Last week I was tipped off about an intriguing job opportunity: a street play research officer. Which global city, you may wonder, is showing such a strong interest in this topic? Mumbai, perhaps? Nope. Rio de Janeiro? Wrong again. The answer is New York City. It’s just one sign that street play, often consigned to the black-and-white memories of baby-boomers, is enjoying something of a renaissance.
Posted in Outdoor play, Public policy, Urbanism
Tagged car dependence, child-friendly cities, neighbourhood, outdoor play, playing out, road closure, streets, transport, urban design, urbanism
Every year since 1979 there has been a Big Garden Bird Watch, a UK-wide survey organised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. I can’t help wondering about a survey of a different species: a Big Outdoor Child Watch.
Posted in Child development, Health, Nature, Outdoor play, Parenting
Tagged childhood, guardian, health, mental health, nature, outdoor play, physical activity
I’ve thinking a lot about affordances recently. An affordance is something in the environment that makes an offer to a person, or that reveals a possible function. Here is an example: a flat hard surface about 20 – 40 cm off the ground affords sitting.
Posted in Outdoor play, play, Play spaces, playground, Public space
Tagged affordance, JJ Gibson, Marketta Kyttä, outdoor play, psychology, public space, Roger Barker, skateboarding
The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) has announced the winners of the design competitions for the north and south hubs of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Congratulations to both winning teams, and commiserations to all the runners-up.
Posted in Nature, Outdoor play, play, Play spaces, playground, Public space
Tagged London, nature, Olympic park, outdoor play, play, playground, public space
How do you measure the child-friendliness of a neighbourhood? Here’s one test. Would you, as a parent of an 8-year-old child living in that neighbourhood, let your child make their own way to a shop and buy a popsicle (or any variety of ice-cream) – and could your child get the frozen treat back home before it melted?
Photo by Phil Doyle
This afternoon I spoke at an event called ‘Taking Play Seriously’ in Melbourne, with a mixed audience of professionals, volunteers and parents. It followed my talk last week here at the Playgroup Australia conference. In the Q & A afterwards, one attendee – a local government employee and mother of three – told the audience how she had heard me speak last Thursday. Then two days later, her 10-year-old son had asked her if he could go to the local skatepark on his own.
Posted in Outdoor play, Parenting, Risk
Tagged adventure, Australia, benign neglect, everyday adventure, outdoor play, parenting, skateboarding, skatepark
Rethinking Childhood 