Designing Play Workshop (pre)

Playground Design: next week we’ll be asking the kids to redesign their own school playground.  

Our typical idea of a playground is maybe something like the play structure on the upper deck (only nicer).  Maybe something like the Trinty Bellwoods playground?  

But we’ll be trying to think outside the box a little.  Our jumping off point could be some of the better play spaces in Toronto: a dynamic playground like the sandpit water area in Dufferin Park Grove, one that incorporates natural features like the slide hill in Corktown Commons one that makes cultural references to its setting- like Canoe Landing Park or a design that employs colour, sound and light like the brand new June Callwood park (check it out down by the waterfront). 

There’s really a world of possibilities when you take inspiration from abroad.  I love the use of recycled tires at the Tire Koen in Japan.  Kids roll/slide/stack the tires and often times the adults get involved too.

Our Invention Squad kids will start off with a scale cardboard platform of the two layered playground at their school.  That’s the constraint.  After that anything goes. We’ll provide recycled paper and cardboard for them to build their fantasy playground. Let’s see what they come up with!

Toy Struck Workshop

Our first challenge in the after-school workshop was to build a prototype toy design for a young child. The kids dived straight into heaps of recycled cardboard plastic and fabric materials to make their toy designs. We set them a challenge to think about the senses-touch, texture, sound and colour- and they made exploratoriums, cars, rattles, snow mixers and sensory books.

image from http://dthsg.com

     

Our aim in this class, was to get the kids comfortable with constructing a prototype. In this session they were given a broad selection of materials to use and these objects themselves suggest ideas to the kids. In other sessions we will try a more deliberative planning approach with draft drawings or team brainstorming. Different methods suit different children, but we want them to experience them all and come up with some cool ideas whilst they do that.                                                          

Fall 2014 Workshop Schedule: Niagara Street

Here's the schedule of events for our Fall workshop at Niagara Street School

Week 1: Toddler alert

Squeeze it, chew it, pull it, shake it.  Using colour and texture, invent a new toy for toddlers. 

Week 2 :Play as you go

Redesign the Niagara Street Playground.  Go ahead- add water features, nature zones, tree houses or crazy play structures.

Week 3: Spooktacular Light Show

Scare your friends by creating a ghostly chandelier, a haunted light sculpture, an illuminated decoration for Halloween.

Week 4: Evil Genius 

Invent a machine to catapult a marshmallow grenade across the playground. 

Week 5: Move over Lady Gaga!

Design an out-of-this-world outfit for a rock star super-hero.

Week 6: Rock-On!

Join the junk band: twanging, tooting, bashing, plucking your own hand-made instruments. 

Week 7: Game on

Designers test a new event or sport for the 2015 Pan-Am games.

Week 8: Structure challenge

Build a bridge that can hold an elephant.

Week 9: DEMO DAY

A showcase of the squad’s inventions and ideas for families and friends to see.