How to Grow a Playspace takes you through a global perspective of the different stages of child development and the environments that engage children in play around the world. From the urbanity of Mumbai; to rainbow nets in Japan; nature play in Denmark; recycling waste in Peru; community building in Uganda; play streets in London; and gardens of peace in Palestine, it proves that no matter where play occurs, it is ubiquitous in its resourcefulness, imagination and effect.
Written by international leaders in the field of play including academics, designers and playworkers, How to Grow A Playspace discusses contemporary issues around children and play, such as risk benefit in play, creativity and technology, insights into children's thinking, social inclusion and what makes a city child-friendly.
With its own 'Potting Shed', this text is also a practical guide to support playspace projects with advice on teams, budgets, community engagement, maintenance and standards. How to Grow a Playspace is a comprehensive 'go-to' guide for anyone interested or involved in children's play and playspaces.
About the Author: Katherine Masiulanis (AILA) is a registered landscape architect based in Melbourne, Australia. She is the Director of Leaf Design Studio, which specialises in combining landscape architecture with interpretive design. Having started her career as an industrial designer, she has a broad base of design skills. Katherine has worked on the design of play environments since 1998 in various capacities, allowing her to complete many award-winning designs. She has a particular interest in the enrichment of play with sculptural and artistic elements, and in creating sites which relate their unique stories.
www.leafdesignstudio.com.au
Elizabeth Cummins is a qualified landscape architect (Bachelor of Design 1st Class Hons, RMIT 2001) and educator (Diploma of Teaching Early Childhood, Monash University 1989). Beginning her professional life as an early childhood teacher in the early 1990s, Elizabeth has worked as both a pre-school and primary educator in Australia, the UK and Japan. After qualifying as a landscape architect, Elizabeth worked professionally with Jeavons Landscape Architects for almost six years and has lectured and tutored at RMIT University, Melbourne. Elizabeth has also spent many years working in and for local government. In 2011 Elizabeth branched out to take her own creative project direction, called Bricolage Design. Bricolage specialises in design and strategic planning, particularly for children's environments. Elizabeth is a founding coordinator of the Creative Cubby Project, a local initiative to encourage creative play for children by building temporary cubby houses using cardboard boxes and recycled materials. Elizabeth is also a passionate advocate for quality play and the right of children to be independently mobile and able to freely and actively explore and engage in their local neighbourhoods. She is a member of Play Australia and in 2015 co-authored their guide to risk benefit assessment, 'Getting the Balance Right'. Elizabeth blogs regularly on play and projects for children.
www.bricolagedesign.com.au/leafgenius
