Last Sunday it snowed round our way. For the first time in years my neighbourhood – like much of London, the South East and beyond – woke up to a blanket of fresh, snowball-perfect snow. And guess what: children went outside and played. They sledged. They made snowmen and snow angels. They had snowball fights.
To repeat: children went outside and played.
Posted in Outdoor play, Technology
Tagged Aldo van Eyck, outdoor play, parenting, snow, social media, technology
Over sixty years ago the architect Aldo van Eyck, who weaved outdoor play into the fabric of war-torn Amsterdam, was inspired by seeing how, after a snowfall, children came out of their homes and claimed the city’s spaces for themselves. Even today nothing gets children of all ages out of doors faster, or in greater numbers, than a decent layer of newly fallen snow.
Why is fresh snow such a universal draw? Surely the answer lies in its exceptional qualities as a material for construction and destruction. The invitations, offers and affordances of snow are extensive, inclusive and democratic. Anyone capable of moving their arms and legs can make a snow angel. No assembly instructions are required.
“When it snows, children take over the city: they sleigh, throw snowballs, make snowmen and are more visible than ever. But what a city needs for its children has to be more durable than snow.”
A seasonal reminder of what child-friendliness means from Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck, whose work in postwar Amsterdam has for some years been a source of inspiration for me. Quoted in a piece by Alex Gillian of Public Workshop.
Happy holidays, everyone!
Rethinking Childhood 