02 Sep Children and high streets: Bringing play to the experience
On a recent project in a Hertfordshire village, we wanted to give people more reasons to visit the high street.
What struck our director, Diane, on a visit was that while there were parks scattered around the village, there was nothing on the high street to entertain younger children.
Here she reflects on what she heard from talking to play specialists about how ‘play on the way’ often doesn’t translate into a specific offer and sometimes keeping it simple and seeing what works is the best option rather than launching into a full on play scheme.
What do we mean by play?
Play means parents feel there is something for children while they are there and helps form connections with the high street.
With large-scale housing development planned at the village bringing more families, we decided to look at what play might look like on the high street.
While I’m not an expert on ‘play spaces’, I know several people who are and could turn to for advice and ideas.
At first there was an aversion to adding a playground to tranquil gardens or on the high street in Hertfordshire. But I learned that play doesn’t have to mean a fixed playground.
This opened up the conversation to seeing the high street through a child’s eyes and the possibilities of informal play.
Play specialists point to creating places for children to stand, spin and jump around.
These spaces also need to feel comfortable, as parents and children need to feel there is permission for children to play without being ‘told off’.
Child-friendly spaces can also be furniture that children and young people might enjoy playing with in passing, but they wouldn’t make a dedicated journey to spend a long time there.
The play specialists talk about how long it takes a child to get from home to a shop and back as a good indication of the playful opportunities they come across along the way. A more fun journey is likely to take longer.
This can be as simple as having an area on the High Street where chalk use is encouraged, and the shops and cafes hold the chalk.
In green spaces, are there any logs or low walls that could be walked along or perched on or used as a balance game? It’s important that activities are free to access and use.
Takeaways
It’s early days for the village in Hertfordshire, but in talking to the play experts there was plenty to mull over.
These were my key takeaways for what is good practice:
- Permission – does it feel ok (and safe) to linger? We often talk about extending dwell time, but similar thoughts apply to children. Where is the space to sit, watch, be active, and how does it interact with the area around it?
- Wider pavements encourage space for different uses.
- What costs are involved, and who will manage the maintenance programme of ‘play’ areas or equipment? There are few things more sad than a poorly maintained play or seating area. Simple ideas have minimal cost, such as stores and cafes having chalk for drawing on the pavement
- A play facility doesn’t have to be permanent; temporary offers a good test of what options are more widely used before a final commission
- There don’t need to be a long list of rules….this is a deterrent rather than an invitation to play.
- Can textures and levels be used to create an activity?
- Modular furniture can combine play and seating for adults and children alike. Adults may not play, but they need somewhere to hang out while the children do.
If you want to know more about play, Civic & Social and Playful Anywhere are a good place to start.
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