Russian children play freely at Yeti
Remember your childhood. If you climbed the trees, scrambled along large boulders, ran along the roof of the garage, built houses on the trees and built snow fortresses, rolled down from the green hill and built...Read more
Study finds children’s screen time has replaced outdoor play
A report by the Association of Play Industries (API) reveals that children have never moved so little and points to substantial evidence that screens are a key reason. In fact, by the age of eight, the...Read more
The first inclusive playground in a refugee camp
Za’atari Refugee Camp UNICEF opened Jordan’s first fully inclusive playground for children with disabilities. It is estimated that 30 per cent of Syrian refugees in Jordan have specific physical or intellectual needs. The playground contains a...Read more
Adventure Play in 70s East London P3
This article presents the third and final part of a case study interview with Tom Burns. In it, we discuss the role of a play-leader of an adventure playground and Tom’s advice for the setting...Read more
Adventure Play in 70s East London P1
This article presents a case study interview with Tom Burns. We have interviewed Tom to find out how he got involved in adventure play, and what he thinks of the benefits and also challenges of...Read more
Creating relevant playgrounds in a tech-driven world
How vital are playgrounds in today’s society? For many people, unstructured outdoor play is viewed as a luxury, not a necessity. As a result, children don’t devote as much time in unstructured outdoor play as...Read more
Three ways to encourage outdoor play
Encouraging children to be active and play outdoors can be challenging. The problem arises from the fact that they’re comfortable indoors with their iPads, watching their favourite shows and eating snacks. Motivating children to be...Read more
Virginia church renovates courtyard into playground
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 228 S. Pitt St. in Alexandria, Virginia recently completed a courtyard renovation project. The courtyard is situated between its historic sanctuary, designed in 1817 by famed architect Benjamin Latrobe (designer...Read more
Here’s how much kids need to move, play and sleep in their early years
Most of us would agree that we want to encourage children to be physically active, get enough sleep, and keep their screen time at healthy levels. But did you know that this starts from birth?...Read more
Kindergartners get little time to play. Why does it matter?
Being a kindergartner today is very different from being a kindergartner 20 years ago. In fact it is more like first grade. Researchers have demonstrated that five-year-olds are spending more time engaged in teacher-led academic learning...Read more
The importance of play for pre-school children
Childhood is all about play. Kids, especially those that aren’t old enough to attend school yet, will find some way to play from the moment they get up in the morning until they lay their...Read more
Take the tram into a more playable city
Playable cities connect people and place in creative ways. They appropriate urban environments and infrastructure and provide ways for citizens to participate in smart cities. While people may be aware of smart cities, these are...Read more
Exploring the latest trends for outdoor play structures
As children grow up, they need many things they wouldn’t consider on their own. They need to face challenges to help them develop social and interactive skills, as well as book smarts and the ability...Read more
A community effort to redesign a school playground
Daniela Gaspoz is a mother of four kids and an urban planner. In this article, for Child in the City, she reflects on her initiative and journey as a parent counselor to help transform her...Read more