Affordances of digital interactive playgrounds for children’s outdoor play: co-designing with children

This article explores children’s preferences for playground features within different playground types (traditional, contemporary, and adventurous). It also explores their designs for digital interactive playgrounds facilitated through a co-design workshop. Findings highlight children’s desire for diverse playground features, including physical challenge, social interaction, cooperative play, diverse play experiences, adventure, and risk. The study also identifies potential affordances of interactive playgrounds envisioned by children and employs the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour) to systematically understand their links to children’s capabilities, opportunities, and motivations for outdoor play. By including features that provide cognitive, physical, sensory, and functional affordances, designers can develop digital interactive playgrounds that stimulate children’s outdoor play behaviour.