Children’s perceptions of playing on inclusive playgrounds: A qualitative study

Wenger, Ines; Schulze, Christina; Lundström, Ulrica; Prellwitz, Maria

doi:10.1080/11038128.2020.1810768

Cited by 37 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…CGI can help to minimize this risk by creating a dynamic and interconnected network through a green infrastructure. As Wenger et al ( 2021 ) state, inclusion is a complex process that involves an interaction between physical (related to the UGS design), social (related to norms and attitudes) and political (related to options and regulations) dimensions. Social class, ethnicity, skin color, racial and gender identity are other important variables to be considered, which leads us to an analysis of how these open and green spaces can constitute a microcosm of society power relations.…”

Section: Minding the Gap: Children's Green Infrastructurementioning

confidence: 99%

Children's Green Infrastructure: Children and Their Rights to Nature and the City

Vidal

Seixas

2022

Front. Sociol.

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The development of green spaces in cities has corresponded to a need to deal with a series of socio-environmental and health problems felt in urban spaces. However, these are often fragmented or somewhat disconnected interventions that leave out vulnerable and subaltern groups like children, being also commonly based on strictly formatted designs, with more urban furniture than natural elements. In view of the need to make urban spaces healthier, safer, more resilient, and at the same time more child-friendly, in this Conceptual Analysis paper we build from the literature on Urban Green Spaces, Child-Friendly Cities and environments, and Children's Infrastructure to propose the concept of Children Green Infrastructure (CGI), and discuss its application to urban planning, foregrounding the need for fairer, more inclusive and participatory approaches. GGI derives from the Children Infrastructure concept but it puts at the center of the debate the idea of connecting children to nature where they live, learn and play. CGI is based on the assumption that nature should be transversal in urban planning processes, and that it must be perfectly integrated within urban infrastructures, ensuring access to all. Understanding children's needs and integrating their voices in urban planning and design processes are necessary conditions to moving forward to a fairer, more inclusive and truly collective urban project.

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Section: Minding the Gap: Children's Green Infrastructurementioning

confidence: 99%

Children's Green Infrastructure: Children and Their Rights to Nature and the City

Vidal

Seixas

2022

Front. Sociol.

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“…This playground element refers to the stages involved in determining how a playground should be designed with a focus on meeting the needs of children with disabilities. Including playground users in the design process was a key recommendation that emerged for this playground element [7 out of 35 studies; (13,14,21,46,47,52,55)]. Despite research indicating that municipal playground personnel and the construction industry have inadequate knowledge regarding the needs of children with disabilities (14,52), there has been a lack of representation from individuals with lived experience (e.g., children with disabilities and their caregivers) or those who work closely with children with disabilities (e.g., disability organizations, occupational therapists) when designing playgrounds (13,14,52).…”

Section: Design Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite research indicating that municipal playground personnel and the construction industry have inadequate knowledge regarding the needs of children with disabilities (14,52), there has been a lack of representation from individuals with lived experience (e.g., children with disabilities and their caregivers) or those who work closely with children with disabilities (e.g., disability organizations, occupational therapists) when designing playgrounds (13,14,52). Five studies have argued that the involvement of families of children with disabilities in the design process is critical for advancing accessibility and inclusion within playgrounds (21,46,47,52,55). Gaining insight from children with disabilities about their experiences with different play opportunities available on playgrounds can provide important feedback for future design as well as retroactive adaptations aiming to optimize inclusion (52).…”

Section: Design Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Scoping Review of Evidence-Informed Recommendations for Designing Inclusive Playgrounds

Brown

Ross

Leo

et al. 2021

Front. Rehabilit. Sci.

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Background: Playgrounds provide children with many sensory, motor, and socioemotional experiences that are critical to child development. Unfortunately, playgrounds also represent an environment where children with disabilities experience barriers to accessing play. Structures and materials that are prominently found in almost all playground designs (e.g., swings, slides, sand) can present as obstacles for many children with disabilities to engage in independent play.Aims: This scoping review engaged in the empirical literature to address the research question, “What are the evidence-informed recommendations for designing inclusive playgrounds to enable participation for children with disabilities?” Consideration was given not only to the physical design of playgrounds, but also the playgrounds' surrounding built and social environments.Methods: A systematic search of Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBase, ERIC and Scopus was conducted. Only peer-reviewed literature published in English between January 1990 and January 2021, with a primary focus on inclusive playground structure design related to any type of disability were included. Data extraction included the study author(s), year of publication, country of origin, purpose, disability types considered, methods, sample characteristics and key findings. Key findings were synthesized into evidence-informed recommendations, which were later collated, using inductive content analysis, into five broader thematically congruent groups.Results: Thirty-five studies were included using case study (n = 17); observational (n = 6); survey (n = 5); experimental (n = 4); and multiple study (n = 3) designs. Thirteen evidence-based recommendations and one promising practice were categorized into five broad playground elements: entry points; surfacing and paths; features to foster inclusive play; staffing/supervision; and design process.Conclusion: These recommendations build upon previous design-based best-practices that focused exclusively on the physical design of the playground. Our recommendations have implications for how future playgrounds should be designed to maximize usability and inclusiveness and the overall playground experiences for children with disabilities.

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“…Evidence shows children with differing abilities can experience meaningful play within play parks (3). This may appear to differ from the way their peers engage with equipment and environments (16) (Wenger et al 2021). Research considering access to outdoor play identifies physical obstacles restricting opportunities for those with additional needs (8,9,10,11,12) and societal barriers (Wenger et al 2021).…”

Section: Play Parks As Spaces For Playmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This may appear to differ from the way their peers engage with equipment and environments (16) (Wenger et al 2021). Research considering access to outdoor play identifies physical obstacles restricting opportunities for those with additional needs (8,9,10,11,12) and societal barriers (Wenger et al 2021). Studies identified that although the establishment of play parks aims to provide high-quality outdoor play, intentions to meet a community's identified need are not universally achieved (8).…”

Section: Play Parks As Spaces For Playmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an integrated approach to the evaluation of outdoor play settings: rethinking the position of play value

Parker

Al-Maiyah

2021

Children's Geographies

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Local play parks are key spaces within children's geographies providing opportunities for physical activity, socialisation and a connection with their local community. The design of these key neighbourhood facilities influences their use; extending beyond accessibility and installation of equipment when seeking to create a location with usability for all. This paper reports on the development of an evaluation tool, which supports the review and development processes linked to play parks. The Play Park Evaluation Tool (PPET), which is evidence-based in content and developed with a multi-disciplinary approach drawing on disciplines from the Built Environment and Health Sciences (occupational therapy), considers key areas contributing to the accessibility and usability of play parks. Aspects evaluated include nonplay features such as surface finish and seating, recognising the relevance of these in creating accessible, usable spaces for play. This alongside assessment of installed play equipment to evaluate the breadth of play options available and how these meet the needs of children and young people with varying abilities or needs. The paper describes PPET's creation, the revision process undertaken, and its subsequent use across three stages of a play park's development. Key to achieving facilities with high play value is the provision of a varied play experience. To support this the evaluation of play types offered is integrated within the tool. This in-depth appraisal is supported by the creation of an infographic illustrating the resulting data and provides a method by which this information is presented in an accessible form. This visual representation contributing to the decision-making process undertaken by those responsible for the provision of play parks.

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Children’s perceptions of playing on inclusive playgrounds: A qualitative study

Cited by 37 publications

References 34 publications

Children's Green Infrastructure: Children and Their Rights to Nature and the City

Children's Green Infrastructure: Children and Their Rights to Nature and the City

A Scoping Review of Evidence-Informed Recommendations for Designing Inclusive Playgrounds

Developing an integrated approach to the evaluation of outdoor play settings: rethinking the position of play value

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