Copenhagen

Day six of being in Copenhagen, it was a playful day. Today we meet with Randa, a coordinator for a staffed play ground in Copenhagen. What is a staffed playground you ask? Well, a staffed playground is a playground that has 2-4 staff to make it the most enjoyable time for children as well as parents. The job comprises of caring for children that get hurt,  being the one that caters communication  to break up conflicts, giving educational lessons, creating activities, and caring for the park. Staffed playgrounds allow children six and over to come without their parents, allowing the parents to feel comfort about letting their children be independent. If the child is under six it is required they have a parent with them. The staffed playgrounds also are places where schools can come and partake in educational activities, like learning how to bike or learning about animals. I was able to go to five different staffed playgrounds which were all different and  unique, with the same purpose. All the playgrounds I visited had a staff house which the staff which have play equipment, a community garden, and a fence with secure  childproof doors.

The first playground that I visited is named “Trafiklegepladsen” (traffic garden). This playground was set up as a miniature version of various streets one would find in Copenhagen, allowing children to learn how to interact with street infrastructure on a bike. Little kids ages 4-6 buzzed around with ease, stopping and looking, as well as waiting for the lights to change all in a protected area learning what signals meant what and where to ride a bike on the road. This tool is very valuable, especially to a biking city like Copenhagen. We later found out that Eugene is in the process of getting funds to build one as well, something that will help promote bike education. We also found out that the Police do exercises with adults from underrepresented areas to teach them the ways of the road, a way of reaching out and helping them be better integrated into Danish society.

The second playground was a petting zoo. They had chickens, goats, guinea pigs, and rabbits. We were able to enter the enclosures and pet the animals, I was a bit worried about the goats, but they did not budge at all. There was also a green house on the other side of the park which had various birds, baby chicks, and snakes. The green house was a multipurpose room set up to have crafts and make snacks. The staffers shared how this playground allows children to care for animals. They also mentioned how children can take ownership for the animals by “adopting” them, coming to feed them and give their furry friend a good pet. This allows the child to learn responsibility and care.

The third playground I visited was a tower playground. The playground was made up with the famous landmarks and their towers. There was a big skate park too, which had adult skaters as well as young children. This park allowed kids to climb and ring bells at the top of the towers, and go inside the towers. I thought the architecture used in this park was typical Danish, minimal and edgy. But seemed to work for the use of children.

The fourth playground was themed Old Western aka stereotypical cowboy and indians. They had a massive zipline, an old western main street, steam engine, and teepees dotted around. This was in the most southern part of the city so getting there took some time. This one seemed to have older children in it. There was also a basketball camp in session, when we arrived rap music was playing and a fellow American leading the camp. The kids were energized and ready to play some ball. Most of the area was under construction, they are creating a larger park to allow for more capacity and engage more of the population in the surrounding areas.

The fifth playground I visited was more of a conventional playground, one that you would find in America. It was not staffed and did not have as many children at it. It also did not have an overall theme, which made it look quiet boring compared to the others. Because of how accessible everything is here; it is easy to pick and choose which playground to visit. This is probably why it was not as busy as the others I got to visit.

Visiting these playgrounds opened my eyes to how important it is to design an area for children to experience. One of the main things that has stuck to me so far is that idea of designing places for the public. If it is too boring and minimal, it is a complete waste of space. Instead, a public space should be a place you want to spend your time outside of your living area. This concept of making the public spaces, a living room, is something the Danish have perfected.

-Chip