Artist in Residency: Building a Play Area
, 2 February 2016
So in my last post I was talking about how we have Nils Norman to design our new play area for St Fagans, I also mentioned that we were going to work with community groups and visitors in order to get their input into the play area. Last night I got my regular email from the amazing Playscapes website which was all about how to engage kids and community in playground design, super timely!
This is something we have been considering quite a lot - we want to engage our visitors and local communities, but how do you get children to talk about what they would like to see in a play area if all they've ever seen is a 'traditional' play area with swings and a slide? the article on Playscapes suggests asking the following questions to children:
What is the most dangerous, scary places you have ever gone?
Where would you like to go alone?
Where would you like to be right now?
What do you do that your parents tell you not to try?
What is the highest you have ever climbed?
Where do you go to be alone? To be with friends?
What is the silliest thing you have ever done?
What games do you invent?
How great is that? they also had a list of questions for adults, one of which was:
What value or sensation do you want your kids to experience: e.g. risk, fear, failure, satisfaction, accomplishment, beauty, tranquillity, action?
We want this playground to be different, we want a space where there can be risky play but there can also be quiet, contemplative play, a play area where children can enjoy creative play and a space that is open to be used in different ways. Of course overall we want it to be fun, a play area for plays sake.
Any thoughts please share - What is the highest you have ever climbed?
Comments - (4)
What is the most dangerous, scary places you have ever gone?
I was once arrested by a self-appointed 'policeman' with a gun, somewhere near the Georgia-Azerbaijan gas pipeline. I had wandered off the track while nature-watching and he appeared from the brush in full camo. There was no-one around for miles! I was very frightened and tried to bribe him with a bounty bar. It did not work.
Where would you like to go alone?
I like old Norman castles early on sunny mornings, When you can clamber around with no-one watching and see heat haze lifting in the distance.
Where would you like to be right now?
Walking in a forest, preferably one with lots of lichens mosses and ferns.
What do you do that your parents tell you not to try?
Smoking. But I stopped a few years ago I'm sure they'd be glad to know ;)
What is the highest you have ever climbed?
I can't remember exactly how high but it was in the Dolomites. I turned back because we reached and ice sheet and I was wearing Clarks' slip ons. I found a cow farmer's hut and we sat in there by the fire drinking grappa and eating apples til my walking buddies returned. I learned a lot about high-altitude dairy farming.
Where do you go to be alone? To be with friends?
That's a secret. I like meeting friends to go walking in different places.
What is the silliest thing you have ever done?
Taken a custard pie to the face.
What games do you invent?
Not sure.
they are too busy playing....
Really? What am the kids ought to think of such a question?