play outside the

play

state of play

why not, welly?

47%of nz kids time outside of school is spent

‘plugged in’

NZ’s current state of play leaves a lot to be desired, Grant Schofields ‘State of Play’ report found that 47% of NZ kids time outside of school was spent plugged in. This lack of play, and overuse of technology impacts their everyday wellbeing and happiness (Brownlee; Edgar; Taylor) and has more serious longterm effects in worst case scenarios (Taylor).

Wellington boasts a creative, progressive city yet nothing seeks to facilitate free play. Most of our playgrounds still look like they’re copied and pasted from the same 1960’s catalogue. So, why not, Welly?

Schofield, 2015

there’s always a way to play

To say that things were different in 1950’s Britain is a bit of an understatement. For children especially, schools were closed, urban landscapes had changed and sweets and chocolate were still being rationed.. But where there is a will, there is a way. And kids will always find a way to play.

They started playing in the rubble of bombed buildings, making their own play spaces. Lady Allen of Hurtwood saw these kids playing in these empty lots and realised they were having more fun than ever before.

She saw that kids gained more from a play space that they were in control of and so, started Britain’s first Adventure Playground.

A space where kids were put back in control of their play space, and in charge of their play — encouraged to build, get messy and most importantly, take risks.

Fig 1.

adventure play

the playworker

Adventure play has since been established as a recognised play philosophy. It is about free, unstructured, unguided play away from constant parental supervision.

The adventure playground is characterised by “loose parts” (Nicholson) — objects and spaces that allow appropriation by the child. This is enhanced in adventure playgrounds with the addition of tools, putting kids completely in charge of the play space and introducing risk. Risk is proven to be a crucial aspect to play and ultimately the development of a child.

“some degree of risk and challenge is integral to play and recreational activities”

United Nations, 2013

Another essential part to an adventure playground is the play worker. This is a role created by Lady Allen, back at the nexus of Adventure play, that is now considered a profession — you can even get a PHD in it. The role of a playworker is to facilitate the best possible play for kids, with little interuption or direct involvement. They are there to keep an eye on saftey, removing hazards but allowing, even encouraging, taking risks.

we know the kids will love it, we have to win over the parents

→ The ‘all for it’

→ The ‘wants the best for their kid.’

→ The helicopter parent

Adventure Play is proven to be popular with the kids, so the real audience for PlayBox is then the parents. We have to convince the parents that this space is valuable for their child, and can be valuable for them too. There seem to be three types of parents that PlayBox might be dealing with.

→ There is those who will back it without a doubt, the parents who encourage independence, risk and outdoor time already.

→ There is the ‘wants the best for their kid’. This group of parents is my main target audience. These are the ones that will be unsure, they’ll have their doubts but ultimatley they want the best for their kid. So if I can convince them that PlayBox is best for their kids, they’ll be on board.

→ There is a the helicopter parent. To try and design for this group would mean a lot of sacrifice, and a worse product for the majority. And so, PlayBox will not be including these parents within their target audience.

All parents can get behind something that is good for their kids. The problem is, adventure playgrounds don’t look all that good on the surface. The junkyard, low-fi presence seems to prompt more concern than intrigue, and its many benefits are not made obvious.

To hit the largest gamut of parents, adventure play needs a rebrand.

PlayBox aims to package adventure play so that the brand is seen before the playground. This legitimises the necessary chaos of the playspace and gives us the chance to inform the parents as to why adventure play is so good for their children.

the plan, stan

adventure play needs a rebrand

play-plan The PlayBox journey is a three stage, cyclic process. We build hype in the chosen community through intrigue and social media activity. It then moves on to the actual engagement with the space, as well as engagement with the local community through workshops. These workshops are the beginning of phase three: sustain. These are measures put in place to sustain the learnings of PlayBox.

box drop

hook flyer

After the voting process is complete and PlayBox’s next location is decided, it is dropped off at that spot. The box will remain closed, as seen in picture. Intrigue will build for those who did not know about it beforehand, and hype will build for those who do — those who voted it there in the first place.

Prior to the box opening, flyers are sent out to the surrounding neighborhood. These flyers stand out from standard leaflets and mail outs, arriving in the 3D form of the PlayBox itself. With only the tag line on the outside, receivers will be inclined to open it up, finding the address of the PlayBox and a URL directing them to the website. Ideally they will venture down to the space, where they can learn more in person. But if not they can head to the website where all the information surrounding the organisation is available.

the space → The box — a shipping container that folds back up during transport and closed hours.→ Playworker — always present during open hours→ The children, any and all, as long as the parents consent and the kids are willing→ ‘Junk’ — donated or collected goods of all shapes and sizes, the more variety the better.→ Tools, hammer, nails, duct tape and paint. Just the basics to learn a little about saftey and build to their hearts content.

The website serves as the main hub for all information surrounding PlayBox. Its purpose is to inform, validate and reassure parents that PlayBox is something their kids should get unvolved with. It is for those wanting to know more, but is not necessary to use the space.

The site will have what, why, who and where pages: ‘What’ will inform them of adventure playgrounds and the history behind them; ‘Why’ will inform them of the research and reasons why adventure play is great; ‘Who’ goes into the team behind PlayBox, most importantly the play workers who will be directly dealing with the kids; ‘where’ will direct parents to the current location as well as voting options to decide the next.

The landing page (opposite) opens with the brand intro animation, that transitions into the menu with a small bio. There is the option to scroll down to reveal an extended summary of PlayBox or go straight on to one of the pages.

the website

#playboxnz#adventureplay#playoutsidethebox#nzplay #wherenext #playpower #proudparent#newtown #childled #community #playwork #rad#local #playallday

Parents these days are increasingly techno-literate. A mobile site caters for all those wanting to know, on the go. Pushing options like the ‘where’ page right to the front so that location is easily accessible, and skipping out on a bulk of the info text — instead directing them to the full website for more. Social media links are also prominent as this will give parents the best feel for PlayBox.

Social media will play a huge part in all three stages of the journey. Assisting the voting process, and then announcing the winner; keeping parents posted with any workshops or updates with the box; and also posting little insights into a day at PlayBox. Parental posting will be encouraged and the use of hastags will help the online community build. Tone of voice will be especially important on these platforms so that people get the right feel for the organisation: fun and friendly, but clued up.

mobile

As part of the engagement phase, and also a method to sustain the impact of PlayBox, workshops will be hosted within the community on adventure play. These workshops will be for parents wanting to learn more about adventure play, and how it can transfer to the home environment.

The workshops will be based around The Playwork Primer, a text by British play worker Penny Wilson. The Primer is regarded as one of the most indepth, yet accesible insights into playwork.

So that the kids don’t completely forget about PlayBox and the importance of play, they will be gifted badges. These badges empower the kids as ‘play certified’ and remind them that they are in control. They can also be an souvenir to unite them with the friends they made at the space.

workshops

play-pin

PlayBox is obviously great for the kids: providing a safe space to push the limits, learn and meet the local community. As well as this, there are many benefits for parents too! Opening up to this relaxed style of play and understanding why it works, means healthier kids, a healthier home and a healthier self — there are many lessons adults could learn from play.

good for everyone! kids → get active → learn about risk → meet neighborhood

parents → learn transferable lessons → connect with own kids & other parents

brand

IBM Plex Sans BoldIBM Plex Sans Text

PlayBox’s logo plays on the literal meaning of the brands tagline: “play outside the box”. Where usually the name would be supported by a symbol, this logo makes the symbol a part of the name. It breaks the rules a little and the viewer is forced to engage with it as they figure it out.

PlayBox uses the the Sans family of the much larger IBM Plex collection. IBM Plex Sans is a grotesque, with peculiarities and quirks, that give it a payful and very human presence.

play play

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Brownlee, Pennie, and Kimberley Crisp. The Sacred Urge to Play: Unfolding Your Child’s Intelligence, Imagination, Creativity and Joy for Life. Good Egg Books, 2016.

“Convention on the Rights of the Child .” United Nations, 29 May 2013.

Edgar, L, and Rheta Berkley. “The Importance of Outdoor Play and Its Impact on Brain Development In Children.” Child and Family Development Center, 2016.

Fig 1. Notting Hill Adventure Playground. London, 1960.

Fig 2. Notting Hill Adventure Playground. London, 1960.

Nicholson, Simon. “ The Theory of Loose Parts, An important principle for design methodology..” Studies in Design Education Craft & Technology [Online], 4.2 (1972): n. pag. Web. 21 Oct. 2018

Schofield, Grant. “The New Zealand State of Play Report.” Nestlé, 2015, pp. 1–20.

Taylor, Andrea F. and Frances E. Kuo. “Is Contact with Nature Important for Healthy Child Development? State of the Evidence.” Children and Their Environments: Learning, Using, and Designing Spaces, by Christopher Spencer and Mark Blades, Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp. 124–140.

Liam Collinson 15379413

Blog:

https://liamcollinson222358.wordpress.com/

(reflective and workbook)works cited