Thriving too

Boo!

Beautiful graphics and animation. I haven't tried playing it yet, cos I'm at work innit. But an initial peek seems rather exciting...

ScaryGirl - browser based platform game by Nathan Jurevicius

Spotted on GuardianTech

Purposeful Play

 

An amazing resource for learning through games has been created by James Neill. Neill is a lecturer at the Centre for Applied Psychology at the University of Canberra (Australia). His highly valuable collection of Games and Activities is one of the very best I have seen.

Neill has conducted extensive research into outdoor education.

"You must live in your school.  Your house and land you live on must be the school.  You are always the teacher and always the student.  You must do everything possible to educate yourself about life, the world, yourself, and most importantly, the connections between everything.  You must have many people visit the school, and much solitude and silence to reflect on things.  You must start this school now.  It must be your life."

- James Neill, 30 June, 2001

Together with our earlier post Pointless Games, these two resources are priceless and freely available!

PS I have played a version of Toxic Waste. Let's just say it is pretty challenging - a very graphic example of how difficult collaboration really is!

Pic: From James Neill's Photostream

How to Turn the City into a Playground for Grown-ups (and others, too!)

Bruno Taylor has a few good ideas about reclaiming public space for play.  He writes:

71% of adults used to play on the streets when they were young. 21% of children do so now. Are we designing children and play out of the public realm?

Play equipment, as we commonly think of it, dictates the user - playgrounds full of bright colors and thick plastic are for children, not adults, and this unspoken rule is a maxim we adults don't frequently break.  But should public space - the places where we all gather, and where so much social interaction happens - be devoid of play?  Bruno thought not, and took direct action.

Above: Bruno Taylor's installation of a swing in a London bus stop. Photo source.

He has just completed a Masters in Industrial Design at Central Saint Martin, and has designed both the swing set above, and a rocking bench for the reclamation of public space for play.  You can find more pictures and details at Pixelsumo.