The City of Bruges’ youth service is eager to explore opportunities that can more effectively integrate outdoor play into the urban context. To this end, they want to identify which green spaces and informal play areas could be suitable for this purpose.
Backed by evidence-based scientific and practical research, we have created an applicable methodology that can be implemented in practice: the Outdoor Play Tool.
Why this tool?
This tool was designed to:
- Gather information on informal play areas in the neighbourhood
- Pool insights on how children and their carers can take advantage of opportunities for play
- Develop a short-term action plan and lay the foundation for a long-term strategy to define how informal play locations can help to increase the number of outdoor play opportunities in the area
This tool enables the city to identify suitable outdoor play locations using a pragmatic and evidence-based approach.
The tool helps to detect opportunities, enter into dialogue with other stakeholders, and integrate the viewpoints of children and their carers. The resulting insights can be used to further develop the available play area and to increase the number of play-friendly neighbourhoods and outdoor play locations.
For who?
The Outdoor Play Tool was developed to support policymaking staff in their efforts to identify informal play locations that can be transformed into genuine outdoor play areas. Throughout this process, public space is evaluated – both literally and figuratively – from a child’s point of view.
The tool prototype was put to the test with great enthusiasm on the Den Tir playground in Assebroek.
