“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.”
- Charles Schaefer
WHAT WE DO
Our research investigates how the design of play environments impacts physical health and social behavior. Our approach to research is simple...we want to discover what sparks great play. Is it environment? Is it people? Is it programming? Is it time? To date, we have collected data on over 50,000 people in almost 100 play spaces.
Our advocacy is tied to our belief that everyone deserves a great place to play. We work closely with communities to support their unique play culture, through events, play memory workshops, and lively hands on art projects. We also run a loose parts library called the Playbrary, that sparks play for all ages with upcycled toys, art supplies, and more.
Our design focuses on creating immersive playful experiences unique to the needs of the community. Our play spaces offer opportunities for risk and adventure, full of imagination, movement, discovery, social connection, as well as deep connections to nature. Our designs are a reflection of what we learn from our research and advocacy projects.
We believe in creating play environments that balance safety and risk, in order to create places to play that are inviting for all ages.Our team is trained as Certified Playground Safety Inspectors and to execute risk benefit assessments. We have played on playgrounds around the world and are well versed in playground guidelines in a variety of countries.