PlayGroundology

A Sandpit Like No Other

Posted on January 15, 2026 | Leave a comment

A Sandpit Like No Other – Dufferin Grove Park, Toronto, Ontario – 2016 – PlaySnaps number 33

A Sandpit Like No Other – Dufferin Grove Park, Toronto – 2016

The sandpit is a sight to behold, a space that kids do not want to leave. Measuring over 1,000 square feet, this is the largest children’s sandpit in Canada and possibly the world. Known locally as the Big Backyard it is a great example of undesign, a place where children have agency.

Digging is a popular pursuit. Hands, real garden shovels and their toy counterparts, sticks and beach rakes are all favourite tools. Tonka dump trucks and graders move the dirt piles to new locations. Gullies, hillocks and moats are part of the pit’s dynamic topography that is in a constant state of flux.

Cast-off boards are put to various uses including rough plank bridges and compact lean-to shelters built for two, or three in a squeeze. At the far end of the sandpit, a standpipe provides free-flowing water to make mud, small ponds, puddles, rivulets, or simply a plain old head soaking under the tap.

Bordered on one side by a wooden fence, the pit boasts a handful of towering maple trees that offer natural shade. The Big Backyard is a community driven project led by the Centre for Local Research into Public Space (CELOS). It is a wonderfully successful venue for fun and adventure that has become a destination playspace for those in the know who pop in for a visit from various parts of the city.

More in an earlier PlayGroundology blogpost here.

See all PlaySnaps 1 through 33 right here on flickr.

Each week I’m uploading a couple of original images. Pulled from a collection of more than 20,000 shots taken over 20 or so years. The snaps are a smorgasbord of people (mostly kids), play and places. There is no particular order to their presentation – chronological, thematic, or otherwise.

It’s been my good fortune as an adult to occasionally immerse myself in play. Being an onlooker and by times a helper has made for many joyful moments. I’m thankful to our kids for indulging me over the years and letting the camera in on the fun. I hope some of these photos will tickle your fancy, bring a smile to your own heart of play.

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Posted in agency, CELOS, Dufferin Grove Park, PlaySnaps, Sand, sandpit

Celebrate Kool Playing

Posted on January 12, 2026 | Leave a comment

I stumbled across this video shortly before Christmas. So much joy. An inspiration even for Kool and the Gang, the originators. Such an electric rendition by this international Playing for Change ensemble. Thanks kids, you gave me the goosebumps……

A great song to welcome the new year and new beginnings.

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Posted in celebration, kool and the gang, Playing for Change

Just Boxes

Posted on January 7, 2026 | Leave a comment

Just Boxes – 5th floor boardroom, Halifax, Nova Scotia – 2014 – PlaySnaps number 32.

Just Boxes – 5th floor boardroom, Halifax, Nova Scotia – 2014

A little box talk as we close out the Christmas season. Sometimes the box is the shiny object – not the contents. At a couple of workplace Christmas parties prior to retiring, we let employees’ kids loose in our 5th floor boardroom in a downtown Halifax office tower with a hundred or so boxes. Tentativeness was the initial vibe. In fairness, how many kids have been presented with 100+ boxes with no instructions other than – have fun?

These Christmas parties were December 24 family affairs built on a 20 year tradition reaching back to the founding of this particular Canadian federal government agency. Many would agree that it was the best employee appreciation event ever with multiple stations set up in individual offices. Lots for kids to sample – glitter make-up, face painting, ball toss, cookie decorating, a Mr. Dress Up like tickle trunk for costumes/make believe (Canadian reference), sweets, snacks, candy and a live acoustic guitar trio singing carols. The grand finale of course is one brave employee taking on the Santa Claus mantle and welcoming 50 or so kids, some crying, to hop up on his knee momentarily and snag a gift.

Back to the boxes, the kids got in the groove pretty quickly – constructive mayhem, creative deconstruction, just ‘pure fun’ as they say in Barbados. It’s all-ages kids, girls and boys with place, space, permission and their own ideas of how to do and make stuff. Nearly 10 years have passed since the last pre-Xmas boxes blast secured the primo space in the boardroom. I enjoyed watching all the kids, my own included, bring their own agency to bear, transform a corrugated cardboard collection into worlds of their own making. I’m thankful my colleagues supported this out of the box activity.

I had some great mentors when I first dipped my toes in the ‘loose parts’ world. First and foremost the crew at Pop-Up Adventure Play who showed me that boxes are great play and creativity building blocks. Boxes continue to be core elements of public, community loose parts play events.

Never underestimate the empty box. Emptiness, full of possibilities……

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Posted in agency, Boxes, Boxes in the Boardroom, loose parts, pop-up adventure play

The Dragon of Tighnabruaich

Posted on January 1, 2026 | Leave a comment

The Dragon of Tighnabruaich, Argyll and Bute, Scotland – 2014 – PlaySnaps number 31.

The Dragon of Tighnabruaich, Argyll and Bute, Scotland – 2014

We’re scanning for a roadside clearing that doubles as home to a rustic dragon on our route from Islay in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides. As we roll over hills and weave through the twists and turns of Argyll and Bute’s narrow, country roads we round a corner on the 8033 and suddenly it appears. We pull over into a space where wiry firs have been cut back. The dragon in plain view peers out in all its steadfastness.

Virtually unadorned

A stacked grey stone sculpture nearly 2 metres tall, it is virtually unadorned with the exception of dollops of paint in lieu of teeth and shimmering reflector eyes. Mud partially encrusts the weighty block supporting a crocodilian head. The tail trickles off in the back distance reptilian and segmented. It’s wonderful impromptu public art, playful but a bit drab in its dull earth tones.

Keeping the dragon at bay

Getting out of the car, we dash around the beastie ready for a spot of play. My 80-year-old dad is the ringleader brandishing a small branch to unnerve the dragon. We are indebted to those who dreamed up and assembled these ancient stones into a mythic beast. It’s an unanticipated surprise for all those catching a glimpse as they zip by – a smile, a wondering, a lightness. The up close interlude with dragon brightens our day. There is a spring in our steps and the sparkle of childhood memories in our eyes as we resume our journey.

Shortly after this introductory meeting, planning begins for the next encounter. Three months later, we’re back in Scotland taking a ferry across the Clyde from Gourock to Dunoon and wending our way by car through the valley of pheasants for a high summer reunion. We’re kitted out for a makeover – several gallons of paint, various sized brushes and refreshments to keep us hydrated.

It’s a great afternoon. The July sun is hot, the horse flies persistent but these minor inconveniences don’t even register. Over a giddy couple of hours we set about a transformation. We chip away at the mud prepping for the first coat. We had hoped to help the Dragon of Tighnabruaich really pop for passersby with alluring tones in saltire blue complemented with more riotous colours but choices were limited at Dunoon’s hardware.

All spruced up

Even with a limited palette, our handiwork results in a beguiling new livery adding to the dragon’s mystery. Numerous drivers toot their horns in appreciation of our efforts and kids wave from back seats as they whoosh by. We tidy up, pack, take some pics of our finished work and head back to Dunoon to catch the ferry for Gourock where we regale my aunt and uncle with our exploits.

That was 2014 the year my mom passed away unexpectedly. Those afternoons, months apart, with my dad and the dragon in my parents’ homeland were interspersed with laughter, adventure and an almost carefree abandon. The moments of lightness were a balm, a welcome sanctuary where grief was momentarily paused. Play’s gentle embrace helped us weather the storm.

I’ve been back to Scotland twice since then but didn’t have the chance to check out the dragon. A Google Street View dated 2022 shows it still ticking though a little worse for wear.

Google Street View 2022

All the best on this first day of 2026 with a special remembrance for absent friends….

Christmas 1962 – 132 Auchmead Road, Greenock, Scotland

This photo was taken on my first trip to Scotland with my Mom when I was 5. We stayed with my maternal grandma, Agnes Morgan and my mom’s younger siblings. Looks like I was anticipating an encounter with the Dragon of Tighnabruaich a few decades down the road…

See all PlaySnaps 1 through 31 right here on flickr.

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Posted in Argyll and Bute, Dragon, Dragons, Scotland, Tighnabruaich

April Seashore

Posted on December 28, 2025 | Leave a comment

April Seashore, Rainbow Haven Beach, Nova Scotia, Canada – 2009 – PlaySnaps number 30

April Seashore, Rainbow Haven Beach, Nova Scotia, Canada – 2009

The spring sand is darker, denser but beach all the same regardless of the air temperature. We’re well dressed for this excursion just a couple of kilometers from our home. There is open space to wander. The waves lapping the shore and the gulls’ cries are a soothing backdrop to the impromptu construction site. We’ve brought our own heavy equipment and a big blue kid’s snow shovel – high rotation toys for Noah at this time. Grand-papa is visiting from Quebec. There is much digging and transporting of sand…

Play can happen in almost all weather conditions with the exception of when rgw weather is hazardous. Wet, cold, hot just needs planning, preparation and appropriate dress.

See all PlaySnaps 1 through 30 right here on flickr.

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Posted in PlaySnaps, seashore

On Tour

Posted on December 21, 2025 | Leave a comment

On Tour – Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2011 – PlaySnaps number 29

On Tour – Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2011 – PlaySnaps number 28

For the better part of three years between 2009 -12, the kids and I toured playgrounds in our home territory of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Many of the trips happened on weekend mornings with everyone fresh and raring to go. These were simple, fun focused, active outdoor adventures. When we started out there were two kids in tow. By the time we wrapped a third had joined the crew. In all, we dropped in on nearly 60 playgrounds.

Each playground got a write up on the Playground Chronicles blog, photos of all the equipment were uploaded to a Picasa album and the playground’s location was plotted on Google maps. The vast majority of the playgrounds were of the cookie cutter, off the shelf variety. Despite the predictability I came to expect, it was like each stop on the tour was Christmas morning for the kids. Based on their reactions, I decided not to introduce any kind of rating scale for the playgrounds.

On arrival at a new play destination there would be a clamoring to escape the bonds of the car seats. What followed was a rapid flurry of activity to case the place out, to see what they could play with – slides, monkey bars, swings, the terrain, boulders, trees, hills. Mostly, I just enjoyed them having fun while acknowledging the frequent cries of, « papa, papa, watch me, watch me ». After some robust exploration, impromptu games, a little hooting and hollering and much running, climbing and swinging it was time to bundle the crew up in the car for the return journey home.

These trips were a great bonding time for our three, wee amigos full of cooperative and competitive play. They were there to help each other and of course do a little showing off too when the opportunity arose. I had a blast, developed some social media skills and started to discover online the fascinating and multi-faceted world of play. This poking about led directly to the launch of the PlayGroundology blog in 2010.

It’s quite possible that I would never have taken this path had the family not spent some quality time during a parental leave at my in-laws in Sorel, Quebec. Grand-papa, then an elementary PhysEd teacher, took us touring around the town’s playgrounds. The municipality had them all listed with locations on their website. This was not the case for Halifax. Raymond and Nicole thanks for the good times and the visits to Parc Bibeau, Parc des Trembles, Parc Monseigneur Nadeau and all the others. You really helped launch our journey!

A few more shots from our Halifax playground tour days…

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Note – PlayGround Chronicles is offline due to the significant number of changes to the playgrounds. It is no longer an accurate reflection of what’s on the ground.

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Posted in Halifax, Halifax Regional Municipality, On Tour, PlayGround Chronicles

Driftwood Catamaran

Posted on December 17, 2025 | Leave a comment

Driftwood Catamaran – Green Point, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada – 2017 – PlaySnaps number 28.

Driftwood Catamaran – Green Point, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada – 2017.

Slithering sand snakes writhe this way and that skimming the surface of the beach. It is a brisk August day in Gros Morne National Park. Looking west beyond the cove are the cool waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. To the northeast is the Strait of Belle Isle and further on the Labrador Sea.

On this day we are unhurried as we skirt the water’s edge. It’s a playful stroll discovering small wonders – dried tufts of seaweed cartwheeling pell mell, driftwood scattered here and there as far as the high water mark, the occasional crab skittering across the sand.

For part of the walk Noah struggles with a length of sea-washed, sun-dried tree trunk about twice his size. It’s quite a find but unwieldy, hard to manage. The girls lend a hand briefly but it’s not long before the trunk is discarded and left behind.

In the distance we make out a spindly, vertical finger poking skyward. As we get closer, we see it’s a minimalist design, a driftwood katamaran. Much balancing on the blanched poles ensues. Peering seaward while hugging the bowsprit is an agile manoeuvre that each pulls off with their personal, low key panache, a sort of been there, done that mini rite of passage.

We don’t know how long this beached vessel has been greeting hikers, or how long it will last following our visit. Its origins are unknown, a public sculpture created anonymously for build it forward moments of fun and unreeling play. Glad we could stop by…

A blustery day

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See all PlaySnaps 1 through 28 right here on flickr.

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Posted in build it forward, DIY, do-it-yourself, found objects, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland

Crocodile Rock

Posted on December 13, 2025 | Leave a comment

Crocodile Rocks – Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland – 1968 – PlaySnaps number 27.

Crocodile Rocks – Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland – 1968

A good eye and a playful paint job transformed these craggy natural rock formations on Millport’s shoreline into Crocodile Rock. The first makeover more than 100 years ago was the handiwork of local man, Robert Brown. The story goes that his eyes conjured up a crocodile in the rocks as he was passing by at lunch after firing back a couple of wee drams.

Far from its natural range, this croc has become a Millport tradition and is well maintained by the community. A short walk from the town’s commercial district to the shore, it’s either getting washed over, or emerging on the beach in accordance with the tides.

The croc is an irresistible climbing and exploration space as well as a memorable photo op. That’s what we offer here, a moment of holiday keepsake. I’m thankful that I have it to look at nearly 60 years later and dream of the fine times we had. I love the composition and the lighting my Papa captured even in this less than perfect digital scan. One look and it just sweeps away the years.

When the croc is beaching, tidal pools are accessible. Sea stars, whelks, periwinkles, sea urchins and more are easily visible. The ascent to the croc’s back and head is not too arduous – children are generally pretty capable having more billy goat tendencies than their adult keepers! Scampering up and down is very doable, just watch for the shallow crevasses.

Our first trip to Millport was during a 1968 holiday to Scotland with our parents. On that particular day we took the round trip excursion from Gourock on one of the Firth of Clyde passenger steamers. At another time we returned with two of or wee Scottish girl cousins. The croc was just as alluring and ready to play.

See all PlaySnaps 1 through 27 right here on flickr.

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Posted in affordances, crocodile rock, cumbrae, Scotland

All In a Day’s Play

Posted on December 10, 2025 | Leave a comment

All In a Day’s Play, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada – 2019 – PlaySnaps number 26.

All In a Day’s Play, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada – 2019

Kids, curious kids. Stuff, glorious stuff. Combine the two along with liberal measures of space, time, permissions and removal of hazards – what do you get? Open-ended play in discovery – exploration – cooperation modes. Junk for many, this is priceless material for the play multiverse – prescription and instruction free, versatile, ideal for props, for creating, for undoing and doing again differently. All hail ‘loose parts’ and their affinity with child-led play.

Kids are gifted at making this repurposed, everyday material sing. For 4 or 5 years, the neighbourhood beat a path to our backyard to see what challenges, adventures, games and fun they could dream up and make happen on a given day. Ages ranged from about 4 to 13 years old. Forts, jumping ramps, self-fashioned swings and hammocks, free falling on old sofas, cable spool sprints, obstacle courses, milk crate bowling and clubhouse making were all on the menu for varying periods of time. As parental units, we were available to engage if required which happened very rarely. Through those years we only had two mishaps both with our own kids – a sprained arm falling off a too high tower of milk crates and a foot puncture by a nail.

Note – I had gathered this material and more for large scale, public loose parts events and stored it at home. It was in pretty much constant backyard use.

Thanks to all the people who assisted over the years with inspiring and organizing loose parts events with particular shout outs to Simon Nicholson (see this great write up by PlayGroundology friend, Juliet Robertson), Pop-Up Adventure Play, Youth Running Series, The Glasgow Green Players (see PlaySnaps number 19 – Glasgow Green), Luke MacDonald and my partner Mélanie who generously delayed her own gardening projects by years to give the kids free reign.

Here are a few more pre-garden, chaos days snaps.

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See all PlaySnaps 1 through 26 right here on flickr.

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Posted in backyard play, Juliet Robertson, loose parts, lukelitterpicker, PlaySnaps 26, pop-up adventure play, Youth Running Series

Young at Heart

Posted on December 5, 2025 | Leave a comment

Young at Heart, South Common, Halifax, Canada – 2017

Young at Heart, South Common, Halifax, Canada – 2017 – photo by Alexa Cude @seriouslyalexa

The youthful looking octogenerian in this snap is my dad, Bob. On that particular July day he came to take in our loose parts play event just a heartbeat away from Halifax’s downtown core.

More than 200 kids were scampering about Halifax’s South Common at this free, public event that was all about exploring and having fun – all in a day’s play for kids. It was a first in the city in terms of numbers and scale. The Pop-Up Adventure Play crew from the UK and the US were the key resource people lending a hand, or holding hands as necessary.

One lifelong childcare professional wrote on a scrap of carboard box, “By far the best event I’ve attended with a group in 25 years of early childhood education.” As for the kids, it’s safe to say they had a blast, never having experienced anything quite like it. For those on FB check photos here. Alexa’s other photos from that day here.

Dad hung around for a couple of hours and helped with the clean up afterwards. It wasn’t his first loose parts rodeo. He had a great time watching the kids get at it creating their own worlds – much as he had done for me when I was a kid. He always gave lots of encouragement and support for any activity and at the same time plenty of rope to get out and try things on my own, a wonderful balance.

Wherever he happened to be in the world – Scotland, France, Sweden – he made time to find and photograph playspaces for PlayGroundology. Together, we made one grand public intervention in Argyll, Scotland. I’ll share that tale another time.

Today, my papa would have been 91. We’ve all been missing him these last 5 years. He was such a warm, generous and loving man – always there for us. Papa, to absent friends….