Childhood, nature and lock-down

Abstract

The current design of urban playgrounds and the daily use children made of them, constitutes a limitation for the interaction of girls and boys with the natural environment. The CoV-19 health crisis has led to an exceptional situation of lock-down. As a result, access to these spaces in many Catalan cities has been prohibited. This restriction can be interpreted as an opportunity. During the de-escalation process, children have been allowed to go out into the public space, however, many of these playgrounds remain closed. This situation has favoured alternative uses of public space which have fostered direct contacts with nature that did not occur in the traditional play space of playgrounds.