Menu
The Play Street concept was created by a group of parents in 2009 on a street in Bristol and has now spread worldwide.
The concept of Play Street was created by a group of parents in England in 2009. The idea, also known as Playing Out, is to simply close down a street in a residential area for a short period of time to give children the opportunity to play outside on their own street and to create a community of neighbours. In the UK, the concept is well established and many local authorities have policies and procedures in place to make it easy for parents and neighbourhoods to organise a play street. Today, the concept has spread all over the world, but it is still rare in Sweden.
An empty street may seem like a boring place for a child, but in fact it allows for truly child-led, creative and imaginative play. The play street allows neighbouring children to play with each other, instead of going separately with their parents to a playground where they often don’t belong to a consistent playgroup – reducing opportunities for role-play and cooperative play.
A play street gives children the time, space and opportunity to play freely outdoors. When given this, children will naturally start to play, be more active and emotionally resilient. Free play is crucial for children’s development as it allows them to independently explore both the world and themselves.
The original idea behind the concept is that play streets are local initiatives for and by families and residents of the street – children can bring their own play equipment from home and play with them. Adults are only there for safety and to make sure cars stay away. It’s also about neighbourliness for the local community. In other countries, neighbours often get together and organise play streets together. When neighbours do this together, it increases the relationships, the community and through that the sense of security for the residents.
The norm that it is the car that ‘owns’ the street is questioned through the Play Street. During the event, the children get the experience of taking over the street and the opportunity to play on it. The adults get the experience that something else is possible. The street space occupies a large part of the public environment, but it is often an unsafe and inaccessible space for children. With the Play Street, the street is made accessible and a place is created from it.
During a 1990 study in Zurich, Switzerland, two different groups of 5-year-olds living in economically similar neighbourhoods were compared. One group was allowed to play outside unsupervised, while the other group was denied this freedom because of traffic. Parents in the latter group were significantly more likely than those in the former to take their children to parks, where they could play under parental supervision.
The study found that children who had the opportunity to play freely in the neighbourhood spent on average twice as much time outdoors, were significantly more active when outdoors, had over twice as many friends and possessed better motor and social skills than those who were denied this type of play. Thus, visits to the park could not compensate for the loss of freedom in the neighbourhood because:
– Parents did not have the patience or time to stay long in the park, which limited the time available for play.
– Parental supervision reduced children’s freedom to play in challenging and risky ways.
– There were usually no playgroups in the parks, which reduced the opportunities for joint play among friends. In addition, parks offered fewer ways to play compared to residential areas due to a limited supply of play equipment, while children in neighbourhoods could use toys and equipment from their own homes.
The norm that the car ‘owns’ the street is challenged through Play Street. During the event, the children get the experience of taking over the street and the opportunity to play there. The adults get the experience that something else is possible. The street space occupies a large part of the public environment, but it is often an unsafe and inaccessible space for children. With Play Street, the street is made accessible and a space is made of it.
Organising a Play Street requires some preparation and the first thing you need to think about is what the purpose of the play street is and in what context it is being organised.
Another important element to consider is which street to choose. To facilitate the process, check with your municipality which street is most suitable. Different permits are required to be on the street – check with your municipality. To close off a street, you will need barrier material in the form of for example TA beams, riot fences, traffic signs, etc. Ask the municipality for help if you are unsure.
Promote the event to the public via, for example, social media, local newspapers and posters. If the event is part of a design process, send targeted invitations to the target group. Inform residents and businesses in the street well in advance of the event. This is a way to create a good attitude towards Lekgatan, as the possible removal of car parks can create discussion.
Collect different types of play and sports equipment. For example, inline skates, skateboards, skipping ropes, ball games and goals. Calm activities such as colouring in the street with crayons and a reading corner with books are also nice to have. Don’t forget helmets and protective gear. Check if there is a Fritidsbank in your municipality. You can borrow play and sports equipment free of charge. Also ask visitors to bring their own equipment.
Organise the site with, for example, balloons and pennants so that it is clear that this is a fun and welcoming event for children. Also communicate to the outside world what the event is and what Play Street means through signs, posters, etc. Clearly show who you are working on the event, for example with vests or profile clothing. When the Play Street is up and running, act as a play starter.
Closing off a street usually requires both a police permit and a traffic organisation plan (in Swe called a TA plan). These application processes take up to a couple of months, so be sure to apply well in advance. Check with your municipality how much notice is needed.
Lekgatan can be organised as a single event. As part of a design process, Lekgatan can serve as a way to kick-start a longer process, as it opens up for interaction and making new contacts on site.
We use cookies to give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this website, you agree to the use of cookies.
Vi använder cookies för att ge dig den bästa upplevelsen på vår hemsida. Om du fortsätter att använda den här webbplatsen godkänner du detta.
