New Equipment for Playgrounds

ASE GRUDA SKARD, NORWAY

In the 'good old days' the problem for chil­dren was to find time to play. They startedwork at an early age by weeding, harvesting,digging, carrying water and wood and feed­ing animals together with, or directed by, theadults. Or they were employed in occupa­tions to relieve the adults from simple tasksin order to make manpower available for themore difficult adult work. So the childrenlooked after their younger siblings, gatheredbranches for the fire and collected manurefrom the animals for fertilizing and heating.Today in some parts of the world the childrenstill represent assistant manpower in neces­sary work.

Under these conditions children may havehad little time for play, but one can assumethat they were not short of things to playwith, from sand, pebbles, bits of wood,string, snow and corn cobs to discardedboxes, bamboo, cones, nutshells, bits ofcloth, broken pottery, bricks and old wheels.

Industrialization and urbanization haveliberated children from heavy manual tasks,leaving them time for play, at the same timeas it has destroyed the previously existingmaterial, space and opportunities for activeplay. Only recently, and very late in the pro­cess of urbanization have adults discoveredthat high houses and crowded streets, smallfamilies and long paternal absences fromhome, deprive children of sufficient stimulat­ing opportunities for active play. To replacethe lost natural material, there has been aworld-wide movement for good toys and,

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reluctantly, town planners have begun to'give up' valuable areas for playgrounds andrecreation parks.

The playgrounds have been sparselyequipped with play material, and contentshave become standardized and uniform adnauseam. All over the world there is atendency to place a sandbox in a corner forthe smallest children, swings, a climbingjungle and a slide in the middle for the biggerpreschool children-and nothing for olderchildren (who evidently are supposed to beconstantly engaged in school and homework).Wherever one travels today, one finds that aplayground is flat-if necessary made flatby bulldozers-and covered with asphaltwhose only virtue is that it is useful forwheelbarrows and tricycles, and cheap tomaintain.

There have been a few interesting attemptsto break with this pattern-notably theadventure playgrounds in England (withLady Allen of Hurtwood as the enthusiasticpioneer), the Robinson playgrounds inSwitzerland, some hillside garden play­grounds in Czechoslovakia, the 'Parklek'(Play in the Park) in Sweden, and a fascinat­ing architectural playground with bridges,mazes, walls, stairs etc. in Bagdad (Iraq).

Except for the Bagdad playground thesenew attempts of furnishing better outdoorsplay conditions for children include materialthat may be moved around, that can be usedin various ways for construction and role­playing. Since there is always the risk that

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the material might disappear, adult super­visors are frequently employed to look afterthe equipment. Soon it became clear that ahuman being might also keep an eye onthe playing children, and in, for example,Sweden, it became evident that the mostvaluable 'piece of furniture' on a playgroundwas an understanding adult, not only to'keep an eye on' but also, when necessary, toinspire the children in their play, to teachthem games, to protect the age groups againsteach other and the material against nightlyprowlers.

Gradually, the interest in children's playand the conditions for play has been awaken­ing. The necessity for playgrounds andproper equipment for children's play atvarious developmental levels has very slowlybegun to dawn on the responsible persons inmodern towns and cities. It was therefore apioneering spirit that inspired the NorwegianGovernmental Commission for General Cul­ture to organize a competition for new ideasfor playground equipment, inviting sculptors,architects, educators and designers to par­ticipate by submitting small models anddetailed descriptions of new features for thespace for play. The new 'creations' might bemovable or stable, but should be practical aswell as aesthetic, easy to produce and inex­pensive, safe and capable of being used indifferent kinds of climate.

The jury to select the best ideas for theprizes consisted of one painter (also professorat the College of Art in Oslo), two sculptors,and two preschool educators with specialartistic interests.

The models poured in, to make up 120entries before the deadline date. The task ofthe jury was a difficult one because there wasvery little formulated thinking about newforms of play material, criteria for selectionwere poorly developed, and too little wasknown about the children's outdoor playand their ability to utilize various forms ofequipment. As a result 16 out of the 120models were finally selected for awards, butnone was found worthy of a first prize. Themodels were classified in four groups accord­ing to the quality as judged by the jury. But in

its final conclusion the jury underlinedstrongly that the real judgement of qualitywill appear only when the models are trans­formed into their right size and used in theplaygrounds by the children. The true andqualified 'jury' will be the children using (ornot using) the new forms of play material andequipment. The jury also made it crystalclear that no playground will be 'good' withjust one kind of play material. Every play­ground must offer many kinds of oppor­tunities, for younger and older children, forrough or quiet play, for individual and groupactivities, for 'muscular' outlet as well as forimaginary play.

Group A

According to the judgement of the jury,the two ideas in group A, both created byarchitects, would stimulate constructiveactivity and could be used for many purposesby children of different ages, preferably inco-operative enterprises with or withoutadult participation.

Fig. 1 shows building blocks with ahexagonal basis, each side 20cm. Most ofthem are 20cm. tall, some three times asmuch. They are made of plastic covered withspecially prepared cloth making them light,soft, easy to carry, safe even if thrown at achild, and inexpensive. In the model the'blocks' were all white, but in full size therewill be some white, some black, perhaps evensome red. Children can use them for allkinds of construction, for houses, towers,stairs, seats, roads, walls, etc.

Injig. 2 we see a different kind of material,viz., wooden boards of different length allwith notches cut into the wood in accordancewith the principle of log cabins. Some sizesof the boards are already for sale in lumbershops-e.g. the 2 x 6ft. and 1t X 4ft.-andothers may be prepared easily. The largestboards will be too heavy for children tomove, so adult assistance will be needed. Butmany of the boards can be carried by childrenwho can use them for climbing arrange­ments, benches and tables, fences etc. Theirconstructions should be placed in sand so

NEW EQUIPMENT FOR PLAYGROUNDS 115

that the children may jump down withoutbeing hurt.

Group B

A specialist in pottery submitted a hand­some and usable piece of sculpture in theform of a modified horseshoe (fig. 3). Insidethe sculpture, steps across the hollow sidescould be used by children for climbing andwriggling around. The outside is decoratedwith inlaid medallions of ceramics, offeringa fine aesthetic experience for children tolook at and to touch. The sculpture is meantto be 2m. from the ground to the top, so chil­dren may climb all the way to the top withoutactual danger.

A young sculptor constructed a 'pipehouse' of solid plastic (fig. 4). The pipes areeasy to produce, large enough (O·50-0·60m.)for children to creep through and trans­parent so that they can see each other. Theymay pull and push dolls and other toys intothe 'house', or slide from the top down. Theymay experience exciting differences in heightinside and outside the house, and creep alongas in a maze.

A new kind of swing, the 'global cage'(fig. 5), 2m. in diameter, was entered by apainter. The metal of the 'cage' should bewell covered so that it offers a pleasant sur­face for small hands, is insulated againstchanging temperatures, and is soft andsmooth. The children might climb inside andoutside the globe which can move in limitedcircles letting the children swing gently with­out making them dizzy.

When the idea fig. 6 was presented (by ayoung student of architecture) the jury askedwith some doubt: 'Can we give a prize to abag? Simply a bag l' But the idea was tohave a great number of bags measuringaround 30cm. X l5cm., solid, filled with aspecial material (Leca) making them firmand light and covered with water resistantcloth. The designer of the bag had demon­strated in his model how the bags could beused to make cottages, walls, castles, etc.,and how they might be combined with otherkinds of material, such as boards to make

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tables and benches, a shop counter and otheruseful pieces of furniture.

Group C

This comprised two models both made byarchitects. The 'House on Legs' (fig. 7),offers an amusing combination of oppor­tunities for climbing and swinging. The'house' rests upon a system of solid springs,permitting it to move back and forth. It isplanned to be 3m. high and 2·25m. broad.It may serve as a swing when children sit ontop of it using their bodies to move it, or theymay climb up and down while the housegently goes over from one position to another.The actions of the children are evidentlylimited, but the unusual form should have ahumorous appeal to their imagination.

Fig. 8 is a system of ropes attached to aniron frame which provides an opportunityfor co-operative activity. The poles to whichthe ropes are attached are placed at a distanceof 2m. to form corners of a square. The ropesmove through 'eyes' at the top of the poles.When a child starts jumping in one part, theropes will move throughout, and the otherchildren will experience the movements ofthe ropes on which they stand or hang. Therack for the ropes is easy to make and shouldbe ready for use very quickly.

Group D

The sculptor who made the model fig. 9named it 'Chicken House' because it couldserve as a 'house' for climbing, resting andwatching. It is a climbing jungle where thechildren can experience the height of levelsplaced at different distances from the ground,and the view of the world from there. The'Chicken' is intended to be 3m. tall and madefrom well-covered, insulated iron bars. Thejury saw no reason why the idea could not beused for forming different animal and birdshapes and visualized each playground withits own special model as an emblem by whichit might be recognized.

A young couple, he a student of architec­ture, she a teacher, were ambitious enough topresent a whole corner of a playground (fig.10). All the 'houses' and equipment were

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made of plastic triangles and quadrangleswith a height of I·27m. It should be very easyto tear down and rebuild all the constructionsso that the whole corner of the playgroundwould change its appearance. But the plasticplates must be rather large which would makethem manageable only for older children.They are, however, easy to produce.

Gradually these ideas for play materialwill result in new combinations of equipmentfor playgrounds. Then it remains to be seenwhich the children utilize for their games, andwhich the various age groups will prefer. Butwhatever happens the results of this competi-

L'industrialisation et l'urbanisation ont libere lesenfants des durs travaux manuels d'antan et ontaccru leurs loisirs, mais elles ont fait disparaitre, avecles espaces libres et les rnateriaux naturels, la plupartdes possibilites de jeu actif qui s'offraient a eux. Pourremplacer les materiaux detruits, il s'est cree un vastemouvement international en faveur du jouet, et lesurbanistes doivent de plus en plus se resigner aconsacrer de precieux espaces a l'amenagement deterrains de jeu,

Nos terrains de jeu ont longtemps souffert d'unetrop grande uniformite, encore que d'interessantestentatives visant a y introduire plus d'originaliteaient ete faites c;a et lao La Commission gouverne­mentale norvegienne pour la Culture generale aorganise un concours d'idees originales pour l'equipe­ment des terrains de jeu. Ce concours etait ouvertaux architectes, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et enseignants.Les projets devaient etre accompagnes de maquetteset d'explications detaillees, Les installations ouaccessoires proposes pouvaient etre fixes ou mobiles,mais ils devaient etre pratiques, surs et agreables aregarder, d'une realisation facile et peu couteuse, etsusceptibles d'etre utilises sous toutes sortes declimats. Sur les cent-vingt idees soumises, seize ontete retenues. Dix des maquettes correspondantes sontpresentees ici:

1. Elements de construction a section hexagonale enmatiere plastique recouverts de tissu.

2. Planches de bois de diverses longueurs, pourvuesd'encoches pour faciliter la construction demaisons, etc.

3. Fer a cheval avec des escaliers pratiques dans lesbranches creuses (projet d'un sculpteur).

4. Maison constituee de tuyaux-les tuyaux, trans­parents, sont assez grands pour que l'enfant puissese glisser a l'interieur.

tion should not be regarded as standardizedmaterial for playgrounds. Playgrounds havebeen uniform and dull for too long. Newideas can best prove themselves by inspiringothers to create and formulate new ideas. Itis hoped that these designs will work in thisway and that their influence will spread tomany countries to increase the pleasure,fantasy and activity of children in an urban­ized setting.

Dr Ase Skard is Professor of Psychology at theUniversity of Oslo. She is a past World President ofOMEP and is the author of many books and pamph­lets on child psychology and early education.

La industrializaci6n y urbanizaci6n han liberado alos nifios de tareas manuales pesadas, dejandolestiempo para el juego, pero han destruido el materialque existia anteriormente, el espacio y las oportuni­dades para el juego activo. Para substituir el materialnatural perdido, se ha originado un amplio movi­miento mundial dirigido a la creaci6n de buenosjuguetes y, aunque de mala gana, los encargados delplaneamiento de ciudades han empezado a cedervaliosos sectores para terrenos de juego,

En el pasado, nuestros terrenos de juego han sidovictimas de una regularizaci6n excesiva, aunque hahabido interesantes intentos de romper con estatradici6n. La Comisi6n Gubernamental Noruega paraCultura General organiz6 un concurso en busca denuevas ideas para equipar terrenos de juego, invitandoa escultores, arquitectos, educadores y disefiadores aque participaren en el, presentando modelos ydescripciones detalladas de rasgos nuevos para elterreno de juego. Las nuevas creaciones pueden sermovibles 0 estables, pero deben ser practicas, asicomo esteticas, faciles de construir y baratas, sinpeligro y adecuadas para su uso en diferentes tiposde clima. Se presentaton 120 modelos, de los cualesse seleccionaron 10 para recibir premio. 10 de estosestan ilustrados asi:

1. Bloques para construir, de base hexagonal, hechosde plastico cubierto con tela.

2. Tablas de madera de diversas longitudes, conincisiones en la madera para facilitar la con­strucci6n de casas.

3. Un herradura, presentada por un escultor, conescalones a traves de los lados c6ncavos.

4. Una casa hecha de tubos, con tubos 10 suficiente­mente amplios para gatear por dentro de ellos, ytransparentes.

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5. Leo enfants montent dans cette cage spheriquequi decrit lentement des cercles.

6. Sacs remplis d'une substance speciale qui lesrend ferrnes, legers et imperrneables. Se preterit ittoutes sortes de constructions.

7. Maison construite sur pilotis, ou l'enfant peutgrimper, se balancer, etc.

8. Systeme de cordes fixees it une armaturernetallique.

9. Cage a grimper en forme de poulet Celie peutprendre fa forrre d'autres animaux).

10. Coin de terrain de jeu au l'equipement est con­stitue d'elernents triangulaires au quadrangulairespour la rapidite de I'assemblage.

5. Los nines trepan dentro de esta jaula global quese mueve suavemente en circulos.

6. Balsas rellenas de una materia especial que lashace firmes, ligeras y resistentes al agua. Utilespara todo tipo de construccion,

7. Casa construida sobre paras que ofrece oportuni­dades para trepar y columpiarse.

8. Sistema de cuerdas sujetas a un marco de hierro.9. Una selva trepadora en forma de pollo, Se puede

adaptar a otras forrms animates.10. Rincon de un terreno de juego donde el material

esta constituidode triangulos y cuadrangulos paraunirlos rapidamente

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