3 realms of play | Neighborhoods, cities, and giant pieces of paper
Creating tech-free play-friendly spaces now and in the future
Hi from Southern California! Lots of people are talking lately about the impacts of smartphones on youth wellbeing. It’s a big territory and I have lots to say about it! Today I wanted to share three things about creating contexts for creativity and play.
Book about bringing play back to neighborhoods
While it’s imperative to create healthy norms for smartphone use among kids, it’s equally important to build intentional contexts where they can play and thrive without digital input. That’s not always easy! Here’s a starting point: Mike Lanza’s detailed, ahead-of-its-time handbook on how he created a “playborhood” for his kids.
Favorite canvas to inspire creative world-building
Paper rolls! I’ve found that big long rolls of plain paper, like this recycled one, are a giant creativity-inspiring playspace for kids. These huge canvases encourage collaboration as kids work to make something vast together. We have used them to create magical carpets, show marquees, and even a verry long thin paper board game!
Provocative quote about kid-friendly urban design
Although the English translation is a tad clumsy, I found Francesco Tonucci’s visionary book The City of Children super inspiring. He has dedicated his life’s work to making cities more child-centric. Here’s a thought-provoking excerpt:
Huge amounts of money are being spent in favor of toads in many countries in northern Europe and North America. Yes, on toads. Highways are insurmountable barriers that fatally divide their territories. Thus, the poor toads can no longer pass from the aquatic reproduction environments to the humid ones of their habitual life. Or, in cases where the fences allow them to pass, they are forced to cross the highway with a very low percentage of success. Consequently, a cry of protest has been raised and the societies that built or managed the highways had no choice but to open connection tunnels between the two sides of the highway every certain number of meters. Naturally, this has a very high cost, but it saves the lives of many toads and allows them to traverse the territory. I show solidarity with the toads and I completely agree with these actions for their preservation. I just wish that the same attention and sensitivity were dedicated to children. Their territory is also cut by roads where the rights of cars dominate. Crossing them is dangerous, parents worry and prevent their children from traveling alone. Thus, children cannot reach their friends, or, together with them, reach the places where they can play — the playground, the open field, the avenue. - Francesco Tonucci
He goes on to make such clear arguments as to why a city that works well for children is better for everyone. If you understand Spanish, you may enjoy the conference Tonucci is giving on this exact topic on Thursday.
To me, we can’t solve the problems caused by smartphones without widening the aperture to examine the contexts we’re living and raising children in. I’d love to hear what these resources spark for you and the worlds you’d like to create for yourself and the kids in your life.
Thank you for reading! Mitra