Play and Playgrounds

Ellen Ruppel Shell argues that children's imaginations are more important than play equipment, and covers design trends such as the reintroducing of nature into play spaces. From Smithsonian Magazine

If you're tired of the jungle-gym-and-swingset formula, then this report has some refreshing news for you.

Discover the design principles that keep children engaged time after time.

This list of influential thinkers and doers is a great starting point for anyone doing their own research into playspaces.

Short descriptions of innovative playspaces from the U.S. and abroad.

New York City's Park and Recreation Supervisor Henry Stern walks us through an evaluatory process to rate the city's playgrounds.

A resource for success stories and current ideas about the management of playgrounds in parks.

Here you'll find "factoids" and other research on kids and play, as well as ideas for making great playgrounds and working with kids in designing them.

Jay Beckwith, creator of School Yard BigToys, PlayBoosters, and Kid Builders, calls for a return to the experimental spirit of '60s and '70s-era playground design.

A design process that gathered input from schools and in-kind donations from businesses and organizations turned a children's play area, and the environmental restoration project surrounding it, into a backyard, a schoolyard and a science classroom.

A discussion on the state of play in the U.S., with Roger Hart and Selim Iltus of Children's Environments Research Group at City University of New York (CUNY).

A good source of information on playground design, with material on parks and community gardens to boot.

Children can and should participate in creating and transforming their play spaces; a presentation by Roger Hart, Children's Environments Research Group.

This article surveys trends and provides examples of playgrounds that are on the cutting edge of kid appeal.
Child Magazine (August 2001)