Introduction
What makes a playing place?
Inspiring/Informative playing places
Kippen Skate Park
Gorgie/Dalry Community Park
Mugdock Country Park
The Yard
Giffnock Primary School
Garnethill Community Park
Balornock East Youth Centre
The Spire Park
Conclusion
References & Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
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Where is it? What's it like? What's the story?

Mugdock Country Park is an interesting place, and included as a case study because it is a popular place, and an example of country park play. There is a desire at Mugdock to extend the play area and integrate access for disabled children, and a discussion group has been set up. The case study comes in two parts - part one looks at the existing play situation for under 10s, and part two looks at an experiment to introduce other elements and see how children react.
Where is it?
Mugdock Country Park is on the North West Side of Glasgow just inside the Stirling Boundary.
What's it like?
The Country Park has historic buildings, pathways, a loch and a pond, meadows, woodland, and moorland. There are two main areas dedicated to play, and a short grass slope, which is regularly used for football, and for picnics.
The Adventure play area is set on a wooded hill and partially obscured by mature Rhododendron. It is robust log built equipment, and very muddy underfoot. Kids love the escape it offers, the mud, and the challenge.
There is a smaller enclosed area for younger children it's supposed to be for under 10s but the rule isn't enforced. The equipment is similar but smaller scale robust log built stuff and the surface is bark chippings.
What's the story?
Part One

The equipment in the under 10s playground at Mugdock seems to encourage three kinds of play:

Challenging - crossing the wobbly bridge/balancing on chains
Imaginative - playing in the wee house/balcony
Simple Active - swinging on swings/sliding on slides/climbing

None of these kinds of play are exclusive to particular equipment. There is sometimes challenging play on the swings and imaginative play on the slides and most of the challenging and imaginative play involves simple activity. Older children often play follow my leader around various bits of equipment. Most children race straight to the swings and adults will stand for long periods pushing swings. Sometimes they try to teach children to swing themselves. Very few children swing towards the trees on the edge of the area, occasionally some of the older children swing to touch the trees with their feet. There is little evidence of standing up on the swings perhaps because adults are always around.
The slides are also popular. Children climb the stairs or ramp or the slide itself mostly younger children play on the slides (they are quite small). One of the slides has a little platform at the top of the steps. This was used as a look out, a place to shout instructions from, and a small stage.

Children of all ages play on the wobbly bridge, some who can barely toddle on flat ground seem particularly fascinated (and are generally assisted by an adult). There is a ramp to a wee balcony, which is very popular. The ramp is partly hidden by plants and the hiding seems to be attractive. Some children climb the fence that separates the play area from picnic area and then walk back through the picnic area to the play area.
There is a full size picnic bench in the middle of the play area and other benches at the edges. When any group took up residence at the picnic bench they seemed to dominate the area. People using the benches at the sides and single adults at the picnic table weren't as intrusive. The trees and shrubs around the play area break up the space without restricting visibility. Children seem to enjoy being hidden and make conscious efforts to hide in and around trees and shrubs sometimes alarming the adults.
Continue to part 2