SMART thinking!

Heard about this great design guide (click below to download) from Playscapes:

 

Here’s an excerpt for the Playscapes blog about the Design for Play Guide -

Another helpful playground rubric is the set of ten design principals offered by the organization Play England in their publication “Design for Play: A guide to creating successful play spaces”, by Aileen Shackell, Nicola Butler, Phil Doyle, and David Ball.

Successful Play Spaces:

1. are ‘bespoke’

2. are well-located

3. make use of natural elements

4. provide a wide range of play opportunities

5. are accessible to both disabled and non-disabled children

6. meet community needs

7. allow children of different ages to play together

8. build in opportunities to experience risk and challenge

9. are sustainable and appropriately maintained

10. allow for change and evolution

The Design for Play document illustrates each design principle with further explanation and illustrative photos…many of natural playgrounds recently constructed in the UK, as excerpted here. A must read!

Here’s a few photos of great playspaces featured on the Playscapes Blog –

Mounds Inspired by the Lord of the Rings Hobbit House Spa Fields London

 

"Hobbit" Mounds Spa Fields London

 

Compacted Soil Makes a Delightful Path

 

Path at Pittsboro Kiwanis Park

 

Garden of Senses in Copenhagen DK

 

Playground at Garden City Canada

Playground at Garden City Canada

 

Playground at Garden City Canada

 

Wavefield by Maya Lin

 

Play on the Wavefield by Maya Lin

 

Playscape by Groundwork - London

 

Pretty SMART thinking! What do you think?  Leave your comment here.