KEEP ME HANGING

Keep Me Hanging is a playscape that allows kids to mimic experiences of a bird. This includes the vantage of height and dwelling within the woven patterns of a forest. Hence, different levels of activity are activated within the space: reflecting (nooks to nest), rock climbing (taking flight), sliding (gliding down), and hanging (bird’s perspective).

This playscape was initially examined through creating a furniture piece entitled Nestle. It is composed of triangular painted plywood pieces that interlock in order to create one's own "nest". The flexibility of the interlocking system lets the user concentrate or disperse one's nest as much as needed. Once the furniture was produced, Nestle was tested with a group of preschool children and their interactions with the pieces later influenced the final design - for instance, stacking the pieces vertically was a new implementation. With this project, the activity of "play" is questioned. Familiar objects within a playground are seen in a different lens to engage new forms of learning.