Play:groundNYC

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Coordinates: 40°41′20″N 74°00′55″W / 40.689°N 74.0153°W / 40.689; -74.0153
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Play:groundNYC
Map
TypeAdventure playground
Location40 Barry Road, Governors Island, New York, NY 10004
Coordinates40°41′20″N 74°00′55″W / 40.689°N 74.0153°W / 40.689; -74.0153
Area15,000 square feet (1,400 m2)
Operated byPlay:groundNYC
OpenFree and open to the public
weekends 11am – 4pm
(May 28 to September 25)
WebsiteOfficial website

Play:ground NYC is a non-profit adventure playground that has operated on Governors Island in New York City since 2016 and advocates for access to space for free play.

History[edit]

In 2014, Eve Mosher, an artist, and Alexander Khost, a youth rights advocate and web developer, began holding pop-up adventure play events in public parks after hitting on the idea at a child's birthday party.[1] They founded play:groundNYC the following year together six other co-founders: Yoni Kallai, an acrobat and "circus strongman," Reilly Bergin Wilson, a play scholar, Robin Meyer, a playground designer, Jackie Katz, an arts educator, Anne Morosini, a non-profit project manager, and Philipp Klaus, an educator.[2]

For the first 2 years of its existence in New York City, play:groundNYC ran several pop-up playgrounds to street fairs and several parks including Fort Greene Park.[3] Shortly before setting up the permanent site on Roosevelt Island, play:groundNYC installed and led an indoor adventure playground in the Brooklyn Children's Museum in January and February 2016. The installation was located on the second floor gallery and consisted of loose objects—cardboard boxes, fabrics, rope, tape, and other materials. It was staffed by playworkers.[4] play:groundNYC partners with the Trust for Governors Island to open The Yard on Governors Island in 2016.[2]

Programs[edit]

The Yard (Governors Island junk playground)[edit]

On May 28, 2016, play:groundNYC opened a 50,000 square foot[5] junk playground staffed by playworkers on Governors Island.[6][7][8][9][10] The playground is divided into two sections: a "mud kitchen" for children ages 3 and up, and a larger "junk playground" for ages 6 and up. The mud kitchen consists of fabrics, tents, assorted toys, sticks, dirt, water, pots and pans, and mud. The junk playground contains hammers and nails, saws, shovels and other tools, tires, lumber, tarpaulin, pipes, and other materials.[11][12]

In May 2018, the playground was renamed "The Yard" after the Yard, the first junk playground opened in the United States, in Minneapolis in 1949.[13]

Pop-up play[edit]

play:ground holds pop-up playground events in New York City. It has brought pop-up playgrounds to street fairs and several parks including Fort Greene Park,[14][15] Prospect Park,[16] Maria Hernandez Park, Governors Island,[17] and Brower Park.[18][19]

Artist residency[edit]

During January and February 2016, play:groundNYC installed and led an indoor adventure playground in the Brooklyn Children's Museum. The installation was located on the second floor gallery and consisted of loose objects–-cardboard boxes, fabrics, rope, tape, and other materials. It was staffed by playworkers.[20]

Play advocacy[edit]

Play:groundNYC hosts film screenings and panel discussions related to adventure playgrounds, playwork, "risky play," and racial, socio-economic, and other barriers to free play, such as "play-averse schooling regimes."[21] These are generally held in museums and schools and feature The Land, a short documentary film about the nature of play, risk and hazard set in The Land, a Welsh "adventure” playground.[22]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Correal, Annie (May 27, 2016). "On Governors Island, Mountains of Junk Where Children Find Adventure". New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "WHEN WAS PLAY:GROUNDNYC CREATED? WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE YARD?". play-ground.nyc. play-ground.nyc. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  3. ^ "Play:ground Pop-Up Adventure Playground". fortgreenepark.org. Fort Greene Park Conservancy. December 2, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  4. ^ "Play:ground At The Brooklyn Children's Museum (Crown Heights)". achildgrows.com. A Child Grows in Brooklyn. January 18, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  5. ^ Wright, Tolly (April 12, 2018). "Governors Island's most creative, hands-on playground is opening with a new name". www.timeout.com. Time Out New York. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  6. ^ Correal, Annie (May 27, 2016). "On Governors Island, Mountains of Junk Where Children Find Adventure". New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  7. ^ Walker, Timothy (August 11, 2016). "The Junk Playground of New York City". The Atlantic Magazine. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  8. ^ Singal, Jesse. "This Playground Is the Opposite of Helicopter Parenting". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  9. ^ "Adventure playground to open in the heart of New York City". childinthecity.eu. Child in the City Foundation, Netherlands. March 25, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  10. ^ DiStasio, Cat (March 28, 2016). "Governors Island recycled adventure playground meets fundraising goal to support 'free play' for NYC kids". inhabitat.com/. In Habitat New York. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  11. ^ Snook, Raven (June 10, 2016). "New Adventure Playground Lets Kids Saw, Hammer, and Build". mommypoppins.com/. Mommy Poppins. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  12. ^ *"Adventure Playground to Open in the Heart of New York City". playworkfoundation.org. The Playwork Foundation. March 22, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  13. ^ Wright, Tolly (April 12, 2018). "Governors Island's most creative, hands-on playground is opening with a new name". www.timeout.com. Time Out New York. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  14. ^ "play:ground Pop-Up Adventure Playground". fortgreenepark.org. Fort Greene Park Conservancy. December 2, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  15. ^ Chin, Heather (April 15, 2015). "Community Playdate To Pop Up In Fort Greene Park This Sunday". fortgreenefocus.com. Corner Media. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  16. ^ Skenazy, Lenore (May 28, 2016). "Kids will play with the darndest things". Brooklyn Paper. Brooklyn, NY. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  17. ^ "PLAY:GROUND ADVENTURE ON GOVERNORS ISLAND Build a house. Build a village. Build a city!". govisland.com. The Trust for Governors Island. September 15, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  18. ^ Martinelli, Katherine (March 29, 2016). "Where the Wild Kids Are". Bloomberg. The Atlantic. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  19. ^ Faure, Guillemette (May 16, 2016). "The Land, l'aire de jeux à risques". Le Monde. Paris, France. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  20. ^ "Play:ground At The Brooklyn Children's Museum (Crown Heights)". achildgrows.com. A Child Grows in Brooklyn. January 18, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  21. ^ Ulen, Eisa Nefertari (July 25, 2016). "When Play Is Criminalized: Racial Disparities in Childhood". truth-out.org. TruthOut. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  22. ^ "Land and Discussion with play:groundNYC Members". cergnyc.org. Children's Environment Research Group, CUNY. January 18, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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