White paper

6 tips to dramatic play outdoors

How to inspire dramatic play in themed playgrounds

Humans have an ability that set us miles apart from other species: we can imagine. This is a gift that allows us to build visions of a better world, and eventually a play-plan to achieve a better life for all. This cognitive force is learned and appreciated from early in life through the act of play.

Latest research indicates that infants can take in advanced cognitive and social-emotional learning through make-believe play, or dramatic play, before they can even speak. This is because the ability to imagine develops long before language skills.

This white paper provides tips on how you can motivate dramatic play in themed playgrounds to encourage imagination, language stimulation, and play retention.

white paper

6 Tips to dramatic play outdoors

Download white paper
Make the most of ##Dramatic play

6 tips to dramatic play outdoors

  1. Motivate role play with intriguing themes: animals, houses, shops, traffic, and fairytales are easily transferred to children’s lived experiences and easier to start talking about. A car-theme is understood by most ages and opens the possibility of imagining going out into a wider, unknown world. When supporting play, care givers or parents can initiate the widening of the vocabulary: “Are you driving the car? Where are you going? Are you going to visit your grandparents?"

  2. Increase play duration by adding intriguing elements such as mirrors, bells, and manipulative activities such as turntable plates or auditive stimulation with music panels.

  3. Increase play benefits by combining your themed setting with physical play activity also, for instance slides or climbing opportunities.

  4. Increase play duration by adding space and opportunity for breaks – for instance by having a patio with seating in a play house, or a table and benches inside it.

  5. Increase the possible user numbers by offering play equipment designs that have more access and exit points and feature activities that span both inside and outside, for instance turntables or funnels. When there is no rear side to a design, the children can play house, car, or other themes from the outside, too.

  6. Increase the user age, ability span and accessibility by offering all of the above at ground level.

Play webinars and white papers

Designing unique playgrounds that match your story and your scene

Play

Webinar

Inclusive Public Playgrounds: 10 new, science-based practices for play spaces

saturn playground schools and public parks

10 design tricks for age appropriate playgrounds in schools and public parks

Tweens love playgrounds: 5 new science-based tips for school playground design

Sensory Play: Science behind child wellbeing in playgrounds

Nature Play: 8 Tips on encouraging outdoor play with nature playgrounds

Play for all - Universal designs for inclusive playgrounds

More play and no conflicts

Play value - The influence of playground equipment

Play value increases with sensory play

The more thrilling playground

Equality in play - Survey on playground use in children with disabilities

Sensory play: The why, how and what of sensory stimulating playgrounds

Physical activity among preschool children

Tweens love playgrounds

Innovative products - The key to more play

Unique Play Designs - Increase play duration

truly inclusive section

Truly inclusive - the reward of thrill in universal play designs

Energy expenditure on a KOMPAN school-age playground

The risk-benefit equation of challenging playgrounds

Nature play and natural playgrounds

a children's play area with children playing on the playground.

A Design Checklist for Success with Inclusive Playgrounds

Children playing on a large playground tower made from more sustainable materials in Olins Park

Play for the planet: redefining outdoor design to minimise carbon footprints

Sign up to our newsletter

Get updated with news, inspiration and offers straight into your inbox.