Koret Children’s Quarter

On July 31, 2019October 16, 2020 By Alice WebbIn Parks, PlaygroundsLeave a comment

Situated near the eastern end of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, the Koret Children’s Quarter playground is a popular destination for city residents. It was built in 2007, replacing the former Sharon Quarters for Children, which was originally constructed in 1888 and believed to be the first public playground in the U.S. The current play area includes a combination of natural elements, unique sculptures, and manufactured playground structures. One major attraction is an undulating concrete slide built into a hillside.

In 2017, the large play structure was destroyed by arson, but was replaced a year later.

Natural play elements: sand, rocks, & vegetation

The main play structure includes a ramp connecting to a hillside
path, providing wheelchair accessibility.

Lots of plantings surround the play area.

Photos by Alice Webb

Project design by MIG

Playground at the Boston Nature Center

On July 9, 2018July 11, 2018 By Alice WebbIn Nature Preserves, Plants, Playgrounds2 Comments

The “Nature Nook” is a delightful natural play space on the grounds of the Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Mattapan neighborhood of the city. In about eight years since the playground’s construction, the vegetation has grown nicely to form a cozy play space consisting of several “rooms” of activity areas. The playground includes all the important elements of nature-based play: water, sand/dirt, wood, plants, rocks, and hills. Additional features include a stage with seating, planters for gardening, music and art spaces, a building construction area, a gathering (seating) space, and a boardwalk.

Pergola with vines at the playground entrance

Water pump and stone stream bed, with adjacent sand play area

Children exploring the woods

Musical play, grass hill, and stage with seating

Building construction area, including a permanent wooden frame that children can lean sticks against to form forts and other structures

Boardwalk through the woods

Climbing log

Bridge over the stream bed; near the sand play, dirt play, gardening, and art areas

Photos by Alice Webb
Project Design by StudioMLA Architects, Brookline, MA

An Uncommon Playground

On April 7, 2016November 23, 2017 By Alice WebbIn Parks, PlaygroundsLeave a comment

I finally got to visit the play area on the Common in Cambridge, Massachusetts – A superbly-designed space with hills, custom wooden structures, sand and water play areas, logs, plants, and other fun and unusual components. It includes many elements that help define a successful playground – one modeled on natural features that fosters imaginative, open-ended play. Although there weren’t many children there when I visited (likely due to cold weather and other plans on Easter Sunday), I could tell that the playground is well-used and loved, with sand tracked all over the place!

A challenging wooden climber

Sand play station

Swings, plants, rocks, and a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round

Climbing net on a hillside

A custom wooden structure, slide, and tunnel

Water play station (too cold in March for the water to be turned on yet)

One of several attractive custom wooden benches

Custom wooden picnic table and seats

Sculptural entry gate

Logs provide a balance challenge

Wooden “ship”

Double slide embedded in a mound

Photos by Alice Webb

An Oasis in the Inner City

On October 12, 2015November 23, 2017 By Alice WebbIn PlaygroundsLeave a comment

Kids from impoverished sections of my city don’t often get to play in natural settings, since they typically live in apartment houses and buildings with little to no yard space. That has recently changed for some lucky preschoolers at the Webster Square Day Care Center here in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The center, which operates out of the lower level of a church, wanted to update their playground, which then consisted of scattered equipment within a sand surface. Originally their goal was to simply change the surfacing to a safer material that would be acceptable under current state requirements for day care centers. However, I convinced them to take the renovation a step further and add some nature-based features for a more enriching play experience.

My firm developed plans for this playground, and the day care center received several grants which funded the improvements over a period of a couple years. Since the budget was fairly limited, we retained the existing play equipment, keeping the larger pieces in their pre-existing locations and moving the smaller items. Plants, rocks, stepping stones, logs, water and sand play tables, musical chimes, and a vegetable garden were added to the space.

Although the playground is used exclusively by the day care center during the weekdays, it is open in the evenings and on weekends for use by neighborhood children. The kids get a lot of enjoyment out of this space, and I’m told that the natural features are particularly popular. A few “before” and “after” photos are included below to illustrate the improvements.

BEFORE: A couple of play panels, sand surfacing, weeds, and an ugly fence (owned by the neighbors) were all that existed on the west side of the playground. The wooded area behind the play area is on adjacent property.

AFTER: Relocated play house, plants (including shrubs which will grow to hide the fence), stepping logs, & chimes. The drums are portable, stored in a nearby shed.

BEFORE: West end of the playground

AFTER: Lots of enjoyment from a few simple features

BEFORE: East end of the playground

AFTER: Rocks and plants create a space for imaginative play.

BEFORE: Central section of playground

AFTER: Existing play equipment was retained, engineered wood fiber safety surfacing was installed, and a sand table was added. An at-grade sand play area is situated behind the table.

BEFORE: Unused, weedy area west of the existing shed

AFTER: A raised vegetable garden for the children to learn about growing food

Photos by Alice Webb and the Webster Square Day Care Center staff

Teardrop Park – Nature in the City

On August 21, 2012November 23, 2017 By Alice WebbIn Parks, Playgrounds3 Comments

During a recent trip to lower Manhattan in NYC, I had the opportunity to visit Teardrop Park. This little urban oasis in the Battery Park City neighborhood is situated between several high-rise residential buildings. It includes natural play areas in its southern half, and lawns and walkways to the north.

Much of the park was designed to represent a northeast forest environment, with rock outcrops, rolling hills, and lush (mostly native) vegetation. One of its prominent features is a vertical wall of stacked bluestone, arranged to resemble natural rock strata. This design includes water seepage through a section of the wall, forming icicles in winter.

In the middle of the children’s play area, a long slide is anchored into a rocky hillside and terminates in a large sand area. Nearby, there is a small sand play area for pre-school children, in addition to a water play zone for kids of all ages. Children and adults alike can also explore a wetland play path, where I observed a number of birds during my visit.

The sloping lawns to the north of the play areas are pleasant spaces for relaxation, and include several seating areas along the perimeter. There are also some more isolated seating/gathering spots along paths throughout the park. Despite the secluded nature of those areas, I felt very safe while there.

I was at the park on a Tuesday morning, so it was not packed with visitors. I would imagine that it attracts a lot more users during weekends and summer evenings, especially residents of the surrounding high-rises. The park provides many opportunities for imaginative play for kids, and serves as a pleasant environment for all.

Hillside slide with rock steps and overlook