With the development of the economy and the improvement of urbanization, living conditions in major medium and large cities across our country are gradually improving. In recent years, residential area construction has made great progress. People not only seek high-quality ecological and healthy living environments but also increasingly focus on the various functions of living space environments. They hope that their weary minds and bodies can be released and restored through community activities. The most active group in residential areas are children who love outdoor activities. These children living in cities (most of them being only children) desperately need more contact with nature, companionship in play, and interaction with others. Children's playgrounds are their outdoor paradises and should meet the needs of children for entertainment and exercise. However, according to my investigation and analysis of various residential areas in Songjiang District, Shanghai, most residential areas, including newly built so-called "luxury residential areas," have relatively few children's playgrounds. The forms of activities are monotonous, the landscapes are singular and lack design, and some neighborhoods have a few game facilities but they are mixed into residents' fitness areas. Children's outdoor activities basically remain in the "monkey bars + slide" mode, thus neglecting the needs of children's behavior and psychology. Therefore, vigorously advocating and promoting the landscape design and construction of children's playgrounds in residential areas should be one of the key points for improving the quality and functionality of future living environments. This article will make an initial exploration of this issue, hoping to attract more attention from experts, designers, and builders.
1. Characteristics of Children's Play
For humans, play is common and necessary, especially during early childhood when it is a unique practical activity. Through play, children can freely express their inner thoughts. According to the different stages of physical and psychological development, children can be divided into several growth periods: infancy (1-3 years), preschool age (4-6 years, also called pre-school period), and school age (7-12 years). As children grow older, their requirements for play gradually increase. In today's information society, play has developed greatly. It is no longer just playing with mud, glass marbles, or iron hoops as we did in our childhood. Children can now play various new and realistic toys at home, or even play games online. However, experiential play scenarios cannot be replaced. For example, slides can meet multiple needs of children:
A. Physical performance activities - sliding down the slide normally
B. Skill training - creatively sliding backward or climbing
C. Interaction with playmates - making friends using the slide as a platform
1.1 Analysis of Children's Play Psychological Needs
Children reflect the surrounding real life through play. Through play, children can experience labor, life, and moral faces, while also understanding and experiencing the mutual relationships between people.
Preschool children, due to their physical and mental development, have special psychological conflicts. On one hand, they wish to participate in adult social life, but on the other hand, their experience abilities are still lacking. This determines that they can only take play as their dominant activity; whereas school-age children consciously participate in group life. Since learning is the dominant activity at this time, they are more interested in intellectual activities and hope to participate in active and creative games.
1.2 Characteristics of Children's Play
Generally speaking, children have excess energy, prefer movement, and are full of surprises and changes. They want to learn, understand society, recognize nature, and explore mysteries through imitation in play. However, in different developmental ages, they exhibit different characteristics (see Table 1).
Table 1: Characteristics of Children's Play in Different Age Periods
Age Period | Dominant Activity | Game Features | Game Time
Infancy | Simple Games | Simple games, mainly with toys, focusing on objects | A few minutes
Preschool | Games | Begin to follow game rules, primarily imitating common life scenes, focusing on the process | More than 30 minutes
School Age | Learning | Strong purpose in games, improved organization, more interest in intellectual activities, focusing on results | More than one hour
1.3 Analysis of Children's Play Content
Children in different ages are in different stages of growth and development. There are differences in physiology, psychology, and physical strength, showing different play behaviors (see Table 2).
Table 2: Play Behaviors of Different Age Groups
Game Status | Age Group | Types of Games | Companion Play | Space within Groups | Scale of Play | Independence | Climbing Abilities
Infancy | Sandpits, squares, chairs, etc., quiet games, fixed game equipment | Solo play, occasionally with other children | Near the residence, cared for by family | Half can be independent in dispersed play areas, fully independent in concentrated play areas | Unable
Preschool | Enjoy varied equipment, swings often played, sand play after four years old | Participate in companion play, increasing number of playmates | Around the housing | Independent in dispersed play areas, fully independent in concentrated play areas | Partially able
School Age | Start showing gender differences, girls use equipment like jumping rubber bands, kicking shuttlecocks, boys enjoy hide-and-seek and other active games | Many companions, neighbors, classmates, friends | Can play where housing is not visible | Have certain independence | Able
2. Functional Characteristics of Children's Playgrounds
2.1 Characteristics of Children's Playgrounds
Children's playgrounds are an important part of the outdoor spaces in residential areas. In May 2004, the Ministry of Construction issued the "Guidelines for Residential Area Environmental Landscape Design (Trial Draft)," which stipulates that residential areas should designate fixed areas, usually open, with dedicated children's play equipment. However, children's playgrounds are not just places for placing play equipment; they should be seen as natural, interesting, and safe spaces within a larger environment. They should be designed naturally, safely, purely, brightly, and barrier-free, with sufficient area and enclosed as relatively independent spaces.
2.2 Functions of Children's Playgrounds
Such outdoor spaces often exist as part of the greening system in various green spaces, making them relatively active parts. For children, their functions are multifaceted. First, playgrounds provide open spaces where children can engage in various activities, expressing and venting their emotions through play. Sometimes, all children may need is a space. Secondly, rich plant landscapes and natural objects can be arranged here, similar to how Mr. Lu Xun liked the Hundred-Grass Garden in his childhood. Children can gain a rich impression of nature, cultivating a love for nature and life. Thirdly, children gather here to play, increasing interactions and fostering qualities of mutual help and cooperation. Finally, children's playgrounds also play a role in developing intelligence. Sometimes, mathematical models and other educational toys can be placed on the grounds, creating an external learning environment that integrates education with entertainment.
3. Analysis of Environmental Factors in Residential Area Children's Playground Landscapes
3.1 Play Facilities
Play facilities and equipment are the core of children's playground spaces. With the development of society and technology, traditional children's playground equipment is generally simple, such as sandpits, water pools, swings, seesaws, and rotating chairs. Modern children's play facilities include high-low tracks, wave boats, fast yachts, small railways, etc. Additionally, there are sports facilities that require larger, spacious areas, such as basketball courts and skating rinks.
3.2 Plant Materials
Plants have ornamental, structural, and complementary landscape functions, making them important elements in forming children's playground spaces. Greenery reflects the natural, beautiful, and comfortable aspects of the environment. Good greenery design can highlight and enhance the personality and fun of the playground.
3.3 Rest Facilities
In the quiet areas or edges of children's playgrounds, there are often rest pavilions, benches, and long seats. These are generally designed to be simple, light, and lively.
3.4 Other Elements
(1) Water Bodies
(2) Terrain
(3) Paths
(4) Squares
(5) Sculptures and Small Decorations
(6) Stone Placements
4. Landscape Design of Children's Playgrounds in Residential Environments
4.1 Design Philosophy
The design of children's playgrounds should embody modern, natural, and healthy concepts.
Children's thinking is relatively active, and they like novelty and change. Therefore, their requirements are fresh and modern. For example, setting up sculptures of prehistoric creatures that can be touched and climbed in the playground can attract children. The surrounding environment should be open, facilitating communication. Overall, the landscaping and play activity areas should be considered as an integrated system, reflecting the multi-functionality and human-centered features of modern residential environments.
Communities are important venues for children's extracurricular activities. Currently, community education has many blind spots, particularly concerning environmental education for children to connect with and understand nature, which troubles schools and parents. We might consider planting more plants around playgrounds to form stable ecological communities, allowing children to deeply feel changes in weather, phenology, seasons, etc.
Healthy child growth is a shared societal goal. Children's play should promote their physical and mental health. Safety and health principles should be reflected in the content of activities, methods, game facilities, and plant selection.
4.2 Design Principles
(1) Ecological Design Principle
Outdoor spatial environments should first allow children to connect with and appreciate nature. When designing, functions should be integrated into natural scenery, treating nature as an important component of society. By engaging in activities such as touching soil, sand, rocks, trees, flowers, fish, and insects, children can develop an understanding of nature. Second, the green view rate should be maximized as much as possible, paying attention to the hierarchy of plant landscapes. Plant selection and configuration should follow the principle of "suitable trees for suitable sites," utilizing native tree species and introduced species that have been acclimatized. Attention should also be given to using the top-level communities in local vegetation. To create stable ecological plant communities, it is necessary to utilize and create conditions required by plants, such as water, fertilizer, light, air, and heat.
(2) Comprehensive Principle
Children's playground environments should not be simply regarded as play areas but as comprehensive spaces. Their structural composition and functional roles should be comprehensively considered. On one hand, it is a place for children to play and interact, and on the other hand, it is also part of the residential area's landscape. Furthermore, it serves as a natural and rich habitat for flora and fauna. Therefore, when designing, functions such as play, exercise, rest, socializing, learning, and culture should be comprehensively considered.
(3) Barrier-Free Design Principle
When designing, appropriate scales for children should be considered based on the nature of the play area, determining the proportions and scales of scenery and equipment. Simultaneously, attention should be paid to designing spaces suitable for disabled children, facilitating their access to every area and providing them with the care they deserve.
(4) Safety Principle
The safety of children's play areas is undoubtedly very important. First, the play area and its surroundings should be safe and comfortable, such as roads, paving, water bodies, rockeries, and plants being safe. Second, the play items within the area should suit the age characteristics of children, and dangerous activities should indicate the need for adult supervision. Third, the facilities within the play area should select equipment that meets relevant safety standards.
4.3 Design Forms and Methods
(1) Location of Children's Playgrounds
In residential environments, the location of children's playgrounds should consider their high activity levels while avoiding disturbances to residents.
A. Large scale, land area over 0.15 hm²: Sports equipment can be set up, typically located in open areas between several residential buildings. For instance, at the corner of a block, along one side of a road or between secondary roads and pedestrian paths, adjacent to public green spaces.
B. Medium scale, land area within 0.15 hm²: Certain children's play equipment can be set up, often located between residential buildings. Such as part of the residential group green space, near the side walls of row houses, between staggered residential buildings, or expanded spaces between two residential buildings.
C. Small scale, minimal land area: Typically set between two residential buildings or within courtyards surrounded by residential buildings, suitable for young children to play under parental supervision.
(2) Zoning Design of Children's Playgrounds
A. Age Zoning
Children's playgrounds cannot strictly organize site designs according to age groups. When school-age children and preschoolers share the same play area, appropriate zoning based on different play behaviors is necessary. An infant play area can be set up, generally combined with adult rest areas, such as adding some benches. The ground should be relatively flat, with fewer pieces of equipment. Moreover, infant play equipment should not be placed too close to school-age children's areas and should not be mixed. Greenery or rest benches can be used to appropriately separate the zones.
B. Play Method Zoning
In larger children's play areas with more equipment and open spaces, zoning based on play methods can be considered. For example, dividing into physical exercise, skill practice, experiential activities, intellectual exercises, and quiet relaxation zones.
(3) Landscape Design of Children's Play Areas
A. Spatial Design of Children's Playgrounds
Residential land is often irregular. During planning and design, relatively regular sections are designated for arranging residential buildings, while irregular sections are used for landscaping, often including children's playgrounds in these designs. In irregular plots, if designed appropriately, flexible and diverse spaces can be created easily. In point-style residential clusters, since the buildings lack strong directional shapes, circular, semi-circular, or semi-oval-shaped playgrounds can be chosen.
The establishment of playground facilities and the surrounding environment should aim to be as intimate and peaceful as indoors. Outdoor ground surfaces can adopt various forms, transitioning naturally and effortlessly from one area to another, such as beaches, hills, grasslands, wood, plastic, concrete, and flower bricks. Trees or forests, earth mounds, or building layouts can be used to enclose or separate spaces while reducing strong wind effects.
To provide multiple play options, some wild or natural areas should be preserved or created, offering children ample sand, mud, and water, forming sandplay and waterplay areas, while reasonably separating them from equipment areas or clean areas.
In larger or multi-purpose children's playgrounds, auxiliary facilities such as public toilets, handwashing stations, and seating for parents should be considered.
B. Greening Design
Greening is indispensable in the construction of children's playgrounds. Bold use of trees, shrubs, woody plants, and aquatic plants should be employed to design and create landscapes, fully showcasing the natural beauty of plant materials in terms of shape, lines, colors, etc., forming lively, vibrant, and aesthetically pleasing four-dimensional spatial landscapes.
Greening design in children's playground landscapes should handle the following relationships well:
First, greening should be humanized. While children play and interact, they are open and facing nature. Plants like hedges in mazes directly satisfy children's needs. They engage in activities, interactions, and relaxation in green spaces, feeling the energetic and natural atmosphere created by landscaping. Of course, plant selection and arrangement should suit children's standards and psychology, sparking their interest. Plants with thorns, toxins, or irritants should be avoided, and arrangements should recreate a natural environment with flowers in three seasons and scenic views throughout the year.
Second, greening should enhance ecological effects. Plants can be used as backgrounds for play equipment, landscape features, paving, and benches. Creating "shade-type" three-dimensional green spaces, such as arranging shaded areas for summer activities, using walls and artificial mountains for climbing plants to soften rigid architectural lines, and using hedges to separate spaces and reduce noise.
Third, artistic effects of green plant arrangements. When selecting plants for greening design, clever use of plant shapes, lines, colors, textures, and habits should be utilized in compositions. Through seasonal changes and lifecycle variations in plants, dynamic living canvases can be formed. For example, in Shanghai, common planting combinations include "cedar + magnolia -- crape myrtle + Judas tree + winter jasmine -- iris + liriope." Spring offers views of crape myrtle, winter jasmine, and iris; summer showcases magnolia and crape myrtle flowers; autumn displays fruits of liriope and Judas tree; and winter allows appreciation of evergreen cedar and magnolia tree shapes.
C. Activity Design
Infant Playgrounds are often designed as single spaces, typically equipped with sandpits, small pools, paved surfaces, and simple play equipment like slides. The entrance should be minimized, generally designed in a pocket shape, surrounded by hedges or short walls.
Child Playgrounds are primarily centered around children's equipment such as slides, swings, climbing frames, seesaws, merry-go-rounds, balance beams, etc. Special types of play activities can also be designed, such as construction areas, tents, wooden houses, etc. In fenced-off areas, bricks, wood, tiles, stones, or waste materials and natural objects are provided for children to construct and dismantle. Inside wooden houses, furniture and kitchenware models are placed for group pretend-play.
School-Age Children Playgrounds are generally designed with zoning, delineating activity areas, equipment zones, science zones, lawn areas, and paved surfaces, with more colorful and diverse activities.
5. Conclusion
Landscape design for children's playgrounds should receive widespread attention. At the same time, it is important to recognize the difficulty in controlling design standards, the complexity of safety design requirements, and the disadvantage of decreasing design components due to the extensive nature of play equipment. Starting from the perspective of children, create a natural and intimate outdoor activity space for them.