Nature and digitalization challenging the traditional playground

• Published in: Urban forestry & urban greening 2024-03, Vol.93, p.128148, Article 128148
• Main Authors: Sallnäs Pysander, Eva-Lotta, Mårtensson, Fredrika, Waern, Annika, Litsmark, Anna, Hedblom, Marcus, Raustorp, Anders, Ghilagaber, Gebrenegus, Zhu, Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Annan samhällsbyggnadsteknik; Children 's play; Digital; Health promotion; Health Sciences; Human-Computer Interaction; Hälsovetenskaper; Människa-dator interaktion; Other Civil Engineering; Outdoor education; Playground; Urban planning
• ISSN: 1618-8667; 1610-8167; 1610-8167
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128148

Playing outdoors in nature with peers has been attributed most importance for children's healthy development but is increasingly marginalized because of the attractiveness of screen-based play. Careful merging of digital technology into outdoor play environments rich on nature elements could potentially help bridge digital play with more traditional play activities outdoors. A systematic comparison was made of outdoor play in more or less green settings, with and without digital installations or traditional play equipment. The separate and combined role of digital artefacts, play equipment and natural elements, were investigated, with particular focus on the effects of merging digital materials into nature. A group of children aged 6–8 were involved in a field study in a three-week period playing in a traditional playground, a forest and in a forest with digitally enhanced play artefacts. Children´s play behavior was evaluated using a behavioral tracking method, a questionnaire and a contextual interview with the children, and a physical activity measure, in combination with inventories including maps to document the design, and the ecological and physical status of the settings. The study documents differences in children's play behavior across the three settings. It differs most between the digital forest setting and the forest setting regarding the play categories imaginative play, physical play and rule play and the digital forest setting stands out when it comes to expressive play. It is discussed how particular attributes in the physical environment influence the overall play flow and the interactive effects of natural material and digital material. Ecologically, the forest and the forest with digitally enhanced artefacts were more diverse than the traditional playground, but the natural material present was important for play in all settings. •The presence of nature is vital for children´s health promoting play outdoors.•Digital play equipment may limit diversity in play at the expense of pretend play.•A study of children´s approach to attributes of nature, digital material and other artefacts.•Recognizing the vital role of biodiversity in children´s play settings in planning and management.