It’s easy to overlook everyday spaces. You might take a bathroom for granted until you have a leak. A bullpen might feel crowded until you replace it with the isolation of cubicles. A parking lot might seem mundane, but without proper flow and signage, it can be stressful and even dangerous.
There are plenty of lessons to learn from everyday spaces, especially in the design that goes into them. Small design changes can often be the catalyst to create desired behaviors, even in something as simple as a playground.
Let’s look at some of the most surprising psychological lessons you can learn from the playground and consider how tiny adjustments to everyday environments can drive major changes in behavior, engagement, and decision-making.
Reflecting Community in Playground Design
A playground can be predictable. Slides, swings, sandboxes, rails, bridges, the basic pieces are all too common. But a playground is also modular in its design. The way you bring the pieces together can reflect the creator’s intention. This presents an opportunity to infuse a playground with intentional design features that reflect not just the people who use it but the surrounding community.
AAA State of Play Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) Kelly Robbins-Cripe says, “The most memorable playgrounds are the ones that feel rooted in their environment. Custom playground design allows you to echo your town’s landmarks, natural surroundings, or cultural heritage through materials, structures, and layout.”
What does this look like? A desert-themed playground might be ideal for Phoenix. A forest theme could reflect the local Portland community. A town known for football might build something like Boston’s Gronk Playground. The point? Playground design should go beyond the basics and reflect the local community.
Being Intentional in Playground Design
A playground may feel like a predictable space. However, it can actually be a great way to spark innovation and curiosity in those who use it.
Habit researcher James Clear notes, “You may think that you control most of your choices, but the truth is that a large portion of your actions every day are simply a response to the environment designed around you.”
In other words, even the most subtle playground layout decisions have the potential to draw a child into a fresh sense of wonder. It can encourage them to move, explore, and interact in new ways.
With that in mind, each playground offers an opportunity to be intentional. It allows designers to use unique elements or combine classic ones in new ways to draw out imaginative play. It can use colors to attract attention and make memory-making easier. In short, playground environments can quietly encourage healthier psychological choices.
Being Inclusive in Playground Design
A playground presents an opportunity to cater to more than a specific category of physically capable, young individuals. Investing in accessible spaces can turn a playground into a welcomingly inclusive crossroads.
Modern playgrounds are capable of integrating multi-zone spaces that can accommodate multiple kinds of activities. Children, teens, and even caregivers can benefit from these intentionally accepting spaces.
For example, obstacle courses can draw in older children and teens. Seating areas can accommodate families and seniors. Toddler zones can provide fun and safety simultaneously. Accessible swings and similar features can allow those managing disabilities to participate as well.
This is why it’s important to go beyond compliance and seek out inclusive spaces. In the publication Design For Health, Franke Peng and Sarah Neville say, “Good intergenerational design has the capacity to facilitate and provide meaningful opportunities for engagement and build positive as well as sustainable relationships between different generations.”
Building inclusive playgrounds doesn’t just mean more people can use them. It can bring people together, build communities, and encourage bonding.
Better Playgrounds, Big Behavior Shifts
Playgrounds are much more than cookie-cutter play spaces. They present unique opportunities to reflect community values, encourage imaginative play, and create inclusive experiences. Playground design is a good reminder that even the most common, everyday spaces have the potential to create positive behavior shifts.
Photo by Aaron Burden; Unsplash
