Public Open Space

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

Introduction and aim

When it comes to playgrounds and play spaces, children are the real experts. As the primary users, they understand what makes playgrounds fun and engaging and can offer valuable input on how to improve them. Therefore, their perspectives and suggestions should be integral to the planning, design, and evaluation of playgrounds.

In their 2023 review, Morgenthaler and colleagues examined the findings of over 50 global studies focused on exploring playgrounds and outdoor play through children’s eyes. These studies involved over 3670 children aged 0-12 years. Most importantly, the authors included research involving children with disabilities – a perspective frequently overlooked in playground research.

In this brief we highlight key findings from the review, helpful for anyone aiming to design an inclusive and engaging playground that offers diverse opportunities for play and fosters enjoyable interactions for children of all abilities.

1. "We seek more intense play experiences"

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.

2. "We want to make our own choices about what to play"

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.

3. "We value both playing with and away from children and adults"

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.

4. "We want to belong to our playgrounds"

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.

5. "We desire fun"

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.

Key results

In their review, Morgenthaler and colleagues (2023) identified five key themes reflecting children’s perspectives on playground experiences and qualities:

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Key take home message

This scoping review summarised two key findings:

Sharing research

All our briefs are accessible through our website, www.playgroundresearch.org.

On the website, you’ll find a compilation of briefs that offer a clear comprehension of research findings and their implications for future research and practical application.

You can also download a printable PDF version of this brief to facilitate sharing.