“Power of Play” CBC Documentary

“The Power of Play” is a recent episode of the CBC documentary production “The Nature of Things” with David Suzuki. It’s a powerful examination of the significance of play for child development and human mental health. The episode features a number of researchers, including Mariana Brussoni and Ellen Sandseter, well known advocates of risky play.

The documentary can be viewed in Canada through this link: https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/the-power-of-play

Likewise, Earthscape designers use the principles championed by these researchers in our playground designs. Based both on the research and from our observations, we find that variation and unpredictability are important to include in play. This is because they teach children adaptation, flexibility, and decision-making during play. In short, these are all valuable skills that children will carry into adulthood.