Member-only story

Urban Playmaking: Constructivist Teaching with a Radical Agenda

Denzel Hayes

·5.1k Followers· Follow

Published in Curtis Floth

6 min read

614 View Claps

32 Respond

Save

Listen

: The City as a Playground for Learning

The city is a vibrant and chaotic tapestry of sights, sounds, and experiences. It is a place where people from all walks of life come together to create a unique and unpredictable urban environment. For children, the city can be an overwhelming and even dangerous place. However, it can also be a place of wonder and discovery, a place where they can learn and grow in ways that are not possible in traditional classroom settings.

Urban playmaking is an approach to education that embraces the city as a learning environment. It is a way of teaching that is based on the principles of constructivism, which holds that children learn best by actively constructing their own knowledge through experience. Urban playmaking activities encourage children to explore their surroundings, interact with their peers, and take risks. Through these experiences, children develop important cognitive, social, and physical skills.

The Benefits of Urban Playmaking

There are many benefits to urban playmaking, including:

Urban Playmaking: Constructivist Teaching with a Radical Agenda

by Curtis Floth

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2176 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	194 pages

Cognitive Development: Urban playmaking activities encourage children to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to navigate the urban environment. They learn to think critically about their surroundings and to develop strategies for dealing with challenges.
Social Development: Urban playmaking activities encourage children to interact with their peers and to build relationships with people from different backgrounds. They learn to cooperate and negotiate, and they develop a sense of empathy and belonging.
Physical Development: Urban playmaking activities encourage children to get outside and move their bodies. They learn to climb, jump, run, and play in a variety of settings.
Civic Engagement: Urban playmaking activities help children to develop a sense of ownership over their city. They learn about the history and culture of their community, and they develop a desire to make it a better place.

Urban Playmaking in Practice

Urban playmaking can be implemented in a variety of ways. Some common examples include:

Pop-up Playgrounds: Pop-up playgrounds are temporary play spaces that are created in unexpected places, such as vacant lots or parking garages. These playgrounds provide children with a safe and fun place to play in the city.
Adventure Playgrounds: Adventure playgrounds are permanent play spaces that are designed to encourage children to take risks and explore their surroundings. These playgrounds typically include a variety of challenging and imaginative play equipment.
Street Games: Street games are traditional games that are played in the streets of cities. These games encourage children to interact with their peers and to develop their physical skills.
Field Trips: Field trips are a great way for children to learn about the city and its history and culture. Field trips can be to museums, historical sites, or other places of interest.
Community Gardens: Community gardens are a great way for children to learn about nature and the environment. They can help to plant, water, and harvest vegetables and fruits.

The Radical Agenda of Urban Playmaking

Urban playmaking is not just about creating fun and enriching play experiences for children. It is also about challenging the status quo and creating a more just and equitable city for all. Urban playmaking practitioners believe that children have a right to play in the city and that the city should be a place where they can thrive.

The radical agenda of urban playmaking includes:

Creating safe and inclusive play spaces for all children: Urban playmaking practitioners believe that all children deserve to have access to safe and inclusive play spaces. This means creating play spaces that are free from violence, discrimination, and fear.
Empowering children through play: Urban playmaking practitioners believe that children are capable of learning and making decisions for themselves. They empower children through play by giving them the opportunity to take risks, explore their surroundings, and make their own choices.
Challenging the status quo: Urban playmaking practitioners believe that the city should be a place where all people can thrive. They challenge the status quo by working to create a more just and equitable city for all.

Urban playmaking is a powerful approach to education that can help children to develop cognitively, socially, physically, and civically. It is also a radical agenda that challenges the status quo and works to create a more just and equitable city for all.

If you are looking for a way to get your children involved in urban playmaking, there are many resources available. You can find pop-up playgrounds, adventure playgrounds, and community gardens in most cities. You can also organize your own street games or field trips.

The most important thing is to provide children with the opportunity to play and explore in the city. By ng so, you can help them to develop into creative, socially responsible, and civically engaged citizens.

Resources

Alt Text for Images

Image 1: Children playing on a pop-up playground in a vacant lot. Alt text: Children play on a pop-up playground in a vacant lot.
Image 2: Children playing on an adventure playground. Alt text: Children play on an adventure playground.
Image 3: Children playing street games in the street. Alt text: Children play street games in the street.
Image 4: Children on a field trip to a museum. Alt text: Children on a field trip to a museum.
Image 5: Children helping to plant vegetables in a community garden. Alt text: Children help to plant vegetables in a community garden.