ABSTRACT

Local play parks are key spaces within children’s geographies providing opportunities for physical activity, socialisation and a connection with their local community. The design of these key neighbourhood facilities influences their use; extending beyond accessibility and installation of equipment when seeking to create a location with usability for all. This paper reports on the development of an evaluation tool, which supports the review and development processes linked to play parks. The Play Park Evaluation Tool (PPET), which is evidence-based in content and developed with a multi-disciplinary approach drawing on disciplines from the Built Environment and Health Sciences (occupational therapy), considers key areas contributing to the accessibility and usability of play parks. Aspects evaluated include non-play features such as surface finish and seating, recognising the relevance of these in creating accessible, usable spaces for play. This alongside assessment of installed play equipment to evaluate the breadth of play options available and how these meet the needs of children and young people with varying abilities or needs. The paper describes PPET’s creation, the revision process undertaken, and its subsequent use across three stages of a play park’s development. Key to achieving facilities with high play value is the provision of a varied play experience. To support this the evaluation of play types offered is integrated within the tool. This in-depth appraisal is supported by the creation of an infographic illustrating the resulting data and provides a method by which this information is presented in an accessible form. This visual representation contributing to the decision-making process undertaken by those responsible for the provision of play parks.

摘要

当地游乐园是儿童地理区域内的关键空间，为体育活动、社交和与当地社区的联系提供了机会。这些关键邻里设施的设计会影响它们的使用；在寻求创建一个所有人都可以使用的位置时，超出了设备的可访问性和安装范围。本文报告了评估工具的开发，该工具支持与游乐公园相关的审查和开发过程。游乐公园评估工具 (PPET) 在内容上以证据为基础，采用多学科方法开发，借鉴了建筑环境和健康科学（职业治疗）的学科，考虑了有助于游戏可及性和可用性的关键领域公园。评估的方面包括非游戏功能，如表面光洁度和座椅，认识到这些在创造可访问、可用的游戏空间方面的相关性。同时评估已安装的游乐设备，以评估可用游戏选项的广度以及这些选项如何满足具有不同能力或需求的儿童和年轻人的需求。该论文描述了 PPET 的创建、所进行的修订过程以及它在游乐园开发的三个阶段中的后续使用。实现具有高游戏价值的设施的关键是提供多样化的游戏体验。为了支持这一点，工具中集成了对所提供的游戏类型的评估。这种深入的评估得到了创建说明结果数据的信息图的支持，并提供了一种以可访问的形式呈现这些信息的方法。这种视觉表示有助于那些负责提供游乐公园的人进行的决策过程。