In today’s fast-paced world, where work and family responsibilities often take precedence, many adults find themselves neglecting the importance of play in their lives. Somewhere along the journey from childhood to adulthood, the simple joy of play gets overshadowed by other priorities. Yet, just as play is crucial for the development and well-being of children, it holds significant benefits for adults as well.
A pioneer in research on play, Dr. Stuart Brown, highlights that activities like humor, games, flirtation, and fantasy are more than mere entertainment — they contribute to our overall well-being and cognitive development. It’s widely acknowledged that ample play during childhood lays the foundation for happier, more intelligent adults, and continuing playful activities into adulthood can enhance cognitive function and emotional resilience at any age.
Play offers several benefits:
- Stress Relief: Engaging in playful activities triggers the release of endorphins, which promote a sense of well-being and temporarily alleviate pain.
- Improved Brain Function: Activities like chess and puzzles challenge the brain, preventing memory problems and enhancing cognitive abilities. Social interactions during play also contribute to mental health by reducing stress and depression.
- Stimulation of the Mind and Creativity: Playful learning, similar to how children learn best, can improve task retention and problem-solving abilities. Play stimulates the imagination, aiding in adaptation and creative problem-solving.
- Enhanced Relationships: Sharing laughter and fun experiences fosters empathy, trust, and intimacy with others. Playfulness can be cultivated as a mindset, easing tension in various situations, facilitating social interactions, and building connections with others.
- Youthful Energy: Playfulness maintains vitality and energy levels. As George Bernard Shaw stated, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Play can improve disease resistance, boost energy, and promote overall well-being.
So, why not permit yourself to indulge in the simple pleasure of play? Playgrounds, mostly solely associated with children’s recreation, can be reimagined as spaces for adults and elderly people to foster social relationships, creativity, and playfulness. Drawing inspiration from the rich history of playground design, I invite you to explore with me through this article the concept of adult playgrounds as a means to enhance public experiences and promote well-being among grown-up citizens of our cities.
“All playgrounds are temporary worlds within the ordinary world, dedicated to the performance of an act apart.” — Johan Huizinga, 1938
The Evolution of Playgrounds
Playgrounds have a fascinating history dating back to the late 19th century when cities began to recognize the need for designated spaces for children’s play. These early playgrounds were often simple, consisting of swings, slides, and sandboxes. However, as our understanding of play and its benefits evolved, so too did the design of playgrounds. Architects and urban planners began to incorporate elements of nature, sensory experiences, and inclusive design principles into playgrounds, creating more engaging and accessible spaces for children of all ages and abilities. Some examples are:
The Play Streets
Play streets emerged around 1938 as a solution to the lack of spaces for children to play in densely built urban areas and as an alternative to traditional streets, which were becoming increasingly unsafe due to the growing presence of automobiles. These streets, often of little importance in terms of traffic flow, were converted into pedestrian zones where children could play freely. They either completely prohibited vehicle traffic and parking or imposed restrictions on them during certain hours. In these spaces, children were encouraged to invent their own games or participate in group activities, fostering imagination and sociability. The street became their playground, extending the playful aspect of home life into the public realm. However, after World War II, changes in urban structure, such as the widespread use of automobiles and concerns about child safety, led to the decline of play streets as viable public recreational spaces.
The Junk / Adventure Playgrounds
Junk playgrounds, originating in Denmark from the ideas of Danish landscape architect Carl Theodor Sørensen, were conceived as spaces where children could utilize tools and construction materials in their play, creating their own parks. Sørensen first mentioned the concept in 1931, proposing playgrounds that used unconventional materials such as old cars, boxes, and timber, based on his observations that children often preferred playing in vacant lots and construction sites rather than conventional playgrounds. The concept was put into practice during the German occupation of Denmark in 1943, amidst the scarcity of resources caused by the war. The first junk playground was established on a vacant lot in Emdrup, a suburb of Copenhagen, providing children with various leftover materials from the war, including wood, rope, wire, tires, and bricks, along with tools to manipulate them under adult supervision. The freedom granted to children in creating and using equipment in junk playgrounds was considered essential for fostering creativity, contrasting with the limited and restrictive nature of traditional playground equipment. Junk playgrounds not only stimulated creative exploration and cognitive development but also promoted essential personal and social skills such as social relationships, responsibility, sharing, and teamwork.
Playscapes
During the 1950s and 60s, playground design underwent a transformative shift, particularly in Europe and the United States, influenced by the recognition of play’s crucial role in child development and the emergence of abstract sculpture in public spaces. Isamu Noguchi, a pioneering sculptor and landscape architect, spearheaded this movement with his innovative approach to integrating art into playgrounds. Noguchi’s Play Mountain and Contoured Playground exemplified his vision of blurring the boundaries between sculpture, landscape, and play, offering children opportunities for imaginative exploration through terrain modulation and the incorporation of water elements. Additionally, Noguchi reimagined traditional playground equipment as sculptural forms, encouraging interactive engagement and stimulating creativity. His concept of play sculptures, emerging in the 1950s, challenged conventional playground norms by providing abstract forms that sparked diverse interpretations and fostered imaginative play. Ultimately, Noguchi’s playscapes represented a groundbreaking fusion of art and play.
A Contemporary Example: Playfulness in Dutch Culture
As you may have noticed from my articles, I have a strong affinity for Dutch culture and its approach to problem-solving and design, and in this study, it’s no different. Dutch culture has a deep-rooted appreciation for playfulness and the importance of leisure time. The concept of “gezelligheid,” which roughly translates to coziness or conviviality, is central to Dutch culture and emphasizes the value of social connections and relaxed enjoyment. Dutch cities are known for their well-designed public spaces, where people of all ages can gather to socialize, relax, and engage in playful activities. This cultural ethos serves as a valuable inspiration for designing adult playgrounds that prioritize social interaction, creativity, and playfulness.
While living in Enschede, I distinctly remember frequently encountering an interactive DJ table in the city’s playground near the train station on my way back home. There were several occasions when I couldn’t resist and ended up playing with it for at least 5 minutes, and oh boy… It was FUN! It turns out, I discovered it was a “Play Equipment” from Yalp. Yalp is a company specializing in the playground industry, renowned for its innovative and interactive play solutions. Established around 1980 by Ben and Imgard Admiraal, who recognized an opportunity to revolutionize traditional playgrounds in a changing world. Based in the Dutch district of Twente (where Enschede is, surprise!!), Yalp is committed to daring to do things differently and pushing the boundaries of traditional play.
After digging more into Yalp’s creations, one of my favourite ones is the “Yalp Memo Interactive”, play pillars for indoors and outdoors that adapt themselves through cloud content that keeps it always up-to-date. The Yalp Memo consists of a playing field and 7 columns equipped with a 360° LED touch screen that shows minimalistic arcade-like visual effects. Although the Memo may be a technically advanced playset, its operation is child-friendly and intuitive. With an extensive library of games to choose from, the Memo is a versatile and dynamic outdoor play design.
However, to me, the most interesting part is the inclusive potential that this equipment has. The game posts attract children, but they also entice parents and grandparents to join in. It is barrier-free and open to all to create a shared play experience that helps build communities and bring families and grown-ups closer together, luring everyone into the fresh air and motivating them to exercise with fun and games.
“In all my years working in this industry, I haven’t seen much innovation in the playgrounds’ core concept. That’s why I’m immensely proud that our high-spirited team is shaping the future of play. Our technology not only affects the operator but also the user. How exciting is it to have a different experience every time you visit the playground?!” — Yvonne Overmaat, Yalp
Translating Principles for Adult Playground Design
Building upon the legacy of playground design and cultural appreciation for playfulness, I would love to see cities exploring ways to create public experiences that cater to adults as well. Just as playgrounds for children are designed to promote physical activity, socialization, and imaginative play, adult playgrounds can offer similar benefits to grown-ups. I quickly brainstormed some ideas for incorporating playful elements into public spaces for adults:
- Outdoor Exercise Stations: Install outdoor exercise stations equipped with fitness equipment and obstacle courses to encourage physical activity and social interaction among adults.
- Interactive Art Installations: Integrate interactive art installations into public spaces, allowing adults to engage in creative and playful activities that stimulate their imagination and foster connections with others.
- Gamified Public Stations: Just like Yalp’s example, the development of gamified stations with interactive and cloud-based technologies could attract adults and elderlies into the public space, especially if designed according to this public’s needs and interests.
- Urban Adventure Courses: Create urban adventure courses that challenge adults both mentally and physically while promoting teamwork and problem-solving skills.
“Urbanism considered and developed in the terms of the ‘Charte d’Athènes’ tends to produce ‘towns’ in which vital human associations are inadequately expressed. To comprehend these human associations we must consider every community as a particular total complex.” — Statement on Habitat, 1954
As cities continue to evolve and respond to the changing needs of their residents, the concept of adult playgrounds emerges as a promising avenue to elevate public experiences and foster well-being among grown-ups. Drawing upon the rich legacy of playground design, cultural attitudes towards playfulness, and innovative approaches by visionary architects like Isamu Noguchi, alongside creative companies like Yalp, cities can cultivate vibrant and inclusive environments where adults (like me!) can rediscover the joy of play and form meaningful connections with one another and with their municipality. These highly participatory and ludic spaces present an opportunity for immigrants, like myself, craving social connections and a sense of belonging in their new city. Through thoughtful design and community engagement, adult playgrounds hold the potential to enrich urban life and contribute to the overall health and happiness of city dwellers.
So, shall I meet you in the playground tomorrow before dinner? :)
References
- Joana Isabel Pereira Martinho, “O espaço para a criança na cidade”, 2014
- https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/book-of-the-month-aldo-van-eyck-orphanage-amsterdam-building-playgrounds
- https://www.noguchi.org/
- https://www.yalp.com/
- https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/book-of-the-month-aldo-van-eyck-orphanage-amsterdam-building-playgrounds
- https://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_play_is_more_than_just_fun/transcript?language=en
- https://amsterdamwonderland.com/linnaeushof-europes-biggest-playground/
