Imagine a playground that allows the visitor to manipulate the play to his/her liking, by utilizing “found” loose parts lying all around the playspace and having play “sherpas” available to assist in amplifying the play experience - well…imagine no more…Imagination Playground is the clever work of Rockwell Group and my friend/Rockwell “Creative Ombudsman”, Marc Hacker.
From the Imagination Playground website:
Manipulable Environment
Children play most creatively in settings they can manipulate. Imagination Playground offers a changeable environment that can be used for many types of activities. Sand and water serve as raw materials for creativity and sensory exploration, empowering children with the ability to influence the space around them.
Loose Parts
A changing array of objects allows children to make each visit a new experience. Using blocks, crates, found objects and other loose parts, children can build something, change it, take it down, and start all over again. They can also sort objects or transport them from one area to another. Loose parts enable children to create their own narratives, or simply play for the quiet pleasure of enjoying shapes, colors, and texture. See the video of the Imagination Playground in a box project!
Play Associates
An integral part of Imagination Playground are Playground Associates. They provide an open setting in which children can direct the course of play. As a stage manager facilitates a production from behind the scenes, a Play Associate lets the children’s play happen by maintaining a safe, welcoming environment, as well as renewing and varying the loose parts.
Playground Associates think and work with the creativity and flexible imagination of a child—in addition to the organized, generous, and safety-conscious sense of a responsible professional.
For more details about the project, checkout the Imagination Playground website…
I think this concept is playfully brilliant and can truly ignite the active imagination of anyone who visits!
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