Children should be allowed to play in the dirt because being too clean can impair the skin’s ability to heal itself, new research suggests. Scientists at the University of California at San Diego have discovered that bacteria on the surface of the skin plays an important role in combating inflammation when we get hurt. The bugs dampen down overactive immune responses, which can lead to rashes or cause cuts and bruises to become swollen and painful. The findings...

Extract from the Evaluation of Year One Camden Play Pathfinder Sites, which uses one of Theories Landscapes previous play area as an example of good practice for a special needs school play area;

"In order to provide increased playability for disabled children then it is important to consider the provision of a variety of equipment and space that will appeal to a...

Schools and youth groups across the country are being provided with free saplings by the Woodland Trust, which will result in 115,000 trees being planted in school grounds and community spaces. The hedge and copse packs are being distributed as part of the Trust’s Tree for All scheme that aims to plant one tree for every child under 16 in the UK. Each pack contains either thirty native hedge trees including; hawthorn, hazel, holly, dogrose and dogwood, or thirty native copse trees...

Play London say;

The natural environment offers unrivalled opportunities for free play. When adults think about where they played as children, a majority usually cites a natural environment as their preferred play for play when they were young.

The natural environment also offers many types of "loose parts" to use in play, skimming flat stones over water, breaking off sticks from a bush for a sword-fight, and having a snail or slug race are just a few of the delights of play with natural materials.

Sand, water, boulders and fallen trees are all great things to leave...

CABE calls for an end to ‘KFC’ play spaces

Play Pathfinder Scheme

Theories Landscapes are very happy to have been chosen to design and build 2 playspaces for each of the London boroughs of Camden and Hackney through the Government's Play Pathfinder Initiative.  Camden's Elm Village Playspace has been completed and Sumatra Road's Playground will be finished in the very near future.  Hackney's Nye Bevan Estate Park and Trowbridge Village Green are under construction presently.