Children’s voices in playground design: creating fun and inclusive play spaces

Preferences for intense play can vary among children; some may enjoy high speeds while others do not. Despite possible variations, many children actively seek and combine intense play experiences, relating to faster and slower, longer, heavier, deeper, bumpier, curvier, further, and more elevated play. 

More specifically, children enjoy:

• Play experiences including swings, crossing bridges, jumping, climbing, and balancing opportunities.
• Play equipment that provides multiple ways for children of all abilities to reach the highest point. 
• Smooth surfaces that enable fast driving and sliding with wheelchairs, scooters, or bikes. 
• Hammocks for gentle swinging and daydreaming. 
• Opportunities for diverse sensory play (e.g., getting messy with various materials, tactile play with natural items, and walking barefoot).
• Playgrounds with natural landscapes and features, real climbing trees and rocks, obstacle courses and objects that children can shape themselves.

Children have a strong desire to independently choose and direct their play activities in playgrounds. They desire a play environment in which they can:

• Find suitable challenges, that match their abilities and offer varying difficulty levels.
• Use it flexibly, beyond intended purposes, making the playground seem limitless.
• Have moments to unfold their own play, during uninterrupted play time with stimulating objects.

Children value interacting with a diverse range of people and animals, yet they also cherish opportunities to play alone, especially when it allows for special play experiences away from adults.

• They enjoy playing with friends, which enhances enjoyment and fosters a sense of competition and belonging.
• Children appreciate it when adults join or observe, but they often prefer less supervision to socialize and play freely.
• They play away from adults to seek privacy and the thrill of breaking rules, often looking for secluded spots for uninterrupted play.

Children feel connected to their playgrounds by:

• Being familiar with the playground, walking to it, visiting regularly, and knowing friends or other children there.
• Feeling welcome and safe, with accessible and inclusive design, and the presence of friends, community members, or caring adults.
• Enjoying playground aesthetics, preferring clean, colorful spaces with natural elements like trees, flowers, and rocks.

Having fun was the most important factor in outdoor play for
children, achieved by:

• An engaging physical setup with intense activities and safe challenges.
• Playing with friends, family, or animals to explore new challenges.
• Providing varied play options to prevent boredom and include all ages and abilities.