“If children want a playground, let them build it themselves.”
I’m really pleased to announce another addition to the Playscapes Press family of downloadable vintage playground books! Starting today, you can download The Nuts and Bolts of Playground Construction, by Paul Hogan, in the sidebar. You might have heard of another book by Paul, “Playgrounds for Free” which is perhaps better known, but which MIT Press would not give me permission to republish (phooey on MIT Press). Never you mind, because Nuts and Bolts contains much of the same information, but is actually far more comprehensive in scope, particularly in its reference to the play history of its time.
Nuts and Bolts was part of a 1982 series entitled “The Trilogy of Play” and Paul Hogan–playground builder, play advocate, and 1979 US Commissioner for the International Year of the Child– provided Volume 3, the “HOW”. And how! In this book you’ll find DIYs for everything from bridges to ziplines, in gorgeous period photos. There are sections on playgrounds for handicapped children, and for hospitals. Take a look at the chapter list…I love that Paul has a ‘Horrible Examples’ section! And it is TOTALLY time to bring back the “Playbus” idea.
Nuts and Bolts is also a fascinating and international look at the playground milieu of the late 70s-early 80s. Paul discusses the attempts to create adventure playgrounds in the US (activists currently trying to revive the adventure playground movement here should take note!), Sweden’s play council, and city playgrounds in Australia. Interspersed are the writings of other play advocates, and fabulous photos of vintage playscapes, some of which were entirely new to me and which you’ll be seeing more about on throwback Thursdays over the next months.
Whether you’re interested in the history of play, or its design, or simply in DIYing your own backyard playscape, get this book!
And until the first of the year, you can download ALL of the Playscapes titles–5 in all now–for the price of four! Click on the ‘holiday deal’ in the sidebar.
Please note that all of the books are big files…to prevent problems do make sure you have a stable, fast connection for downloading!
Just another Merry Christmas from me to you…books, blocks, and a free DIY download. Get them all!
The post The Nuts and Bolts of Playground Construction, Paul Hogan, 1982 appeared first on Playscapes.