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Playground Design Challenge: AI vs Experts

As a specialist playground equipment manufacturer, Playdale is always looking to the future of playground design – identifying new trends, acting on new developments in playground design and finding new ways to make our play equipment more accessible.

With plenty of talk in the media of rapid advancements in AI, we wanted to test just how good AI is at predicting the playgrounds of the future. We tested ChatGPT for inclusivity, ingenuity and quality when it comes to designing playground equipment for playgrounds in the UK.

Read on for AI examples reviewed by our experts.

What should the playground of the future look like?

Our specialist playground equipment designers are clear on what future playground designs should look like:

• Inclusive, with unparalleled accessibility for children of all abilities, including suitable playground surfacing for wheelchairs.

• Early years and junior-age suitable, especially for playground equipment intended for use in schools, as well as public playgrounds and other locations frequented by young children.

• Stylish, with well-thought-out playground theming suitable for a range of ages.

• Educational, especially when it comes to play equipment in nurseries and primary schools.

• Quality, made with only the highest-standard materials and safety standards.

• Fun and engaging, using varied equipment that keeps children engaged both physically and mentally, including areas to unwind and relax when they need to take a quick five.

AI playground design

Let’s take a look at four playgrounds designed by AI!

In the following order, AI has designed a ‘playground of the future’ for EYFS children, a playground for primary school children, a mixed-age playground for a public park and a sensory playground for community groups.

AI’s early years playground

AI’s vision for early years playground design involves:

• Adaptive flooring made from smart, impact-absorbing material that shifts depending on a child’s weight.

• Interactive play panels that light up, providing audio and visual feedback – not too dissimilar to a touch-screen installation.

• AI-assisted play structures that change in difficulty depending on a child’s ability.

• Nature integration, with mini gardens, sand play areas and other nature features.

• Augmented reality (AR) storytelling zones.

Our playground equipment and playground design experts approve of AI’s inclusion of more nature integration, with mud kitchens and sand and water play equipment being especially beneficial.

In terms of AI-assisted play structures, it is good for children to be challenged. If something is out of their current ability, this teaches restraint, informs children of their capabilities and challenges them – pushing their motor skills.

However, AI seems to completely misunderstand the benefits of quality, EYFS-approved playground equipment – and playground equipment for young children in general. It doesn’t specify any quality materials and includes interactive suggestions that are too complex for a child in the EYFS age range.

AR storytelling zones and digital play panels definitely miss the mark. Children need to be spending more time in nature, not less. AR storytelling zones and big digital panel screens shouldn’t be the focal point of a playground, and instead, we should aim for less screen time in children’s play.

Another concern with AR storytelling is its potential to limit a child’s ability to bring their own imagination to playtime, as the world has already been created for them by technology.

Regardless of the decade, traditional storytelling chairs, drama and performance areas and play panels will ensure children stay grounded in the real world, a place which is still full of surprises for an EYFS child.

AI’s junior and school playground

AI’s vision for primary school playground design involves:

• Modular play structures that can be adapted into new adventure trails or playground equipment on-the-fly, such as monkey bars being turned into rungs on a ladder, or swing ropes being adapted into tug-of-war ropes.

• Holographic sport zones, such as virtual football or basketball targets that track points.

• Sustainable, energy-generating equipment that uses kinetic energy to power schools. For example, the energy generated from a seesaw can be used as a power source during playtime.

• AR-integrated walls for educational games, with a focus on STEM-based games in particular.

AI playground design continues to put too much emphasis on integrating digital technology into playgrounds. Digital applications are not needed everywhere, especially where sports and physical activity are concerned.

Modular play structures, in the way AI describes them, are a fun concept – as is energy-generating equipment. The biggest concern with instant modular equipment is that it requires constant supervision by a qualified adult to change the equipment for the children.

Playdale offers multi-play structures which are modular in the traditional sense, allowing units to be swapped out by the purchaser to curate the ultimate playground for their needs before manufacturing. This is by far the safest way of implementing modular play equipment, guaranteeing safe and well-made equipment for any playground.

Additionally, our playgrounds are made with the highest quality manufacturing materials, such as timber, stainless steel, steel core ropes and nets. AI fails to acknowledge that junior-aged children should not be able to take apart this play equipment, jeopardising the build quality.

However, the suggestion of sustainable, energy-generating equipment is an admirable one! At Playdale, we’re always looking for ways to make manufacturing more sustainable, so the idea of using the kinetic energy of play to power communities, businesses and schools is very interesting.

AI’s public park playground

AI’s vision for public park playground design involves:

• Multi-generational play areas, with dedicated sections for toddlers, children and teenagers.

• Eco-friendly design, with solar panels, biodegradable equipment and water-collecting zones.

• Digital play zones, offering adaptable experiences that can be customised. Ideas include digital hopscotch, easter egg hunts and more.

AI has attempted to provide an accessible playground, with specific mentions of designated areas for children who need adult assistance. However, this answer to accessibility feels more like exclusion than inclusion, especially with AI’s suggestion to corner off areas for children that need accessible equipment.

The best inclusive equipment is fun for children of all abilities, allowing them to share in the joy of play. Playdale has been forward-thinking on this issue for many years, which is why our Inclusive Orbit roundabout allows wheelchair users to play with non-wheelchair users, and why our Mexico City Plus allows for both assisted and independent play in its fully-inclusive design.

AI’s sensory playground

AI’s vision for sensory playground design involves:

• Adjustable sensory zones that can be switched to satisfy a particular child’s needs.
• Adaptive sound and light features that can be used to help children sensitive to bright lights or noise.
• AR sensory paths, leading children through sensory trails that can be experienced in isolation.

AI fails to consider context in designing the best possible sensory playground.

For starters, playgrounds should be constructed outside and in nature, so the need for adaptable lighting is a moot suggestion.

Playgrounds offer children the invaluable experience to learn about the world around them, and this should be experienced in its purest form – not through the lens of augmented reality.

Sensory play can offer tremendous benefits for children who have neurodivergencies like autism and ADHD, helping children relax, focus and relieve anxiety. As has been extensively researched.

However, when it comes to AR and sensory play, context is incredibly important. In instances where children do not have access to an outdoor playground, AR can be used as an engaging alternative.

Recently, this can be seen when Sheffield Children’s Hospital used AR and VR technologies alongside sensory activities to help children cope with hospital stays, aiding in the development of practical and social skills.

When it comes to traditional sensory playgrounds, however, time in nature should remain a top priority.

When will AI be used to design outdoor playgrounds?

Based on the current advice given by AI, no time soon.

The needs of children when it comes to playgrounds are simple: they need to be fun, engaging and inclusive, offering health benefits, educational benefits or both.

AI seems transfixed on the idea that future playground design must include modern, digital technologies. However, a core health and educational benefit of taking your children to the playground is that it allows them to spend time in nature and learn about the world around them. This is completely at odds with suggested features like virtual reality, AR and digital game panels.

AI continues to advance rapidly, but for now, we are more than confident that Playdale’s experienced designers and engineers are making the right decisions without its help.

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