Boxes, rope and sheets come to life. These pop-up playgrounds put child-centered play in the forefront. Given the space to explore, kids start working together and building on each other’s ideas.
Items to gather —Cardboard boxes, Sheets of cardboard, Cardboard tubes. Fabric (various shapes, sizes, colors, materials), Wood scraps and tree “slices,” Bike tires, inner tubes String, yarn or rope. Various containers (plastic bottles, bowls, jars, pails). Natural items (hay bales, sturdy vine, saplings) Large spools, markers, paint, crayons.
Build It to Break It — If you’ve ever seen kids build a block tower only to send it crashing to the floor, you know something about the desire to destroy as well as create. Children may decide to break something in order to change it or to build something new, or destruction may be part of the fun for them. It’s all part of their process — and part of what pop-up playgrounds are all about.
Parents, pass the hammer — While parents can join in the fun, too, playground planner Pandora Redwin says it’s easy for adults to take over. Kids are innovative and often see possibilities that adults don’t, even if their first idea doesn’t work. Parents should avoid taking over and putting too much structure on the process. Unless it’s a safety issue, avoid too much direction. For example, skip statements like “Why don’t you finish this before starting something new.”
Sara Barry is a freelance writer from Massachusetts. She writes about seasonal family fun and outdoor activities.
