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Greenstone Design UK - Sustainable landscape architecture + design
Natural Play - reconnecting children with nature
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 Natural play


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sustainable natural playground design


CABE Public Space 2008 Scholarship winners talked about what they learnt about sustainable natural playground design:

Michael Rowland traveled across Europe to France, Germany, Norway, Denmark and Sweden before heading to Canada and the USA, to learn how to deliver high quality, vibrant playground designs for parks within a town centre. He explored different types of spaces including waterfront parks in Denmark (Copenhagen) and Sweden (Malmo) and 'emerald necklace' park systems in Seattle (USA) and Vancouver (Canada) as well as studying the idea of bio diversity and environmental sustainability.

 

Natural play area Design

multi-age play

Natural play and sensory play - sandpits, digging areas, water play, trees to climb - the fun stuff of childhood - is becoming increasingly important in public playgrounds. Public funding has shrunk as health and inequality concerns have risen, requiring playgrounds designs to incorporate many more elements than traditional play equipment.

Sustainable landscape-led natural play playgrounds design promotes sustainable communities. Picnic areas that encourage families to linger and enjoy inclusive outdoor play opportunities will complement healthy eating at home.

As our climate changes, shade trees in natural play areas are becoming increasingly important. Edible fruit trees around playgrounds provide shade, scented blossom, add bio diversity and importantly will add to locally produced food stocks, promoting healthy living,healthy eating. Fruit trees are generally good climbing trees too!

Childhood development requires activities such as climbing, swinging, balancing to develop gross motor and then fine motor skills. Imaginative play can happen anywhere. Where play designers are encouraged to provide cost effective designs, where there is less playground equipment but more flexible open ended play, the space is adaptable and the environment suggestive. Public playground design, like school playground design, can and should accommodate these needs. 

Natural play is not only found on the urban fringe. In urban skate parks it is possible to provide natural elements, with large boulders, planting and contoured play surfaces.

- specialist play designers

Greenstone Design - specialist play designers
natural play - a swing seat under a treehouse
Greenstone Design UK are specialist play designers for natural play. We incorporate play equipment within a landscaped setting for local authorities, special educational needs and mainstream schools, Children's Centres, care homes, and community social and therapeutic horticulture groups. Inclusive inter-generational play spaces help local authorities develop sustainable communities, working with the community and existing partnerships .


- child-led play

Control of their own play activity is a crucial factor in enriching children’s experience and enhancing their development. Play provision should be based on the principle of empowering the child and increasing their choices. This should include children’s participation in devising, building and rebuilding their physical play environment. Sustainable playground designers must heed this need for flexibility and adaptability in natural playground designs.

School play grounds can be magical places when sympathetically designed. Public playgrounds, like schools, require a variety of play elements. Natural and built structures can combine for low maintenance, beneficial risk, high impact play.

Increasingly, the non-school environment is perceived as unsafe for children’s play. Schools are one of the few places left where parents still feel it safe to send their children. This offers schools the opportunity to be part of the process of reawakening both parents and children to the possibilities and benefits of play.
Tel: +44 (0)7813 512 981

Sustainability consultants - urban design, sensory garden design, natural play, low maintenance landscape design

Quotes
"To begin with questions of play equipment is to start in the wrong place. It would be alarming if an architect began a design for a house by inviting the client to choose the sofas" Sandra Melville, in Places for Play.

"Without any additional equipment the children have greater freedom born from better communications, consensus of what play … should be like, shared expectations about behaviour, greater understanding because parents, children and lunchtime staff have all had a chance to say what it's like for them. This has arisen from changes in attitude and practice e.g. its OK to get muddy… "


“... very often it’s the more stripped down, inexpensive schemes which work best - we have much to learn ...about how to avoid overcomplicating schemes and creating additional costs through the over specification of materials, street furniture and lighting. .”Paul Quinn Regeneration manager, West Northamptonshire Development Corporation

"Almost all the parks I visited incorporated facilities, such as BBQs, to encourage people to gather in them, rather than worrying that it might lead to anti-social behaviour, whilst the towns themselves had excellent cycling infrastructure allowing easy access to their open spaces.” Michael Rowland Parks policy officer, Bournemouth Borough Council,
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Based on the Surrey-Hampshire border we work locally, nationally and internationally to advise and design gardens for health and well-being