Vote play, vote to stay
There are good practical reasons for play advocates to vote ‘remain’, but perhaps, suggests Adrian Voce, none of these matter. The play movement is innately open and inclusive; the opposite of the leave campaign’s main...Read more
Letters from children provide insights into the child friendly city
Children’s letters on what they find to be a child-friendly city can guide urban planning and enhance a spatially oriented understanding of children and politics. The child’s right to participation suggests encompassing children’s views as a...Read more
Kolle 37, keeps the adventure playground tradition alive in East Berlin
The highly influential Danish landscape architect, C. T. Sørensen, took inspiration for the realization of a new specific type of informal play space from his observations of children playing on a construction site after hours....Read more
New research shows prisoners spend more time outdoors than UK children
According to a new survey, funded by laundry detergent Persil, children spend less time outdoors than high-security prisoners. The Unilever detergent company wanted to bring this issue to life and to start a global conversation about...Read more
No cars allowed: The Ghent Living Street experiment
Lab van Troje, a local non-profit organization in Ghent, Belgium is preparing a fourth generation of ‘Living Streets’: an experimental project that invites citizens to conceive and implement more sustainable and livable solutions for the...Read more
How to teach architecture to children
What are the important elements of successful architecture teaching for children? This is clearly an important question for teachers planning any kind of academic workshops in architecture for children. Recent studies In Turkey, have shown...Read more
Interview with the City of Ghent’s children’s ambassador, Elke Decruynaere
Elke Decruynaere, the Alderwoman of Education, Upbringing and Youth for Ghent, which is this year’s host of the Child in the City conference, talks about what action her city has taken to become more child-friendly –...Read more
How to organize activities for young people in alcohol-free environments – 5 easy steps
Many civil society organisations are working with providing opportunities for young people to experience non-formal education, gain leadership skills, learn a new trait or simply have a quality free time. The importance of having a...Read more
5 ways you can help children of alcoholics
The effects of alcohol consumption in the family can go beyond the user, and spread to friends and family. Very often, children in the family are especially affected, since they rarely have the chance to...Read more
Biophilic cities: don’t forget the buildings!
Many recent movements have promoted the greening of cities and connecting children and families to nature. A growing body of research tells us that nature provides many benefits, including increased health and well-being. In participatory...Read more
School readiness data helps shape neighbourhoods for young children
To stay informed about how children are doing, many communities across Canada and around the world are using the Early Development Instrument (EDI). This Canadian-made research tool, developed at the Offord Centre for Child Studies...Read more
An information guide for designing outdoor play spaces
The 7 C’s of Young Children’s Outdoor Play Spaces is an information guide to help in the design of outdoor play spaces that support the development of young children and integrate the unique qualities of...Read more
Green goes to school – the participatory approach
In the last thirty years, a lot of schoolyards in Berlin have changed their aspect, becoming places where children can spend their free time in a beneficial way, developing their confidence and self-esteem without the...Read more
Wales leads the way in legislating for play
Young children have the enviable ability to turn almost anything, anywhere into play. So if children’s play just happens, why should national government intervene? Across much of the world, children’s opportunities for outdoor free play, and...Read more