Pop-up Playground Christchurch 2018
In March, 2018 I created two pop-up playgrounds, one in the central city and one in the residential suburb of Woolston. These installations lasted for two weeks and were incredibly popular - showing that there are many people in Christchurch interested in spaces that cater for this type of play.
“The children absolutely loved the natural resources set up every morning and was interesting to watch them play with them differently each time we went. They loved getting muddy and I noticed they were way more engrossed, more social with other children and used their imaginations more than in a standard playground.”
“My children were more engaged and active than any other playground. They worked together, they created and they were happy for over two hours. It was gorgeous.”
At the city site, we put in sand and a soil pits and lots of natural and recycled loose parts. Children used the materials to make mud pies, obstacle course, huts and more. It was exciting to see how well the space was used!
Loved the feedback from community.
“Very focused and purposeful, not chaotic as can often be the case in a playground. Quietly determined, happily exploring from place to place.”
“We loved it all. It was great having all the natural resources on hand to free play with, you don’t find that easily in a regular playground. The sand and mud pit was great especially with all the outdoor kitchen utensils. I noticed the kids played well together rather than regular playgrounds were they many play alone or with their parents. It felt very calm and welcoming to everyone. It was really nice to have a clean nature play space in town.”
The Woolston pop-up was set at Thistledown reserve, next to a gorgeous natural area that community volunteers maintain. The Woolston space was created in conjunction with Christchurch City Council for Parks week. It seemed to attract more older children, who were perhaps playing by themselves after school - which was fantastic to see. The huts had 'fort' like qualities and were elaborate and changed everytime I went. I loved the idea that neighbourhood children had a space with materials they could use however they wanted and create their own space for play.
