When it comes to permanent play area design solutions, the variety that municipalities can offer is limited; they are costly and must survive for at least 15 years. These practical limitations lead to play areas that are lacking in variety and limited in the playing devices that they can offer.
However, we are convinced that children would play outside more often if there were more exciting and varied places for them to do so. So, what if we stop trying to redesign play areas, but instead focus on getting more out of the existing ones? By working out the right, temporary adjustments or interactions to make with playground equipment, we can make these play areas exciting, and encourage healthy, outdoor play for everyone.
SPOT is a unique toolkit that will be embedded in the community - at schools and community centres throughout the city. This will encourage regular use and make the outcomes much more sustainable than they might be from a one-off event. With SPOT, teachers, youth and welfare workers can help and encourage children to make existing play areas challenging for everyone.