In 2014,
Eve Mosher, an artist, and Alexander Khost, a youth rights advocate and web developer, began holding pop-up adventure play events in public parks after hitting on the idea at a child's birthday party.[1] They founded play:groundNYC the following year together six other co-founders: Yoni Kallai, an acrobat and "circus strongman," Reilly Bergin Wilson, a play scholar, Robin Meyer, a playground designer, Jackie Katz, an arts educator, Anne Morosini, a non-profit project manager, and Philipp Klaus, an educator.[2]
For the first 2 years of its existence in
New York City, play:groundNYC ran several pop-up playgrounds to street fairs and several parks including
Fort Greene Park.[3] Shortly before setting up the permanent site on Roosevelt Island, play:groundNYC installed and led an indoor
adventure playground in the
Brooklyn Children's Museum in January and February 2016. The installation was located on the second floor gallery and consisted of loose objects—cardboard boxes, fabrics, rope, tape, and other materials. It was staffed by
playworkers.[4] play:groundNYC partners with the Trust for Governors Island to open The Yard on
Governors Island in 2016.[2]
Programs
The Yard (Governors Island junk playground)
On May 28, 2016, play:groundNYC opened a 50,000 square foot[5]junk playground staffed by
playworkers on
Governors Island.[6][7][8][9][10] The playground is divided into two sections: a "mud kitchen" for children ages 3 and up, and a larger "junk playground" for ages 6 and up. The mud kitchen consists of fabrics, tents, assorted toys, sticks, dirt, water, pots and pans, and mud. The junk playground contains hammers and nails, saws, shovels and other tools, tires, lumber, tarpaulin, pipes, and other materials.[11][12]
In May 2018, the playground was renamed "The Yard" after
the Yard, the first
junk playground opened in the United States, in Minneapolis in 1949.[13]
During January and February 2016, play:groundNYC installed and led an indoor
adventure playground in the
Brooklyn Children's Museum. The installation was located on the second floor gallery and consisted of loose objects–-cardboard boxes, fabrics, rope, tape, and other materials. It was staffed by
playworkers.[20]
Play advocacy
Play:groundNYC hosts film screenings and panel discussions related to
adventure playgrounds,
playwork, "risky play," and racial, socio-economic, and other barriers to free play, such as "play-averse schooling regimes."[21] These are generally held in museums and schools and feature
The Land, a short documentary film about the nature of play, risk and hazard set in The Land, a Welsh "adventure” playground.[22]