Seven Up Documentary

Photos

 Free Play:

Fixed Play:

Been busy actually writing the dissertation but here are some of my first hand research images from a playground in Camberwell. It was a strange one because it illustrated the idea of free and fixed play really clearly. A fenced off play area made up of metal climbing frames is juxtaposed next to the more inventive wooden play structures. As an after thought the scary rocking horses are literally plonked down on the other side of the park. I have never seen such terrifying rocking horses.

More Ken Robinson

A ted talk by Ken Robinson who talk in the RSA Animate video I posted a while ago. He just has such a brilliantly succinct way of talking and explaining things.

Kilburn Grange Park Adventure Playground

After looking into Noguchi and his Playscape designs I started looking more at modern adventure playgrounds and how architects and artists are tackling the challenge of building them today. I found an article in a magazine called designexchange about an adventure playground in Camden that won the RIBA 2011 award in London and want to go and visit it. It has a key emphasis on educating the children who play in it about the surrounding environment and sustainability. I think its interesting how a play space can be manipulated in this way. Will hopefully have time to go this week and see what its like.

Rocking sheep.

These have been a long time obsession at my work they are rockers made with real sheep skins and are obscenely expensive and amazing. I WANT ONE. Definitely a product that pleases both an excitable child (they go crazy in the shop for these) and nostalgic big people like me.

Architektur fur Kinder

Its a shame my German is so rusty now as this website: http://www.architekturfuerkinder.ch/ seems to have some amazing research and information on it... I think I'm going to be spending a long time on Google translate. It also has a ready made book list of books I haven't heard of but Amazon doesn't seem to stock any at a reasonable price so am going to have to do a search of library's in London..

Isamu Noguchi

1941 design for a playground that was never built in Hyde Park. Noguchi struggled with safety issues as many officials said that his designs were not safe enough for children to play freely on.

Ive been having a look at the 20th century sculpture Isamu Noguchi. A friend from work recommended I look at him as he designed alot of playgrounds and had a very specific view of what children would want from them.

"In other words, the playground, instead of telling the child what to do (swing here, climb there) becomes a place for endless exploration, of endless opportunity for changing play.''

Dibs: In search of self

I read this book on holiday and really enjoyed it. Its the story of a troubled young boy and his play therapy. The way the therapist uses play to let "Dibs" explore his emotions and difficulty's and come to terms with them is interesting. Its kind of part academic diary and part emotional story.

Junk Playgrounds

I have been looking at "Junk Playgrounds" which sprung up after the war in London on bombed out building sites. The idea that these were playgrounds the children created themselves and they had the freedom to use the junk to build their own worlds really inspires me. I think it might provide a really interesting contrast to the playgrounds that have been designed by adults for children as in comparison the play experienced is often more forced...? I'm thinking this is probably going to be a good route to go down for my dissertation as it isn't too psychological but still has scope for me to look at the psychology of play a bit.

New York Times Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/garden/06play.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&%2339&sq=bid%20restore%20children&st=cse&scp=1&%2359;s%20games%20momentum

Just come across this article by Hilary Stout which has some interesting points about the subject of Play and learning.

"“There’s no imaginative play anymore, no pretend,” Ms. Wilson said with a sigh."

Moving toys

These are really simple "make your own" moving toys that look really fun!

Lego

Since looking at Montessori education I have been thinking about delving more into the relationship between education and play -  how play aids or limits creativity and have been getting more fascinated with these big ideas. Just been having a conversation with Dan about Lego and how good it used to be and it actually made me think that the way Lego is sold now takes all the brilliance out of the original product which was so clever. As an example you used to get this which could then be built into almost anything imagination permitting:

Now you can barely find the plain sets of the building blocks and are more likely to see this when you go to the toy section:

(not that Hogwarts Lego is that bad as I am a massive harry potter fan but it doesn't really promote creativity if it tells you what your supposed to build in the picture on the outside of the box...)

More toys I like

Hide and seek

http://www.hideandseek.net/home/who-we-are/

Found this interesting design studio that is all about play and inventing games which is something i realy want to explore in my project next year.  They are based in London so might be a good place to try and get some work experience if they have any projects they need help with.

They did this project

David Weeks

http://www.davidweeksstudio.com/products/types/product
Really nice toys which cross over into the design project market and are just really beautiful objects as well as fun to play with.

Rsa Animate

Montessori

Montessori is a term used to describe a particular type of childrens education invented but Maria Montessori.
It is based around these basic functions:

• self-preservation
• orientation to the environment
• order
• exploration
• communication
• work, also described as "purposeful activity"
• manipulation of the environment
• exactness
• repetition
• abstraction
• self-perfection
• the “mathematical mind”

Maria Montessori

 Some Montessori toys.

Article

An interesting article about David Hopkins Exhibition at The Edinburgh Fruitmarket Gallery called 'Childish Things' here: http://news.scotsman.com/arts/Visual-Art-Childish-Things-curator.6616180.jp

'The exhibition Childish Things, curated by Professor David Hopkins of Glasgow University, will reveal that toys are neither simple nor simply child's play. In the hands of contemporary artists they have become a means to explore a vast range of issues, from our attitudes to our own growing up to the adult ideas and fears we project on to children. Infused with a certain sense of nostalgia, and at times with downright sinister connotations, the artworks in the show touch on both ancient and modern myths, dolls and puppets, simple pleasures and dark secrets.'

Eike Konig

Interesting interview with Eike Konig who set up Hort, a german design company. The description they have on thier website about themselves and thier work is really inspiring:

http://www.hort.org.uk/1

"A creative playground. A place where 'work and play' can be said in the same sentence."

I am more interested directly in design for children but it is interesting to look at how someone like Eike has managed to hold on to the creativity you have as a child and bring it into his adult working practice. I think this is probably essential if you are making work for children.

Plikums Sarunas / 010 – Eike König from Plikums on Vimeo.