Designing for PlayArchitects, landscape designers, builders, gardeners and teachers have all at some time been called upon to design a play area. Unfortunately, this diversity has not resulted in a similar diversity of design solutions for this very problematic task. Despite a proliferation of 'how to' books on this subject, playgrounds have remained virtually the same throughout the world since their creation over a century ago. This is not a 'how to' design book. Instead, based on thirty years' experience as a specialist play area designer, Barbara Hendricks details a radically new approach, applying cutting-edge thinking from child development and child psychology to find innovative design solutions, challenging the established notions of play provision. Covering key sociological, public policy, environmental and design issues, this book provides designers with an exploration of and guide to, designing from a 'child's eye' view of the world. Beautifully crafted and copiously illustrated with numerous examples of recently designed playgrounds, this book is not only stimulating and informative, but fun to read and seriously playful in itself. This second edition brings the text up to date from 2001 to 2010 with added discussion about new ideas for play area designs and what has not worked in the past decade. |
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activities adults aesthetic approach appropriate artist aspects attractive beauty become better building century challenging child childhood children's play colour comfortable countries create culture demands early elements enjoy environment equipment experience explore feel functional garden give ground happen human ideas imagination important influence institutions interesting issue kinds land landscape learning living look magic materials means move movement nature objects organisation outdoor person physical places plants play area design play spaces play yard playful playground playground design possibilities problem public parks requires response result role safety sand school yard seen sense serve signal slides social society standard structures surface swings things toys traditional understand urban values western young children