Childhood is the beginning of life, the most innocent and most important period of life. Research shows that playing in open spaces is a prerequisite for healthy development of children, so it is important to pay attention to the needs of children growing up in urban high-density environments for open spaces. The growth and development of life is one of the greatest acts in nature. As a designer, it is a sacred duty and mission to integrate wisdom and ideals into this process.

For whom do we design?

The planning and design of children's activity space takes children aged 3-12 years old as the main service target, and the environmental arrangement of activity space should also take children at this stage as the main audience.

Age is often the basis for grouping children in outdoor activities, and children are often divided into their own small groups depending on their age. Children of different ages have different ways of activity and different game contents. However, children have certain behavioral characteristics:

Gathering, initiative, randomness, mobility, exploration, concentration, and pro-nature.

However, the users of children's spaces are not only children. There are also adults (parents), elderly (grandparents) and special groups (physically challenged children or adults).

So when designing for children's spaces, it is important to consider accommodating other types of users as well.

What to design?

1、Planting configuration

The planting design should not only consider plants as an important landscape element, but also realize that plants have a certain ornamental and play value for children, who like to play with plants more than adults. Therefore, children's activity sites have certain special characteristics in the selection of plants, should be mainly trees for sparse shade; supplemented by shrubs, using non-thorny and non-toxic varieties; lawn to choose trample-resistant varieties.

2、Ride facilities

All facilities should be in the spirit of safety first, in order to cultivate and exercise children's physical fitness and adventurous spirit for the purpose. Most of the apparatus with wooden or metal pipe structure analysis, break processing rounded, smooth angles, stable structure, scale appropriate, and should provide a variety of game apparatus for children to choose, to achieve the level of difficulty of the game grading, so that children with the growth of age and ability to use in turn. At the same time, the game equipment should be firm enough for adults to use occasionally.

3、Surfacing

The road leading to the children's activity site and the surface of the road within the children's activity site should be smooth and non-slip, while the road leading to the toddler activity site should also be convenient for strollers to pass, and there should be a hard surface in the toddler activity area for children to play with carts, ride tricycles, etc. Under all the play facilities should be used protective ground, such as sand, injection rubber, rubber mats, etc.

4、Terrain selection

Changing terrain can make children roll, swoop, slide, hide, etc. on it and make them feel surprised, so the existing terrain with changing elevation can be used and enhanced in the design, or artificially caused by undulating and changing terrain. If there is a steep change in slope, consider using the terrain to design slides, and level ground can be used for sports venues.

How to design?

1、Design principles

Accessibility, safety, rest quality, multi-functionality.

2、Commonly used principles

Integration of nature, education and fun:

Children may like to be close to nature more than any other age group. A site closely integrated with nature attracts them on the one hand, and teaches them the basic principles of natural growth and circulation on the other.

Intensify colors to attract the eye:

As children are more sensitive to colors and shapes, bright and lively colors and diverse shapes are more attractive to children's eyes, and can also improve their cognitive ability.

Distinctive theme, create fun:

For children, the venue is always the most critical "fun", and this "fun" can often be achieved by establishing a distinctive theme. Exaggerated shapes, strange facilities, and play feelings that they do not normally experience often make children excited and memorable.

Create activities that promote interaction:

The variety of types of activities for children often exceeds the designer's imagination. Not only do they make full use of purposely designed facilities, but they are also good at exploring potential activity spaces. Designers need to create as many types of activities as possible, even "strange" ones, so that children can acquire more diverse social skills in the activities.