Loose Parts

The Pitsmoor Adventure Playground is an award-winning site in Sheffield that serves primary school children. Adventure playgrounds, also known as junk playgrounds are much more common in Europe than they are in the United States, so a brief history is shared, along with key principles common to playwork as a field. The author spent several months at the site. We meet adults who have had a long history with the playground, from playworkers to board members, and they describe the children’s object play at the center of our discussion. The practice of inviting creativity through the placement of fascinating objects, loose parts, and partially built structures is the focus. Photos in this chapter demonstrate the children’s complexity in combinatory play and its spread across the playground.