Play

 

“For there I see young children,

The cheeriest thing on earth,

I see them play – I hear their tunes,

of loud and reckless mirth”

Walt Whitman

 

Play is an essential part of the human learning process and the physical development of a child. Parks and greenspace provide rich opportunities for childrens play, both formal and informal.

 

Life for the children  would be much less fun-filled and colourful without the park play areas which provide an opportunity for adventure and physical activity in a safe environment. Features such as pets corners, dipping ponds, and miniature railways add to the delights and enchantments of childhood summers.

 

Youth

 

“Such were the joys,

When we all, girls and boys,

In our youth time were seen,

On the echoing green”

William Blake

 

Parks and greenspaces provide a wonderful resource in which young people can express themselves through boisterous activity, social interaction and/or quiet enjoyment. Shelters and social areas are the special domain of the teenager, providing places to meet, enabling social interaction and fostering personal development.

 

This transitional stage between childhood and adulthood is where independence and self-expression is being sought. Young people need outdoor space to have fun, be allowed to indulge in lively activity and to explore the realms of today’s youth culture including on skate boarding, biking, free-running, rollerblading, skating, music, dance, graffiti-writing etc. Parks and greenspace can often absorb such lively and loud activity more readily than high streets and town centres.

 

Many councils provide some facilities to cater for their needs. Within many parks and open spaces can be found, skateparks, bike tracks, parkour courts, etc multi-sports areas featuring football, rollerhockey, basketball and fitness equipment.

 

 

Seasonal Events and Activities

 

“I have heard many years of telling,

And many years should see some change.

The ball I threw while playing in the park,

Has not yet reached the ground”

Dylan Thomas

 

Parks and greenspace provide a focal point for members of a community to come together, have fun and interact in a positive and enjoyable way. Many of our first and fondest memories are of visits to, or events in parks, no matter which generation. I have tried to capture some of this spirit in these photographs