Places for Healthy Play: A Multi-Pronged Evaluation of Context, Design, and Perceptions for Play Space Improvements

Abstract

Community design interventions have prioritized the creation of quality play space, especially in easy to access public places, to improve health outcomes and to reduce health inequities. Evaluations of health-relevant play interventions often fail to assess essential context, design, and perceptions. The Play Everywhere Philadelphia Challenge, led by KABOOM!, funded 16 play spaces to support child health and development and literacy skills for low-income neighborhoods across Philadelphia. In June-October 2022, our interdisciplinary team conducted a process evaluation of completed play space installations (k=9) to identify site aspects that facilitated greater use. We mapped neighborhood context (e.g., child amenities, sociodemographics, pedestrian and bike accessibility), and conducted direct and systematic observations of play space design (e.g., signage, shade), visitation (i.e., number of visitors/hour), and engagement. We summarized visitation and engagement across contextual and design data. While many visitors passed through sites, over half of the children we observed engaged with the installation. Installations with poor condition (i.e., cleanliness and maintenance) had the lowest visitation and engagement. More active/kinetic installations drew more children and engagement. This process evaluation comprehensively analyzed play space design elements and neighborhood context and provides evidence to inform recommendations to increase use of urban play spaces.

Keywords: children; evaluation; health inequities; play; public space; systematic observation.

Figure 1

Examples of Play Spaces Designed as part of the KABOOM! Play Everywhere Philadelphia Challenge Active, kinetic installations had interactive components. They may have involved things to climb, jump on, or otherwise move. Mixed sites had both active and passive features but not enough kinetic components to fall into the active category. They may have things for kids to touch, grab, or experiment with. Passive installations were primarily reading or presentation of other visual information. They were usually fixed features that require the child or caregiver to initiate the activity.