ScreenShot Mondays – Sustainable Sites Initiative

A couple of Mondays per month, PlayGroundology screenshots a cyberspot that focuses on playgrounds, or play. I hope readers dive in and explore. Even if you’ve seen the selection before, take a moment and check to see what content has been added recently.

Think of this as a very slow stumble upon, an invitation to relish something new or to revisit an old friend. Some of the people and places may be household names in the world of play and playgrounds, others not so much. I hope all will pique your interest in what they have to offer and further your own possibilities for playfulness.

Sustainable Sites Initiative

The first three projects among 155 participating in the Sustainable Sites Initiative pilot program achieved SITES Certification last week. And on to even more notable news, one of the three is a playground – the Woodland Discovery Playground at Shelby Farms Park, Memphis, Tennessee. Congratulations to all involved – especially the kids who gave a hand with the design and will get to put the space end equipment through its paces.

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That’s right, can you hear the same Paul Simon groove as me – Woodland Woodland, Memphis Tennessee. Seriously though it’s music to my ears when a playground is recognized in this manner. If I could dance right on down there, I would because it looks like they’ve mixed in a lot of fun with the sustainability.

World Landscape Architecture has a great write up on Woodland Discovery Playground illustrated with excellent photos. If you’re interested in seeing how the site developed during the build, check out David Lewis’ slideshow on flickr.

What a fine way to end a Monday – virtually slip, sliding away through a funky new to me playground.

Photo credit – ilovememphis. Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Thanks to Sustainable Site Initiative for inclusiveness of expression within their approach.

Popular PlayGroundology Posts Year 2

Four posts from PlayGroundology’s second year that were popular with readers. Check them out if you didn’t see them first time around.

Lights, Camera, Action

Actually this post is about school, recess and playgrounds. These three words should be as intrinsically linked in the popular consciousness as the trio in the title. There’s just as much drama and adventure on most recess playgrounds as there is on a movie shoot. Recess action for the most part is unrehearsed and the cast are all naturals – it’s an organic kind of thing. Thanks to @kindlinglily for sending this story across the pond.More…

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Eden’s Fallen Log

Over a period of ten years, the Eden Project in Cornwall, England has transformed a disused clay mine into a lush and fertile oasis. Environmental, educational and cultural discoveries are the heartbeat of this wonderland. More…

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Himmelhøj – Sky High – Copenhagen, Denmark

Since he was a young boy growing up in his adopted Australia, Alfio Bonanno knew he wanted to be an artist. At the age of 14, with the full support of his Italian family, he embarked on his apprenticeship in art. From the outset, he was drawn to the materials and the look of the natural world. He’s been on a global walkabout ever since. More…

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In Montreal The Swings Are Alive With The Sound of Music

These are sweetnote dreamswings an innovation in play and sound. The 21 swings installation is located in Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles on the Promenade des Artistes. This is part of the city’s celebrated arts district where the Jazz Festival and Just for Laughs strut their stuff. Now strangers can make music together by leaning back and kicking for the sky. More…

Kinderspielkunst – Kids Play Art

Did you hear the one about the Europeans who traveled to Maui to build a playscape at a Waldorf school? No joke, it’s all true. Wilfried Bremer and Walter Peter are the talent behind Kinderspilekunst and apparently they don’t mind doing road trips to design and install their custom work.

Source: Kinderspielkunst brochure (amazing photos)

As reported in The Maui News, a Kinderspielkunst (Kids Play Art) sculpture is now being enjoyed by the kids at the Haleakala Waldorf School. This is the first Bremer and Peter playground in the USA.

This particular sculpture is brought alive with local kiawe wood. Cristina Pineda, one of the school’s teachers posted a couple of blog entries about the new play facility with photos and some video.

Photo credit – Cristina Pineda

The kids at the Waldorf School in Maui have a crackerjack playground now and Kinderspielkunst have their first foray into the US market. As the crow flies, this playground house call was in the vicinity of 11,700 kilometres. Looks like Bremer and Peter will consider working anywhere if the conditions are right.

Let’s leave the last words to kids. If you know German it will be a big help watching this video. If you don’t, the visuals are still interesting.

Bravo to Kinderspielkunst – Kids Art Play for their captivating designs and their sense of adventure.

Newsreel – Upside Down at Dennis the Menace Park

Back when PlayGroundology was a baby in early 2010, I ran across a great Facebook page called, I played at Dennis the Menace Park and lived! The intrigue was too much for me to resist. I quickly got in touch with page administrator and creator, Daniel Annereau to find out more about one of America’s first ‘extreme’ playgrounds. You can read that story here.

Imagine my excitement yesterday when I came across this film footage featuring the ‘helicopter’ ride, aka spinny thing of death. The 36 second clip starts pretty innocuously but the last 10 seconds or so pack a real punch with risky behaviour galore.

This is the playground that I would have loved to visit as a kid. I can imagine myself hanging upside down although I’m not sure I would have had the guts of the upside downer kid in the film.

Dennis the Menace Park in Monterey, California was an early example of a destination playground. Designer Arch Garner outdid himself on this project conceived by Dennis creator Hank Ketchum. Kids couldn’t get enough of it and who could blame them.

XXL Not Your Regular Design

Scattered very sparingly across the United States are a few exceptional pieces of playground equipment that dwarf both children and adults. The sheer size of these pieces makes them local landmarks and attractions for visitors with and without kids. Thanks to Rita at The Playground Encylopedia for drawing two of the giants to PlayGroundology’s attention.

The Red Wagon

I dreamed of having a red wagon when I was a kid, my own all terrain vehicle that I could load up with a couple of friends or miscellaneous freight. Then there was the thrill of bone rattling downhill rides. It wasn’t destined to be. I had a bike, a scooter and roller skates but no red wagon. Fortunately my friend Schultzie had one and let me play with it occasionally. As a result, there was no long term scarring linked to red wagon envy or deprivation.

In Spokane, Washington there is a humungous Radio Flyer wagon created by artist Ken Spiering. This sculpture attracts fun lovers like a magnet. John and Ben a couple of the lads from the James Blunt band gave it a Monkees’ like test ride.

The wagon, located in the city’s Riverfront Park, has been a source of merriment for kids and the occasional adult for over 20 years.

Source: Riverfront Park website

In a bit of a bizarre twist, the red wagon to beat all red wagons was vandalized in late 2011 with religious graffiti.

Source: Downtown Spokane click through for more photos. Photo credit – Mike Ellis

If you’re in Spokane, don’t forget to take a stroll along Riverfront Park. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Fire Chief’s Helmet

In Coeur d’Alene, Idaho there is another big red. This time it’s a fire chief’s helment that also doubles as a slide.

Photo courtesy – City of Coeur d’Alene

What fireman’s playscape would be complete without a sliding pole? The Cherry Hill Park 9/11 Memorial Playground has this and so much more.

Photo courtesy – Curtis Stoddard, Playground Professionals

Local landscape architect Fred Ogram designed the helmet, play area and memorial to 9/11. There’s more about the development of this community project in Spokane, Washington’s Spokesman Review.

Motu Viget

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mark Di Suvero’s Motu Viget is quite likely the largest tire swing in existence. The Latin term meaning strength in activity, is the Grand Rapids motto. Since 1977, activity at the swing has been pretty constant – at least tens of thousand of miles logged.

Source: The Rapidian. Photo credit – Steven Depolo. CC – Attribution; No Derivatives

Art song
“Motu Viget” apparently was a source of inspiration for Kimya Dawson, whose “Tire Swing” song mentions former Grand Rapidian Paul Baribeau. The song was part of the Academy Award-winning movie, “Juno.” Her lyrics include this passage:

i had a dream that i had to drive to madison
to deliver a painting for some silly reason
i took a wrong turn and ended up in michigan
paul baribeau took me to the giant tire swing
gave me a push and he started singing
i sang along while i was swinging
the sound of our voices made us forget everything
that had ever hurt our feelings
(Source: The Grand Rapids Press – read more here)

It’s a fine thing when art and play intersect. The act of creation and the subsequent lighthearted use of the finished piece are the one, two beat of fun and discovery.

Do you know of any other Bunyanesque playground pieces where Paul and Babe would have felt right at home? If so, drop me a line at playgroundology@gmail.com, or tweet me @PlayGroundology.

Just Play

This is not the stuff of literary prizes, or poet laureates. I had some fun with this though so I wanted to share it with PlayGroundology readers. I’m playing around with audioboo too so if you’ve got a moment, you can hear the recitation here.

Just Play

play play
whether it’s alone or with friends
within four walls or under a great canvas of sky
just play

there are not enough hours
in a heartful life
to miss kaleidoscoping fun

play play
without a goal in mind
get lost in the changing beat
in laughter’s rolling sound
just play

play with mud, sand, sea
blocks and balls
sticks and trees

play play
in whistling rain
snowy squalls
summer’s shine
just play

play play
with pots and pans
clangs and bangs
symphonies of loud

get drunk with play
surrender to its giddy reel
be small, untouched
and see

that play is all
and all is play
a breath of be
just play

ScreenShot Mondays – The Play and Playground Encyclopedia

A couple of Mondays per month, PlayGroundology screenshots a cyberspot that focuses on playgrounds, or play. I hope readers dive in and explore. Even if you’ve seen the selection before, take a moment and check to see what content has been added recently.

Think of this as a very slow stumble upon, an invitation to relish something new or to revisit an old friend. Some of the people and places may be household names in the world of play and playgrounds, others not so much. I hope all will pique your interest in what they have to offer and further your own possibilities for playfulness.

The Play and Playground Encyclopedia

This is a one of a kind informative resource that lends itself to leisurely browsing or focused searching if there is something specific you’re trying to track down.

In the words of Rita Watts, a member of the Encyclo team and a frequent commenter at PlayGroundology, “The Play & Playground Encyclopedia is an independent, fact-based source of information whose purpose is to promote the value of play and the playground industry while archiving the history of the play and playground movements, organizations, companies, events, and people involved.”

True enough, but The Play and Playground Encyclopedia is also a bit of fun too. Where else will you get information under one roof so to speak on topics such as the Sajai Foundation, Hula Hoops (see my disastrous attempts here), brachiation (my Noah has just started brachiating and sister Nellie, two years younger, is raring to get at it) and the Sandbox Summit?

A fine opportunity to learn about some elements of the play and playground worlds.

ScreenShot Mondays will be back in two weeks. If you have any suggestions for a good subject, drop me a line at playgroundology@gmail.com.

Happy 2 Birthday PlayGroundology

Today marks the end of PlayGroundology’s second year. It’s been more fun than the first if that’s possible. I’m fully confident now that there is no shortage of stories on play and playgrounds. Barring unforeseen mishaps to yours truly, I’m counting on years of discovery still lying ahead.

This is the year that PlayGroundology dove headlong into the Twitterverse (@PlayGroundology) not knowing what to expect. I quickly found out that it’s a place to meet new friends, to participate in a community of people from around the world who share information, insights, resources and news about play. It’s a great place too to discover story ideas and to have fun as we did with ABCs4Play.

This was also the year of ScreenShot Mondays – twice a month quick and dirty highlights of individuals and organizations who promote, advocate, document and tell stories about playgrounds and play. I’ve been remiss with a regular Monday schedule of late but feel it’s about to get rolling again soon.

My love affair with flickr’s curated galleries continues. My favourite galleries from this past year are Kids at Play and Kids at Play II. If you haven’t dropped by, poke around and see some of the arresting images taken by photographers from around the globe. What’s best is that this reservoir of photos is continually being filled with new images.

As the year closed, I added a favourite post to Angelique Felix’s, The Best Ideas for Kids 2011. This was my first experience with the brilliance of a bloghop. Thanks to Angelique and the 238 other bloggers who participated. I will be a future bloghopper.

Another innovative space I came across this year is playscapes forum by arcady, creator and author of the Playscapes blog. It’s a great spot to find tools, people and resources. If playgrounds are your thing, check it out.

Over the next week or so, I’ll roll up some of the best posts of the past year just in case you missed them.

In the year ahead, PlayGroundology invites you to Europe, Asia, Africa and beyond. I hope you’ll be able to join the journey and bring a friend or two along also. I love to hear comments and story suggestions too. Don’t be shy.

I’m also about to embark on Facebook to make something of the PlayGroundology page. I’m feeling a little daunted by this so if there are any readers who would like to share tips, ideas, or offer a little help, I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks so much for making the time to read PlayGroundology.

A special thanks to my muses who at 6, 4 and 2 indulge me with a mixture of humour, love and the excitement reserved for new play possibilities.

Russian Artist Brings Barren Playgrounds to London

Have you ever had the sense that there are times that playgrounds in your hometown are eerily quiet? It’s a cracking day for an adventure. You head out to a new playground. It’s empty as in deserted. Welcome to the world of Denis Patrakeev.

Denis Patrakeev, Game Earth series – 13 January – 18 February – Erarta, London, UK

I do wonder on these occasions why no one else, other than us, is there. I think maybe that the designs have long ago lost their snap. I think play is regimented, boxed in in well meaning repeatathon structures that are not nearly as flexible as the imaginations that course through, over, and under them.

Denis Patrakeev, Game Earth series

I wonder too what other public space play paradigms can be invented for urban kids? The challenges are no longer the same as they were at the dawn of the playground in the early 20th century. And here, I’m speaking only of those OECDeed countries. Now, it can be argued, the public policy issues are even more pressing. Our children have become indolent, corpulent, alienated from the natural world, from non-digital play. And everywhere on the planet, urbanization continues its relentless march.

Denis Patrakeev, Game Earth series

Are empty playgrounds the canary in the coal mine? I don’t think so. None that I see are as inert, as devoid of life as Patrakeev depicts. There is colour, light and context all around.

It’s important that parents, experts and kids keep the play conversation kinetic, in motion to recognize the best from experiences around the globe.

Noah and Nellie – Play

Sometimes all you need is a bright sunny sky, a ball, and love, sweet love.

Denis Patrakeev via The Independent and Erarta

Sculpted in France – Concrete Art Playgrounds

I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for France so I’m always on the lookout for interesting play stories from that part of the world. Our family lived there in the early 70s. I was 12 when we arrived and 15 when we left. It was my gawky early adolescent phase which I like to think I’ve outgrown.

Playgrounds were not a big attraction for me back then – a good thing probably as I don’t recall seeing many of them in the towns or cities where we lived. I was more consumed with soccer, rugby and girls. Who knew you got to give and receive des bises at almost each encounter with girls? One little kiss on each cheek… What a revelation for a wee anglo lad from Toronto. Initially I was a little hesitant but it wasn’t long before I reveled in that custom.

But back to play for the younger set. Even though I did’t see much evidence of them, there were indeed playgrounds in France. Perhaps they were just not as prevalent as they were in North America during the same period. I did come across some actual evidence of original playground design dating back to the late 50s and early 60s just the other day on a couple of French blogs. The designer in question is Pierre Székely who created playful forms out of industrial concrete.

Photo credit: J. Bruchet. Source: Architectures de cartes postales. Designer: Pierre Székely. Cité des Jeux – L’Haÿ-les-Roses, France

Székely was born in Budapest and made his way to France in the post war years. A sculptor, architect, graphic artist and playground designer, his work and play can be found in public spaces and museums throughout France and numerous other countries.

Stockholm’s public art for children inspired Székely’s approach to playgrounds. In the late 1950s he wrote:

It’s in this city (Stockholm) that children for the first time found sculptures installed for them. Even better – there is no one forbidding them to touch. Quite the opposite – all the sculptures were designed so children could climb, slide and run around. The Nordic experience is conclusive – kids are happy exercising outside – Székely

Fifty years later the L’Haÿ-les-Roses slide has lost its original sheen and sports an urban dusting of graffitti. Click through for more historical and present day L’Haÿ-les-Roses images from the As-tu déjà oublié? blog.

I haven’t been able to track down how many playgrounds Székely designed but as you can see in the slideshow there’s certainly a handful scattered about the Paris suburbs that were springing up in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

In the late 60s, Székely made a submission to a playground design competition to create a playscape for the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. His cavernous, earthy design was the winner (slides 12 and 13). The piece could blend right in on the set of the BBC kids’ show In The Night Garden, a perfect home for the rock obsessed Makka Pakka.

Székely made magic with concrete and simple forms – art with a utilitarian purpose. But what a purpose – play, smile, dream. Looking back from our 50 year vantage point, I think his playgrounds had the ability to unleash wonder, imagination and worlds of make believe. Perhaps they still do…

His designs certainly made an impression on Carsten Höller, he of the giant slide installations and mega international venue vernissages fame. Höller made a scale model of the 1958 Cité des Jeux playground in L’Hay-les-Roses and turned it over to two mice.

I’m not sure what statement Höller is making – note the slide in the foreground of the video. Perhaps he’s asking if we’re going to play like mice, or men. From 2010, Mauseplatz was part of the solo show Animals Works.

Primary sources for this post:

As-tu déjà oublié?
Architectures de cartes postales
Catalogue Raisonné des oeuvres du sculpteur