ABOUT
Here’s my idea. A playground that has 3 routes to take, each different colors, shapes, and tactiles to differentiate. One path takes you along the journey of a plastic water bottle being recycled at a center. One path takes you to the dumpster hill. And the final path takes you through the soil, learning about composting. The playground sets would correspond with certain activities and movements.
Children have agency. I want to promote play without guiding play. I have learned that there are 5 optimal characteristics to learn through play. This involves having fun, iterative play, interactivity, social interactions, and finding meaning (Zosh 2017). What better than a modular playset to promote this? I learned from my visit to the Columbus Children’s Theatre that children do much better with being told what to do, rather than being told what not to do. By telling them, showing them, and allowing them to follow the journey of the object, I would be using multiple storytelling methods along with play to educate about the recycling process (Columbus Children’s Theatre 2024).
I am excited about this idea, and hope to flesh it out further. Figuring out exactly how to use information architecture along with the playground equipment, and safety regulations should be a fun mix to deal with.
REFERENCES
Columbus Children’s Theatre. (2024, September 4). CCT Sandbox Series. Columbus Children’s Theatre. https://columbuschildrenstheatre.org/shows/
