Playscape Precedents

Natural playscapes provide children with more opportunities to use their imaginations than conventional playgrounds, which may be criticized for telling children how they should play. Outside of the built play features, adventurous visitors will find fort-building materials in the woods, flowers and fruits in the food forest, rocks and trees to climb on, and wildlife to observe. "Loose parts" sprinkled around the site in addition to built features provide the materials and props needed to "liberate the imagination and creativity of the playing children and allow them to master the world around them in ever-changing ways and communicate more effectively through their playing" (Wilson, 17). In the built features of the playground, "graduated access" must be provided to encourage children to explore within and beyond their comfort zones. For example, small children may enjoy climbing on stepping stumps and rocks, while older children will find a challenge on the climbing structure. Additional features, such as a rowboat, door frame, and other repurposed objects, can be placed farther from the the central play area to facilitate the transition from organized play to woodland exploration.

Prismatic blocks cut from sections of tree trunk and pieces of turf are some of the "loose parts" that children can move around at the Donald and Barbara Zucker Natural Exploration Area in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Salvaged trees felled by superstorm Sandy in 2012 make exciting climbing features. Source: Playscapes. Children build a fort using materials left for them to find at Parramatta Park in

Cairns, Australia. Source: McGregor Coxall. Exploring a culvert tunnel at Stockwell Urban Oasis, London. Source: Stanton Bonna. Terraced strawberry beds integrate food forest themes into the playscape. Source: imgur

Living willow tunnel at Syracuse University Early Childcare Center. Source:

Custom timber play structure with features to climb, slide, hang, and look out. Source: Ross.

Custom timber play structure made from salvaged black locust posts at Upper Canada College in Toronto. Source: EarthScape.

Rusty Keeler / Earthplay.

Climbing over and through a culvert tunnel in Portland, Oregon. Source:

redtricycle.

Planted berm slide at New Day Children's Center in Watertown, New York. Source: Rusty Keeler / Earthplay.