Inspired by a childhood vacation to Chaumont, France, I truly understood the importance of integrating play and nature. Standing in a beautiful and playful garden right outside a carefully detailed castle, I was unable to compare my current surroundings with any other playground I had ever seen. Piles of colorful flowers and trees were carefully placed along the interestingly shaped path built from smooth planks of wood. Everywhere you looked highlighted the cross between art, modern design, and nature. While each small garden was completely different from one another, they all belonged. They all used different natural colors and materials found in nature so nothing looked out of place. This was a truly inspiring cross between a garden and playground where anyone of any age could have a great time. Thinking back on this experience inspires me to share the importance of the cross between nature, modern design, and fun that should be included in all gardens and playgrounds around the world.

Remembering the beautiful gardens that sounded me as a young child in Chaumont, I decided to use this experience to design a sustainable playground that blends art and design with nature. While researching other playgrounds around the world that already have this idea in place, I came upon a museum in Denmark which recently added “an art playground to its grounds, where children and the young at heart can have fun with art in the open air”. This playground is also “designed to offer opportunities for play and sensory experiences”. It includes a large garden where both children and adults can relax in the natural beauty of nature along with a few artsy sculptures which are carefully integrated with the surroundings. This playground is different from a regular schools playground because the designer payed careful attention to have it match with nature. It includes elevated bamboo pathways which look like a maze hidden among the trees along with wooden rings that release mist, also fitting in with the colors and shapes of nature.

Researching several different playgrounds and gardens around the world, I was inspired to create one of my own. Using 3DuxDesign connectors and recycled cardboard was the perfect place to start. I first thought of where all my building materials would come from. I decided that if I wanted to ensure that it fit in with the surroundings and nature all together while being a sustainable structure, recycled wood would be the way to go. Moreover, I would use other recycled materials for the other parts of the playground. For example, I would use a tire for a swing rather than plastic. I then thought about the colors that would be included. I decided to include the colors and angles that would be found in nature, for example, I would use similar pigments to those of flowers and tress and would incorporate a variety of shapes to ensure the structure stands out from the background but is not excessive in any way. Lastly, I believed it would be important to include certain factors of nature such as native plants, flowers, and tress and would carefully scatter them throughout the playground structure. Before building, I made sure to complete further research and sketch out the way I wanted my playground to look in addition to other playgrounds that already exist.