If play is the work of childhood, a growing chorus of researchers and designers say it’s imperative to create more spaces that offer the chance to experiment, take risks and face challenges.
“The idea that you have a front yard kind of place for the city,” he said. “A jewel play space that brings kids together from across the city.” “Creating environments that foster play and discovery and self-determination and offer varying levels of risk, these are all really very important,” he said. Such environments add an element of surprise and, more importantly, risk, which is exactly the point, says Nathan Schleicher, Earthscape’s creative director.Schleicher points out that there’s a huge distinction to be made between risks and hazards. A risk is something that poses a challenge to a child, such as taking a step between two structures high off the ground. A hazard is something inherently dangerous, such as a nail sticking out of a piece of wood.