Background

A playground is an area in a public space that is provided for children to play. Playgrounds will often have recreational equipment such as swings, a seesaw, merry-go-round, slide, jungle gym, sandbox, and so forth. Playgrounds may also have large structures such as playhouses, mazes, skate parks, bicycling tracks, and basketball and sports courts. The possibilities are endless. Playgrounds give children a safe place for play and recreation, for exercise and to develop their physical coordination and strength, for meeting and socialising with other children, and to be outside and exposed to fresh air, while under the supervision of adults. Playgrounds can be located in parks, urban squares, in schools, in buildings, shopping malls, and other public areas. The goal is to provide a joyful place for young and old, where children may develop physically, mentally, and socially.
​​​​​​​

The design brief

Design a playground for a park or urban area in your neighbourhood or town. Design a set of one or more pieces of playground furniture or facilities of your choosing, for children to play under the supervision of their parents or guardians. Consider the needs of the children, their safety and well-being, and encourage healthy play. The goal is to enhance the quality of life of the residents and visitors. Build a small-scale model of your playground design concept. Alternatively, you may build a computer-aided design (CAD) model of your design concept, if you prefer. Work on this project in a small team with a group of your classmates.

The design thinking process

Follow the six stages of the design thinking process to ensure that you are thorough and do everything necessary to succeed in your design project. First, you endeavour to understand the design topic and EMPATHISE with the needs of the users. With that understanding, you can DEFINE what is essential to the product or system that you are designing. Then you IDEATE, that is, you creatively come up with ideas and develop them. The next step is to PROTOTYPE your chosen design solution in a physical form and improve it through trial-and-error. Then you TEST your design idea to elicit the opinions of users. And finally, at the end of the process, you REFLECT upon your project to benefit from the experience. Use the appropriate methods from the Design Thinking for Schools website as you proceed along the design thinking process.
 

Note for teachers

Read the guide for teachers on Safety for the PROTOTYPE Stage for Level IV to safely supervise this design project.