John McKinnon
Interactive Entertainment
Playground Assessment

The playground I analyzed was Downey park in Union Park on the corner of Dean Road and SR 50. The best aspect of this playground that stood foremost in my mind was the vast array of activities one could engage themselves in at this park You could swim, skateboard, play baseball, basketball, volleyball, even barbecue and walk the dog. This park has something for everyone. But, is this playground successful in creating and environment which promotes healthy growth and maturation through play?

Downey park’s grounds is a vast lakeside environment that is sparsely wooded. There are multiple traditional play areas with different sets of equipment that target various age ranges. In addition to these traditional play areas there is also a small skate park which attracts a slightly older crowd. The intermingling between ages group would promote better social interaction not only between the children themselves but also their parents. There are also many opportunities to engage in structured activities like baseball, basketball or volleyball. But, experts in the field of play believe that structured play environments often lead to boredom so children and youths turn elsewhere to fulfill their needs.

After reviewing the research accumulated from experts in the field play I have come up with a few design concepts for an ideal playground. The playground would be located in or around a moderately wooded environment. It would be centered around a large multi-tiered fort like structure surrounded by sand and a shallow moat. Surrounding the fort like structure would be many man made hills where the children could play king of the hill or roll down them at their leisure. The idea of a hilly environment would be especially appealing for kids in Florida since most are accustomed to its extremely flat landscape. These hills would also be strewn with multiple water slides that drain into the moat. The moat itself would have numerous bridge accesses to the fort like structure. Scattered throughout the moat would be several water fountains that shoot water high into the air at random intervals. The structure itself would be made almost entirely out of wood in efforts to try to tone down the contrast of what is natural and what is man made. The fort would be labyrinth of corridors, stairs and rooms which would contain activities to stimulate the children’s cognitive abilities. For instance, one room could be a music room which incorporates many wooden chimes in which the children can create their own music. On the upper tiers of the structure their could be water cannons where children could feel free to get soaked or do some soaking.

Overall, one could say that most (but not all) playground designers today forget what is was like to be a child. The adventure of exploring a wild new environment is lost after children are disappointed again and again by under-developed design processes. In entertainment design it is crucial to understand your end user-audience to effectively develop new and imaginative ideas that keep your audience enthralled time after time.